Our Solution
Students are driving the textbook marketplace — and they’re taking it straight off-campus. According to recent survey, nearly 2/3 of all students now purchase some textbooks online. Akademos helps you easily adapt and thrive in this evolving market by allowing you to provide a full-service virtual bookstore + marketplace for new and used textbooks. The Akademos solution delivers huge savings, is easy for students, faculty and administrators to use, and leverages your school’s image and identity.
The Akademos Virtual Bookstore + Marketplace
The Akademos virtual bookstore was created by an educator. That’s why it’s easier to use and more student-focused than other online solutions—remaining open, flexible and highly personal. Getting started is as easy as uploading a spreadsheet. Should you need answers or assistance, a dedicated account manager is on-call. And students enjoy round-the-clock accessibility to the only virtual bookstore with an integrated peer-to-peer marketplace–designed specifically for textbooks used in your classrooms. By combining superior technology with a proven commitment to customer service, Akademos goes far beyond other solutions to deliver new levels of efficiency and cost-savings.
Full Service, Redefined
The Akademos virtual bookstore + marketplace offers all the service features you expect, and more. For administrators, this means a complete turnkey solution, customized for your school, with no start-up or maintenance costs, and a dedicated account manager who will support you every step of the way. It also means real-time order reports, financial aid management, publicity materials, an incentive package, and scholarships, all tailored to each school’s needs.
For students, the Akademos solution means the right book delivered on time. We maintain a dedicated inventory of new and used books for each class in one of our regional warehouses to ensure prompt delivery. In addition to traditional textbooks, we also offer ebooks, custom coursepacks, school supplies and insignia items. For those who wish to sell their books, we offer an on-campus and online buyback program.
For faculty, we offer several powerful features, including an online adoption tool, a teacher resource program, and the ability to upload digital files — such as lecture notes or color slides — alongside the bookstore listing. Instructors can also create custom coursepacks with Akademos’ online coursepack creation tool. We’ll clear the copyright, reproduce and bind the material, and stock the coursepack in our regional warehouse.
The Marketplace Advantage
Akademos is the only virtual bookstore to offer an integrated marketplace. This means your students no longer need to open multiple browser windows to shop for the best available prices on new and used books. Our proprietary marketplace contains tens of millions of books, providing extensive coverage for the texts faculty are using in your classrooms. Students who purchase marketplace textbooks save an average of 61% off the list price — and they can even use financial aid to make these purchases. For the first time, your students will neither need nor want to go anywhere else.
HEOA Compliance
The Higher Education Opportunity Act, which goes into effect on July 1, will affect educational institutions, their bookstores, and textbook publishers alike. Institutions must provide students with accurate information regarding course materials, including ISBN numbers and suggested retail price, and link this information to the course schedule. This information is intended to allow students to compare prices from other sources. The Akademos solution allows schools to comply with both the letter and the spirit of this legislation, as students can view detailed bibliographic information (including ISBNs) linked directly to classes. What’s more, ours is the only virtual bookstore that includes an integrated peer-to-peer marketplace, providing students direct access to thousands of sellers — without ever leaving the official school site. And only Akademos allows students to use their financial aid when making marketplace purchases. Read more about the HEOA bill and the Akademos solution here.
If your bookstore is self-operated…
Akademos can free you from the growing cost and complexity of operating your own campus bookstore. You’ll realize immediate savings by eliminating inventory and operational costs. You can devote your bookstore space to meet other educational needs, or shift your focus to selling merchandise that’s needed all year round.
If your bookstore is operated by another vendor…
With Akademos, your students can purchase their required textbooks for less. Akademos is focused on empowering you to deliver the savings and selection your students need. You maintain control over content and management—while providing first-rate service and lower cost of ownership for your students.
