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Textbooks for Fall: How to Buy, Sell and Trade
Here’s some information about all things books: selling them, buying them, and even finding books to read this summer.
Returning Textbooks to MBS Direct (our textbook distributor)
Step 1: Visit the MBS Direct website by going to the main Harker Parent Portal page and clicking on the blue tile called “Bookstore.” Once on the MBS page, click “sell your books” and log in to your MBS account. (If you do not have an MBS account, because you’ve never purchased from them, you can create an account at this point.) Enter your books’ ISBN numbers in the big blue box, and you will be told whether your books are available for buy-back. You may enter the ISBN numbers of any books, even ones you did not purchase from MBS. You will then receive a printable certificate that guarantees your buy-back price for any approved books.

Step 2: You can either send your approval certificate and book(s) back to MBS directly, or bring them to one of our buy-back days, where Harker will collect your textbooks and send them to MBS. However you choose to return your books, you will either receive a check from MBS, or you may have your amount credited via PayPal, which can take up to four weeks.

 

Bringing Your Books to Harker to Return to MBS – May 19, June 12
The Buy-Back Drop-Off days are Friday, May 19, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1-4 p.m., for the Class of 2017 only, and Monday, June 12, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1-4 p.m. for everyone, including the Class of 2017. Both events are at the middle school Campus Store at 3800 Blackford Ave. Bring your printed MBS certificate (see section above about getting it)!
Purchase Fall Textbooks – July 7 
If MBS doesn’t want the books you have to sell, you have another option. You can come to the middle school campus amphitheater area (3800 Blackford Ave.) on Saturday, July 15 from 9-11:30 a.m. and sell your books directly to other students. For the second year we are keeping a database were you can enter the books that you are selling, or check to see if the books you need are listed. Buyers, feel free to contact the sellers if you would like to purchase their book(s). Sort of like a garage sale, Harker doesn’t establish any prices; you just negotiate with those who would like to purchase from you. Please check the fall textbook list first on the Back-to-School Hub to be sure that the same editions you have will be used again next year, so you don’t sell an outdated textbook to a student. Look for more information soon from Teré Aceves: tere.aceves@harker.org about how to sign up to reserve a selling spot.
See Used Book Database
Textbook List Posted on Back-to-School Hub – July 7
Friday, July 7 is the day that the Back-to-School Hub will post the fall textbook list. The hub is accessed through the Harker Parent Portal.
Selling Textbooks MBS Won’t Buy Back – July 15
MBS operates an online bookstore for Harker. The link to this online bookstore will be on the Back-to-School Hub. Starting July 7, you can input your student’s Harker ID at this virtual bookstore and all the books you need for your student’s classes will appear. You are welcome to purchase books at sites other than this MBS online bookstore, such as Amazon. Just make sure the ISBN number exactly matches the one on your booklist – even numbers different by one digit will mean the incorrect book.

Textbooks purchased between July 7-14 will receive free shipping from MBS.
Summer Reading Literature Exchange – July 15
The book selling event on July 15 at Blackford is also is a literature exchange day – come swap books for good summer reads!
Questions?
If you have any questions about MBS buy-back or book purchasing, please contact Matt Ortiz at matt.ortiz@harker.org or 408.553.0356. For questions about the July 15 campus book sale/exchange, contact Teré Aceves at tere.aceves@harker.org or 408.345.9622.

Have a great summer!
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