Why RIT’s Barnes & Noble Does Not Publish ISBNs
As all of us know, RIT’s Barnes & Noble store does not publish ISBN numbers. This way, it makes it harder for RIT students to find books from other sources. Titles and authors listed on the site are often abbreviated, so searching on other sites may provide inaccurate results.
Barnes & Noble’s Response
BookMaid emailed RIT Barnes & Noble’s Manager, Peter Briggs, and they explained their rationale:
“It is Barnes and Noble College Booksellers policy not to post ISBNs on our websites unless we are contractually or legally obligated to.”
He stated that there were consistency problems with ISBN numbers, and that they felt that the title, author, and edition were enough information.
If you disagree, contact Peter at pwbbkt@rit.edu.
He also stated that students may call to ask for ISBN numbers. (Phone: 585-475-2501 or email form). BookMaid encourages students to call and ask for ISBN numbers.
How to find your RIT required textbook list
- Login to Student Information System (SIS)
- Choose Academic Information and then Class Schedule
- Select the term and click Submit
- Click By My Books Now
- Copy the titles of your book and search for the textbooks on BookMaid
BookMaid is looking into automating the process to search for your required books easier.
February 13th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Not having the ISBN numbers is quite annoying. Either way, normally searching for the author and book name is usually sufficient in discovering better prices, however it discourages students from doing so without the ISBN number (ie - most students “play it safe” and spend more, getting it from the bookstore). All in all, it’s quite discouraging and annoying. Nowdays, I usually use Amazon or BookMaid to find books.
February 13th, 2009 at 10:17 am
That is annoying.
I just emailed him. This is silly.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
The response I got a few weeks ago cited reasons including that “packages” of books including CDs and such had different ISBNs than other books, as well.
He also included that you can email Barnes and Noble @ RIT with your book/class information (here is the form: http://rit.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBLocationAndContactView?langId=-1&storeId=35554&catalogId=10001 ) and you should receive a response within 48 hours.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:04 am
I sent him an email stating how it would be nice to have the ISBN even if the books are in “packages” , so that students can confirm they have made exactly the right choice with their professor.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
[...] Barnes & Noble website (the only way to find textbooks for classes), and after inquiring and receiving a unfulfilled answer from RIT’s Barnes & Noble’s Manager: “It is Barnes and Noble College Booksellers [...]
August 30th, 2009 at 1:23 am
[...] BookMaid Blog | Why RIT’s Barnes & Noble Does Not Publish ISBNs bookmaid.com/blog/why-rits-barnes-noble-does-not-publish-isbns – view page – cached As all of us know, RIT’s Barnes & Noble store does not publish ISBN numbers. This way, it makes it harder for RIT students to find books from other sources. Titles and authors listed on the site are often abbreviated, so searching on other sites may provide inaccurate results. — From the page [...]