Procedures for Textbooks in Alternative Formats - Undergraduates

Request the Accommodation

Students must specifically request the accommodation of textbooks in alternative format from DAS. DAS can only approve this accommodation if a student’s documentation supports the need for the format they are requesting.

Sign up for Bookshare

If you are approved for the accommodation of textbooks in alternative formats, and you require digital textbooks, you must apply for an individual membership with Bookshare. Please email your DAS advisor to confirm that you have completed the membership application, so that they can contact Bookshare and verify your eligibility.

Verify Your Textbook List

Undergraduate students at Loyola receive textbooks through the Greyhound Book Bundle.  All students receive an email from the Loyola Bookstore requesting that they verify their textbook order starting 30 days before the start of the semester.  Students approved for textbooks in alternative formats must follow the same procedures outlined in the email to verify their order.  Students with textbook accommodations should verify their order as early as possible!

Contact The Bookstore and DAS If an Alternative Format is Needed

When you view your textbook list, take note of the format (digital, hard copy, OER, etc.) of the books your professors have selected for each course. If you are unable to access books in that format due to your disability, you should follow these steps to arrange your accommodation:

• Step One:Check for the textbook on Bookshare.  It’s best to enter the textbook’s ISBN number when searching Bookshare to ensure that you are searching for the proper edition. If you locate the book in the format you need on Bookshare, you are all set and can stop here.

 

• Step Two (if necessary):If the book is not available on Bookshare, you should respond to the confirmation email you received from the Loyola Bookstore when you verified your textbook order and copy das@loyola.edu.  In that email, please indicate:

• The title of the book(s) you need.
• The format you require.

After you send this email, the Bookstore will respond to let you know if they can obtain the book for you in the requested format.

• Step Three (if necessary):In some cases, the Bookstore may not be able to source the book for you. This may happen if the book publisher has only released the book in one format. If this is the case, they will email you to let you know. You should then log in to the DAS portal and submit a request for our office to source the book for you via the Alternative Formats link under the “Accommodations” heading on the left side of the portal.

DAS will contact you to provide the book or request follow up information.

If you add or drop a course after you have already requested a textbook in an alternative format from the Loyola Bookstore or DAS, please contact DAS at das@loyola.edu to let us know as soon as possible.

Turnaround Times

While timeframes vary, it may take the Bookstore or DAS 2-3 weeks to source books in alternative formats. Therefore, we strongly suggest students begin this process and verify their textbook list 30 days before the start of the semester.

Accessing Digital textbooks

Students who require textbooks in accessible digital formats are expected to access the books using their own screen reader or text-to-speech software. Please contact your DAS advisor if you have any questions about this.