Teaching and Learning Resource Center

Getting Started with CarmenBooks for Students

CarmenBooks is a program that offers digital copies of selected textbooks for a fraction of the cost of a new, physical copy. Through a partnership with Unizin, the university negotiates for a better price on behalf of all students in the course.

Your instructor chooses whether your course will opt-in to the program. 

With CarmenBooks, you can:

  • Save up to 80% off the retail price for your course materials
  • Access digital course materials through CarmenCanvas before your class begins
  • Retain access to Unizin e-Reader course materials for as long as you are a student at Ohio State 

If you register for a course using CarmenBooks, you will see this discounted textbook cost reflected as a course fee. 

You will receive an email notifying you of the course participation. If you did not receive a message, are unsure, or would like to confirm, you can find information on participating courses on the Affordable Learning website

You will have access to the content as soon as your instructor makes your Carmen course available to you. CarmenBooks content is preloaded before the semester begins.

How much is the fee?

The fee is different for each course and is based on negotiated rates for the materials provided. The University charges exactly what it is billed for the materials and does not charge an additional access fee or markup.

Accessing Materials

Where your CarmenBook materials are located in Carmen depends on whether your course is using a digital textbook delivered via the Unizin Engage eReader or a traditional homework system provided by a textbook publisher such as MyLab, MindTap, etc. 

Engage eReader

If using the Engage eReader, you will see a menu item labeled CarmenBooks in your course navigation. 

Students should launch Engage from CarmenCanvas using a web browser so they can access all of the features within Engage. Students will not have access to all Engage features if launching Engage from within the Canvas Student app.

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CarmenBooks link in course navigation of Canvas

Publisher Homework System

If you are using a publisher's homework system, you will access it in the same way you traditionally would, directly through their own navigation link.

The difference is you will no longer be prompted for payment or given trial access. You will have full access immediately.

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Publisher homework system course link in Canvas

How long will I have access to the material?

This answer is different depending on the type of material your course is using.

You will have access to digital textbooks delivered through the Engage eReader for the duration of your enrollment at Ohio State. They remain on your Engage bookshelf, organized by semester.

Materials delivered via Publisher homework systems will have the same access periods they traditionally offer. For some of these, that means a single semester, for others it can be a year or more.