Ithaca is a book lover's dream. The large chain bookstores are just beginning to gain a foothold in town, so the market is dominated by small, independent stores. In addition, the semiannual Friends of the Library book sale is among the largest of its kind. Prices drop throughout the sale as the selection decreases, so it is worth going more than once. For the dates of the sale and more information, see CLICK HERE.
The greatest concentration of bookstores is downtown around the Commons area. Offerings here include two used book stores, a comic book store, and a children's book store, as well as several general-purpose stores selling new books. In general, they can order anything in print that they don't have in stock. Some run discount programs for dedicated customers.
The primary location for purchasing books for your classes is the Campus Store (C5), located near the clock tower, across from Willard Straight Hall. This store carries all the textbooks for the classes offered in the engineering college, provided that they are in stock. The campus bookstore also carries a wide variety of general books, office supplies, snack foods, computer hardware and software, and Cornell souvenirs (see section 3.2.1).
If you are looking for alternative sources for your textbooks or if you need a book that you can't get at one of Ithaca's smaller bookstores, the world wide web is another source for books. Some of the better known online bookstores are amazon.com, alibris.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com, ecampus.com, and fatbrain.com. Processing times for your order can vary and should be taken into account if you choose this means of textbook purchase. Also, don't forget to include in your calculations the cost of shipping and handling, which might make the discounted book less attractive.
Books may be found in other areas around Ithaca as well. The stores seem to come and go, so you may see another open while you're in Ithaca.