Books for Classes


Federal Financial Aid Regulations mandate that faculty declare what books, publications, or other purchases students need to make to participate in a class. 

The University of Michigan, in compliance with the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act is committed to providing students access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials.

To this worthy end, we ask that, to the maximum extent possible, you provide information about specific texts and other materials you are planning to require for your courses. If the class does not require textbooks or course materials please ensure the "I'm not using any materials for this class" option is selected. Additional information on how to detail this information can be found by visiting Help: Textbooks and Course Materials Adoption. This allows students to have more time to find the most affordable options and allows time for Barnes & Noble College, our preferred textbook provider, to source these materials at the best prices and work through any fulfillment issues before the start of the term.  

As soon as you have titles and editions figured out, please provide your students with that information. There are several ways to do this.

Starting in 2019, the University officially adopted the Barnes & Noble College Adoption & Insights Portal (BNC AIP) as the preferred means of coursebook ordering. 

Students may still acquire their books through other sources as they seek out the best way to equip themselves for next term's classes. Please specify your coursebooks with ISBN numbers in as many different locations the Canvas site for the course; the course syllabus; the BNC AIP portal (required); any other student-facing documents pertaining to the course as soon as it's possible.

We encourage you to explore affordable textbook and course materials options for our students as you plan for future terms. The University Library has a number of available resources that can replace or supplement some of your course materials at no cost. For more information on University Library resources, visit the Textbook Help page.

This helps students navigate the considerable financial burdens of attending college. Providing your students with plenty of lead time and plenty of choices as they assemble their coursebooks for next semester is a tangible, measurable form of practicing equitable pedagogy, and will help them to be ready for the first day of class. 


How to Access the BNC Adoptions and Insights Portal

Click on the Dashboard link to see a summary of all the classes for your department and whether books have been submitted for each course.  


Contacts for Help & Support

For support or troubleshooting within the BNC AIP, instructors and staff should contact U-M's dedicated team at Barnes & Noble College: