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Faculty & Staff

Information for Bookstore Transition

What's Changing

Effective Oct. 21, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District has entered into a partnership with Follett Higher Education Group to manage and operate the Bookstores at both Foothill and De Anza colleges.

Consequently, most faculty members will be using a new textbook adoption process to order books for winter quarter classes.

Course Materials Adoption Training for Faculty

If you missed this training, watch the orientation zoom recording.

For more information about the transition, see frequently asked questions.

About the New Bookstore Operator

The new partnership is aligned with Foothill's continued drive to lower the costs of textbooks and course materials for our students – including the college's longstanding efforts to promote Open Educational Resources and other zero-cost or low-cost digital, rental and used course material options.

Follett Higher Education Group has been in the higher education sector for more than 140 years. They operate more than 1,100 college and university bookstores across the United States and Canada, including more than 100 in California. They bring the advantages of an extensive supply chain, economies of scale, new technology and many years of experience serving California community colleges.

Follett is also focused on student affordability, offering the nation’s largest textbook rental program, an extensive selection of used, digital, new and OER materials, and a price-matching program. 

Textbook Adoption FAQs

Can I log into Follett Discover outside of MyPortal? Do I need a username and password?

Follett Discover is only available through MyPortal to avoid the need for separate login credentials.

How does Follett Discover know what courses I’m teaching?

Your assigned courses are read directly from the school’s student information system to reflect the most up to date schedule information. If you notice an incorrect course title, please message the store team and we will partner with the necessary campus partners.

What if I cannot find the Course Material I’m looking for?

Follett Discover’s database of titles is the most comprehensive in the industry. If you don’t see the title that you would like to adopt, try manually entering the 13-digit ISBN. If the item still doesn’t show up, you can add the title through the Add Title form found within your course or contact your campus store directly through the Message Center.

What happens to my adoption after I submit it?

Your adoption request is sent to the campus store, and once it has been reviewed and accepted, you will see the status flag updated to “APPROVED.” The campus store will contact you directly with any questions.

What is OER content? How do I mark a material as OER?

OER or Open Educational Resources are shared and openly licensed documents and media for teaching, learning, and other educational purposes. Often these materials are available at no cost to the learner. You can search for OER materials by clicking the Discover button within the course. If the material is not already listed, you can add content.

How do I tell the store that I will not be requiring materials?

Upon accessing your course list in Follett Discover, you will have the ability to mark a course as no titles/complete or share that only OER material is being used. Students will also see this information through MyPortal or on the store website.

Will Fall 21 adoptions roll over for Winter or do we start from scratch?

To verify we have the most up to date information for your courses, please do submit your adoptions through Follett Discover. After the first submission, you will easily be able to readopt materials for future terms.

What if I have a course pack or an art kit?

Please send a message through Follett Discover or reach the store team directly to verify we have the necessary information to place an order for your needs.

Can I leave a message for my students?

Yes! Once the course is selected in Follett Discover, please see the Student Instructions section towards the bottom of the page.

When are Winter 22 adoptions due?

Please submit all requests by November 12. The goal is to have all course material information available to students upon the start of registration on November 15. Adopting on time contributes to course materials affordability. By submitting adoptions by the due date, the store has sufficient time to source used and rental inventory which translates to savings for your students.

 General FAQs

When does the new partnership begin?

The partnership officially began on Oct. 21, 2021. Due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Follett will begin by operating an online store to support the remaining fall quarter term needs of students and the college. In-person services will be limited and/or by appointment for textbook pick-up. It will reopen the physical Bookstore location when more students return to campus.

  • Book orders submitted before Oct. 21, including all orders for fall quarter, should be submitted through the process used in previous quarters.
  • Beginning on Oct. 21, all orders should be submitted and fulfilled through Follett. See the answer below for: "How do I order a book for my classes?"

Will there be a new Bookstore website?

Yes, the college will have a new online Bookstore site beginning Oct. 21. It will be linked from the Foothill College website and have its own unique web address (to be announced soon). Students will be able to search for course materials by their CWID or by their class section. The Pasadena City College online bookstore is a good example of a Follett bookstore website. 

Will there still be a "physical" Bookstore on campus?

Yes. However, due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, in-person services will be significantly limited and/or by appointment for student textbook pick-up services. The physical Bookstore location will reopen when more students return to campus.   

  • Beginning Oct. 21, any questions concerning in-person services should be directed via email to foothill@bkstr.com.

How do I order a book for my classes?

As of Oct. 21, faculty members should plan to submit all adoption information – including new adoptions or changes to existing adoptions – by using Follett’s online adoption tool, Discover Adopt. Additional information and instructions will be provided as soon as the adoption tool is available for use, and, as noted above an information session and training will be offered on District Opening Day (Sept. 16)

You also have the option to

How do I order required supplies for my classes?

As of Oct. 21, required supplies should be included as part of the textbook adoption information for your classes. You should plan to submit all adoption information – including new adoptions or changes to existing adoptions – by using Follett’s online adoption tool, Discover Adopt. (Additional information and instructions will be provided as soon as the adoption tool is available for use.) 

You also have the option to

Will Open Educational Resources (OER) be available through the Bookstore?

Follett supports OER adoptions through the Follett Discover tool. If print versions of OER are available, they may be available for purchase as well.  

Does Follett offer eBook options?

Follett has a partnership with RedShelf to provision and deliver digital content, but other e-Book providers can be made available.  

Do digital learning materials meet accessibility requirements?

Follett’s digital provider, RedShelf, meets and exceeds industry standards around accessibility. You can read more in this article on RedShelf’s website.

What if I want to adopt an edition not listed on the Follett Discover site?

The Discover tool does not limit what you can adopt for your courses. You can adopt any edition and the Follett team will evaluate the availability and communicate with you if there are issues. 

As part of the transition process, Follett will pull Fall 2021 adoption information from MBS (current Bookstore course materials system) into its system and there will be no additional steps for faculty to take if book adoption information had already been submitted to the store.  

Where can I find information for students?

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