Faculty play an important role in supporting our students. The StanBooks program will provide accessible, convenient and affordable learning materials for undergraduate and graduate students.
This model has no restrictions on the learning materials you select for your course. All course materials, from any publisher, in your preferred format, are included in the program. The only requirement is that your learning material selections are turned in to the University Bookstore by the adoption deadline. The process for learning material adoption has not changed and will remain the same with this new program.
Please continue to adopt low and no-cost learning materials when you can, as this reduces the overall cost of learning materials for our students.
Learning Material Adoption Deadline for Faculty
- Dates to be announced
Academic Senate 10/7/2025: UC Riverside Auxiliary Services, UCR Leadership letter
Faculty FAQs
No. Any textbooks the bookstore is currently able to supply should be available via StanBooks. Faculty can choose to require print versions (at no extra cost).
Yes. StanBooks should help ensure all students have accessible materials on the first day of class. StanBooks eBooks will meet new accessibility standards going in effect April 2026.
While the current agreement does require adoption of StanBooks, the campus' transition supports a broader systemwide effort to reduce financial barriers and help students complete their degrees sooner. This work aligns with the Graduation Initiative 2025, the Basic Needs Initiative, and Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$).
Established in 2010, AL$ helps CSU students save money by encouraging faculty to use free or low-cost course materials, including open educational resources, library content, digital or customized textbooks, and faculty-authored materials. By lowering course material costs, more students can access required resources and succeed academically.
Currently, 20 of the 22 CSU campuses have implemented versions of this program with various contracted providers. Stanislaus State will implement the program in Fall 2026, and Cal State Fullerton will begin in Spring 2027.
Updated: February 02, 2026