Bookstore

Some of the benefits of the Beacon Book Program are:

• Students are prepared on the first day of class with all their required materials, leading to greater student success.
• Materials are accessible through the Internet so it goes where you go, on whichever device you want.
• The cost of course materials has been negotiated to be the lowest price available from the publisher

• Register for your classes and the bookstore will start preparing your course materials
• One month before classes start, you will receive an email instructing you to select your delivery preference (in-store pickup or shipped directly to you)
• An email notification will be sent when your order is ready for pickup or when it ships
• Your digital materials will be delivered for your course(s) within the LMS

All undergraduate students at Valparaiso University except:

• Non-degree students
• Visiting students
• SAGE students
• Music therapy certificate students
• High school students – dual credit

Graduate students are not part of the Beacon Book Program.

All undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the Beacon Book Program. When Barnes & Noble begins sending emails before each semester, students only need to select their delivery preference when Barnes & Noble begins sending emails to complete their order and receive their required course materials. Students have the option to opt out of the program each semester.

The program provides all required textbooks, eTextbooks, lab manuals, and access codes that can be provided by Barnes and Noble to eligible students. There may be materials that cannot be provided that may incur an additional cost outside of the Beacon Book Program.

Consumable supplies like lab goggles, dissection kits, molecular model kits, engineering kits or nursing kits, and other course-specific items that can’t be reused or provided by Barnes & Noble aren’t included in the program. Students may need to cover these costs separately.

Publishers deliver course material in different ways through Canvas depending on the type of course material your instructor requires.  Click on the “Course Material” link on the left-hand side of Canvas to view the required material information.

• eBook – click on course material > click on the “Read Now” button.
• Access code – click on course material > click on “Reveal Access Code” > copy the code revealed to your clipboard > click on the publisher link on the left side of Canvas or any link found in the modules or assignment sections > paste the code to launch your access.

Publisher direct – when you click on the course material link, you will only see course material information and the “want to opt-out button”.  This is because your material is delivered through the modules and assig

Before opting out, we encourage students to compare the pricing for individual books and access codes from Barnes and Noble to the Beacon Book Program flat fee using the following steps:

• Visit the Course Material Finder on the VU Bookstore website.
• Select the Fall Opt-Out Term.
• Enter your course information.
• On average, the Beacon Book Program provides students with course materials at a savings of 35-50%, but we recognize some students may find a more cost-effective route during some semesters after comparing the cost of the program to the cost of individually purchasing each required book, depending on their individual course load and the materials their professors and instructors are or are not requiring.

Yes, you will have 48 hours to return your textbooks. If you do not return the textbooks, the charges for the bundle will remain on your student account and you will be subject to a replacement and non-return processing fee.

Please click the link below to start the opt-out process.

Yes. To change your opt-out status and opt back into the Beacon Book Program, please follow the instructions found in your opt-out confirmation email. Please note you must make your final selection by January 22, 2026.

Yes. Each semester, undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the program. Those students will need to determine if the program is beneficial to them based on their schedule for the semester. If they want to opt-out, they will need to do so for every semester they do not want to participate in the program.

If course materials have been picked up or delivered for the dropped class, those materials should be returned to the bookstore within 48 hours. If you drop a class and enroll in a different class, the bookstore will “swap” the required course materials so that you have what you need.

Mac or PC Operating Systems:

• Windows 7 or newer
• OS X 10.10 (Mountain Lion) or newer

Mobile Devices:

• Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer
• iOS 11 or newer

Browsers:

• Chrome for Android (stable channel)
• Chrome (stable channel)
• Firefox (release channel)
• Microsoft Edge (stable channel)
• Safari 11+
• Opera (stable channel)
• Mobile Safari (stable Channel)

The deadline to return all rental textbooks is the last day of final exams for the semester. Students will receive reminders ahead of the rental deadline to their email address.

Yes, the program provides you with the option to purchase any rental textbooks at a reduced rate during the semester.

Yes, you will still be required to return continuation course textbooks. You will be issued the same title for the next semester of the continuation course.

Students will receive email notifications from the bookstore reminding them to verify their order and choose their fulfillment preference. If the student does not opt-out, their materials will be held at the bookstore and their student account will be charged.

Yes, if the student does not opt-out, physical materials will be held at the bookstore, digital materials will be accessed through the LMS and the student account will be charged.

No. All students will have the option to have their course materials sent to their home address or picked up from the VU Bookstore. Those who choose to ship their materials will be subject to a shipping fee to be paid at checkout.

The VU Bookstore works directly with faculty members, who submit their required course materials for the courses they are facilitating.