Campus Bookstores

Find Books and Supplies

Be prepared for your first class with the materials you need. At Central Piedmont's Barnes & Noble College (BNC), you will find everything you need for your classes as well as Central Piedmont swag and apparel. By using and accessing the bookstore, you also help Central Piedmont fund scholarships and campuses.

Bookstores are Open

All in-person bookstore locations are open for supply shopping and order pickup (bookstore hours are in the "Contact Us" section on this page). You still need to buy all your textbooks online on the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore at Central Piedmont website.

Curbside pickup is available at the Cato and Central Campuses. For all campuses besides Central Campus, you can only pick up books at that campus for classes held on that campus; all other pickups should be made at Central Campus.

Textbook Deliveries

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Barnes & Noble is experiencing delivery delays from its publishers that may impact textbook deliveries. The bookstore is processing all textbook orders as quickly as possible in the order in which they were received. Choosing a faster shipping option will only reduce the shipping time after processing, it will not reduce the processing time for your order. Please allow five business days for your order to be processed; then, your shipping method will apply.

Log in to your B & N account to view order statuses for your deliveries.

How to Order Textbooks on the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore Website

Beat the rush and buy your books before class. Take advantage of any used textbooks that may still be available.

Send any questions on the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore at Central Piedmont website or to sm8008@bncollege.com.

  • Go to the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore Website

    Go to the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore at Central Piedmont website (using Chrome or Safari) or download the free My Bookstore app.

    In the "Bookstore" tab, select "Course Materials and Textbooks," then "Find Course Materials."

  • Campus Info

    Select the "Central Piedmont Community College" icon, then select campus where your class is located.

    - Classes at Central Campus or online: select "Central Piedmont Community College."

    - Corporate and Continuing Education students: select "Corporate and Continuing Education."

  • Course Info

    Complete all fields in the Term/Department/Course/Section columns, then select "Retrieve Materials."

    If you don't select all the options for each class, you will get an error message.

    To find your course information: Log into your MyCollege account --> Go to "Academics" --> Select "Student Planning" --> Select "Plan and Schedule."

  • Format

    On the "Select Format" menu, select the format you would like to buy (if your course has multiple format options).

    Both items are not always required — before adding items to your cart, read all information for each item so that you do not order unneeded/extra items:

    - Required: must have for class.

    - Recommended: recommended/option provided by faculty.

    - Package Component: access code that is part of the required bundle. Do not buy both the code and the book bundle. Most access codes are physical items that must be shipped to you.

    - Bookstore Recommended: items recommended by the bookstore that may be helpful for the course.

  • Log In/Create Account

    Select "Add Item(s) To Your Cart," then select "Checkout."

    Create your account (if needed) by completing all fields on the "Create Your Account" form. If you already have an account, select “I already have an account” and log in.

    This is not your Central Piedmont login — you have to create a separate account.

  • Delivery Options

    Select your preferred delivery method:

    - In-store pick-up: pick up at a Central Piedmont bookstore (you can change the campus location later); you can designate another person to pick up the order. Whoever picks up the order is required to show photo ID.

    - Ship to address: shipped by UPS.

  • Payment

    Select your payment method on the "Payment Options" page.

    Financial aid, dual enrollment, middle college, sponsored, and Veterans Affairs Education Benefits students: review the instructions in the following "Payment Options Instructions" section for additional payment options instructions.

    You do need to enter credit card information if you are renting textbooks, even if you are using financial aid or other funding to cover your rental fee. Keep reading for more information on renting textbooks.

    Review all information and select "Submit." You will not be charged until your order is processed. Check the email address you provided for an order confirmation email.

Payment Options Instructions

Know how much funds/aid/stipend you have available before your order to avoid your order not being processed. If your available aid funds are not enough to cover the full cost of your order, you will need to provide another form of payment (credit/debit card) to pay for whatever amount due is left.

Shop Online

Barnes & Noble College Bookstore at Central Piedmont website

Rent Textbooks

You can also rent textbooks for guaranteed savings. When shopping for textbooks in-store, the course information tag will display a "Rental" option. If shopping online, many books will display a rental option along with new and used options so that you can pick what's best for you. There is a one-time rental fee to rent a textbook.

  • You need to enter credit card information to secure the rental, no matter how you are paying for the one-time rental fee (e.g., if you are using financial aid).

  • You can write and highlight in rental books (but not excessively).

  • Return Rented Textbooks

    You must return rental books on or before the due date at the end of the semester. Learn how to return rental textbooks by mail for free.

    Rental books cannot be returned damaged, which includes:

    - torn pages

    - missing pages

    - broken bindings

    - fire or water damage

    - cuts

    You do not get money back when you turn in your rentals. Your card used to rent the book may be charged fees if:

    - you are a financial aid, Career & College Promise dual enrollment, middle college, Veterans Affairs Education Benefits, or sponsored student, and you do not have enough funds on your account to pay for your entire order once your aid is applied to your order.

    - you don't return the book

    - the book is damaged when you return it

    - you return the book after the rental return due date

Price Matching

We will price match Amazon.com, BN.com, and local competitors. The item must have the same ISBN and not a peer-to-peer price. Ask a bookseller or check the bookstore website for more information.

Book Buyback

Book buyback is open during the last two weeks of the fall and spring semesters. We cannot guarantee buyback for any specific books. Offers are subject to change.

Returns and Refunds

Barnes & Noble College policies on how to return and get refunds on textbooks.

To receive a full refund, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Provide the original receipt and original form of payment.

     

  • The book(s) must be in the same condition as purchased (e.g., codes not scratched, books sealed in plastic must be unopened, no writing in any new-condition books).

  • If you are returning the book because you dropped the class, you will need to provide proof of the course drop/change.

  • Refund Timeline

    Within the first 7 days of classes from the start of term — not the date of purchase.

    If you drop a class, you may return your book for a refund within the first 30 days of classes from the start of term. You will need to ask for your refund at the store where you purchased the book. If you purchased the book at the Cato, Harper, or Harris Campus bookstores, you may also go to the Central Campus bookstore for your refund.

    Term dates

Faculty: Select Books for Your Courses, Share What You Learn

We can cater to any needs you may have and will be more than happy to assist you in selection of your textbooks, school supplies, reference books, and other items for your sections. Barnes & Noble College faculty textbook adoption and insights portal is your source for researching, adopting, and sharing insights about textbooks and course materials.

Barnes & Noble College faculty textbook adoption and insights portal

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