The YDS Student Book Supply (SBS)
General Information
HOW TO REACH US: On campus just inside the front door; by phone at 203432-6101; by e-mail at Micah.Luce@yale.edu; or at www.yale.edu/divinity/sbs
HOURS: Monday-Friday: 9am – 4pm (until 5pm on Wednesdays). Special hours will
apply when classes are not in session. The Bookstore is closed on legal and University
holidays.
MEMBERSHIP: Membership to the SBS costs $30.00 per fiscal year (July-June) and
entitles the member to a 15% discount on all store merchandise (except stamps and
sale items) and a free, reusable SBS shopping bag. Membership is open to all.
TEXTBOOKS: Textbooks for all YDS classes for which professors have placed orders
are on hand in the bookstore. Required textbooks are tax-free with a valid, current Yale
Student I.D.
PAYMENT: The Bookstore accepts Visa, Discover, or MasterCard, Traveler’s or
personal checks (with local address and phone number), or cash.
CHECK CASHING: We will be happy to cash checks for up to $20.00 over the amount
of the purchase at no extra charge or for a fee of .25 for $20.00 checks.
SHIPPING: The SBS will ship any package for you via FedEx at a discounted rate to
any location in the United States. Our prices are nearly always better than going
directly through FedEx. Try us!
FAX SERVICES: Fax services for students at $1.00 per page ($3.00 per page
internationally). To receive - .50 per page. SBS Fax number is 203-432-9928. Please
make sure your name and phone number appear on any incoming fax.
BOOK RETURNS: Customers may return books up to 2 weeks after purchase,
provided they are unused and unmarked and NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED
WITHOUT A SALES RECEIPT! All returns are valid for store credit only.
BOOKS ON HOLD: Books may be held for up to 2 weeks. If, after one week, other
customers are asking for the book and it is the only copy left, it may be sold to another
customer at the discretion of the salesperson. Course books cannot be put on hold
except by special arrangement with the Manager.
SPECIAL ORDERS: We will order any book in print from US publishers and
occasionally from foreign publishers. A deposit is not charged except on very large
orders. A special order constitutes an agreement to buy.
A Brief History of the Student Book Supply
The Student Book Supply has a long history of supplying theologically important texts
and promoting theological education throughout the Yale Divinity School and Greater
New Haven community. Begun in 1938 as an incorporated student cooperative, the
SBS was a completely student-run organization for the first thirty years of operation.
Students and faculty bought membership “shares” for at first $5.00, then $10.00, and in
turn received an annual rebate which ranged anywhere from 12 to 17 percent. Shares
were cancelable and could be withdrawn upon graduation. During this time a Board of
Directors appointed student managers to run the store.
As the SBS grew, the Board of Directors began to see a need for more consistency and
professionalism in the Bookstore management. Consequently, in 1968, the first full-time
Manager/Buyer was hired. At the same time, the Board voted to discontinue the rebate
system (inconsistent from year to year) in favor of a permanent 15% discount (the
average annual rebate amount). In 1984, the Student Book Supply was incorporated
into the Yale University departmental system, operating as a division of the Divinity
School. The Membership fee was raised to $15.00 and the Board of Directors, no
longer necessary under the University system, was disbanded. In the summer of 2001,
the bookstore moved into its new home in the newly renovated Administration building
of Yale Divinity School.
Currently, though the SBS is fully owned by Yale University (not associated with any
bookstore chain), it is a fiscally and operationally independent store with annual gross
sales averaging in the $250,000 range. All revenue from book and merchandise sales
pays for bookstore expenses, including the salaries of the Manager and staff,
communication and IT fees, security and equipment maintenance, equipment rental and
purchases, forms and supplies, etc. Revenue from $30.00 memberships helps keep
book prices as low as possible and discounts as high as possible by underwriting costs
such as freight. Membership also enables the bookstore to carry, and discount to the
customer, more obscure but theologically important texts on which the SBS receives
little or no discount from the publisher.
Current holdings include more than 12,000 different book titles ranging from theology to
biblical studies to environmental ethics to black studies to worship and liturgy. The
Student Book Supply also stocks a generous supply of Yale Divinity School
merchandise such as key chains, coffee mugs, tote bags, and clothing. Now in its 74 th
year, the Student Book Supply remains financially and functionally healthy in continuing
to provide the YDS and New Haven community a choice for smart, theological book
shopping.
Revised August 30, 2012: MJL
Student Book Supply Mission Statement
The Student Book Supply is committed to providing textual resources supporting Yale
Divinity School’s mission to “foster the knowledge and love of God through critical
engagement with the traditions of the Christian churches in the context of the
contemporary world.” The Student Book Supply makes these works of classic and
contemporary scholarship available to the Yale Divinity and wider University and Church
communities through a knowledgeable, customer-oriented staff and at the fairest prices
possible. The SBS provides a communal environment for exchange of scholarly ideas
and resources.
The Student Book Supply pursues its mission by:
1. Providing textbooks, supplies, and the best in current and classic scholarship in
support of preparation for lay and ordained ministry, education of scholars and
teachers, and pursuit of theological reflection by non-church professionals;
2. Supporting a network of resources for students and alumni in support of theological
library building and lifelong learning;
3. Assisting community churches and clergy with resources for theological reflection on
issues of faith and life.
Created June 3, 1998