FAQ: How do I access my textbook?

How to Find Your Textbook

Check out the How to Find my Textbook This link opens in a new window infographic to learn more about finding textbooks or follow the instructions below.

1. Go to the SNHU online bookstore website This link opens in a new window. You can either search for your course or type in your student ID. Then purchase the code so you can access your course materials online.
2. Check your email. You should receive your textbook code within 24 hours. Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see it.
3. Go to Vitalsource This link opens in a new window. Most ebooks purchased via the online bookstore are available through VitalSource. See the FAQ How To - Redeem a VitalSource eBook code This link opens in a new window from the IT Help Desk to see how to redeem a Vitalsource ebook code.
4. Ebooks not in Vitalsource will need to be activated or accessed within your course in Brightspace. The exact location will depend on the course. The Start Here module will usually provide additional information on how to access your course materials once you have the code from the bookstore or you will see links to your textbook chapters within the module resource section. For further assistance, please check with your advisor or professor.
5. If you never received a code from the bookstore, please contact them via the bookstore’s contact us page This link opens in a new window. 
6. The IT Help Desk is your number one resource for any problems you might have with your online course materials. How do I contact the IT Service Desk (phone, ticket, chat)?
7. Your course syllabus will state if it’s an ebook available via the Shapiro Library and should provide a link to access it. If not, be sure to check your module resources to see if they've linked it there. You can also search for the title in our ebook databases. Search Ebook Central - ProQuest This link opens in a new window and eBook Collection - EBSCO This link opens in a new window first. Most of our ebooks are in those two databases. If it's a technology class, try O'Reilly This link opens in a new window.

The Shapiro Library does not sell or purchase textbooks. However, some courses choose to use the ebooks we have in our collection as their course materials. For additional assistance, please chat with us from our library homepage.

Content authored by: GS

Last Updated: October 24, 2023