This book store inside the Student Union building sells more than just textbooks and writing materials. Visitors can shop for an array of merchandise including electronics, accessories, personal care products, snacks & beverages in the marketplace, and more... although I didn't find any campus posters. I enjoyed browsing the unique puzzles, games, and greeting cards, as well as the stationery and household items featuring awesome artwork and designs by Julia Gash. They also have baskets available for your shopping convenience. As a San Jose State alum, I came by this past Friday mainly to replace my old SJSU hooded sweatshirt which I purchased more than a decade ago when I was in grad school at the university. They offer a wide selection of clothing, taking up at least half the space on the ground floor. And I know it's the school color, but I wasn't ready for the blinding overload of blue when I first entered the shop. That didn't stop me from finding the perfect lightweight pullover hoodie, simple and cute, just my style. I really like the fabric of their apparel here, soft and smooth, quality breathable material. The purchase process was quick and easy, with friendly service, and parking was plentiful on E. San Fernando Street midday. read more

See all

I don't know why this place has such bad reviews. Everything is pretty well stocked, clean, and organized. Staff have all been great and helpful. Plenty of clothes and gear to rep SJSU. Prices might be steep, but that's expected. read more

See all

I never had issues with making purchases with the store until recently, I got accused of "stealing." However, the store never provided a basket for me to put my stuff inside. I hope whoever accused me of "stealing" knows that they love to mentally abuse them read more

Bought a defective air pods and brought it back for a exchange on the same day. and the cashier refused to exchange or return it. So I have to waste $200 and buy a new one from apple directly. read more

I like the location of this bookstore, but I miss the old bookstore. The layout inside the store is still confusing, it feels like a maze. It's kind of unorganized and very cramped. I usually go in a few times every semester to pick up some scantrons and browse through whatever items they sell. Of course everything is overpriced, but I think that's typical of every college store. If you're looking for textbooks, just take a walk up the stairs (just be warned, there can be super duper long lines especially during the beginning and end of the semester!) -- but I recommend you to just rent or buy your textbooks on amazon or another website -- books here are super overpriced! read more

Spartan Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - San Jose, California

This place is severely overpriced, go anywhere off campus instead. I paid $8 for a 100 page notebook. Definitely try as hard as you can not to spend your money here you will pay way more than desired read more

Yes, the bookstore robs its students. But what other college bookstore doesn't? People complaining about the prices need to find alternative methods of getting their books, because you really shouldn't be buying books at a on-campus bookstore. At least not when you're paying your own tuition. When I got started at San Jose State, I worked here. While I got used to my line of work, it's a pretty horrible system. They hire you for like the first couple weeks of school and then get rid of you. Wow, what's the point of having a job then? That goes without mentioning the "discount" on books was lame. If there's anything good about the Spartan Bookstore, it's that it has stuff other than books. You have good SJSU Gear for... high prices, but you do get student rates on computers. It's always buzzing here when Apple does its "Buy a MacBook, get an iPod" deal. The store is also pretty well-organized from top to bottom. You just need to walk around a bit and figure things out. All in all, while they do rob you, it's not a bad store. read more

The SJSU bookstore is the closest Apple Retailer in downtown San Jose. If you forgot your charger for your laptop and need one, look no further! They are located on campus at the Student Union Building. They have everything you'd expect a college bookstore to have. If you are an artist they even have a decent selection of art supplies for those last minute project needs. read more

Spartan Bookstore - Spartan's bookstore until the Student Union building is finished - Bookstores Near Me - San Jose, California

There are over 33,000 students at SJSU yet for some reason they thought it'd be sufficient to only have 1 cashier for check-out. Naturally, there's always a long line whenever I stop by here. Cmon SJSU, I know there's a budget for more student employees. read more

***A lot of negative reviews for San Jose State's bookstore, but my experience was fine; they have a good selection of t-shirts and apparel though their clothes are pricey like a lot of college bookstores; they also have a lot of supplies (including San Jose State labeled pens, pencils, notebooks, and so on); in addition, this store is filled with a wide variety of snacks and sweets*** I am not sure what the parking situation is at San Jose State, but while San Jose State is in downtown, it does seem to be on the outskirts of Downtown San Jose; you might be able to find free street parking in the nearby residential area. read more

I am very conflicted in my review of the SJSU bookstore. Here's why: I saw an ad that they were selling the older macbook pro's for like $200 cheaper than the apple store. I was ok with buying the older one if it meant $200 off the price. The flyers inside the bookstore advertised the same price. Went in one morning with my boyfriend (who goes to SJSU) and told the girl that we wanted the 13' macbook pro for $999. Well apparently, it was her first day, and she had not been properly trained to use the computer system. Normally that would not have been a problem, however, she was completely alone. There was no manager or anything to help her out. First, she couldn't figure out how to get into the computer buying software. Then, she couldn't figure out how to ring anything up. Then, the printer stopped working *she called a manager like 6 times during this time asking for some help, but the guy refused to come in and help her* By this time we had been there for 40 minutes. Only then did she tell us that they were out of the older macbooks and we would have to buy the new ones ($1199)-which, btw, was exactly what I would have paid had I gone to the apple store. Since we had spent 40 minutes already, it didn't make sense to leave so we ended up finishing up the transaction with her. My review is 3 stars because: *I am giving the poor girl that helped us 5 stars because she was such a trooper throughout the whole ordeal. There was no reason that she should have been left there COMPLETELY BY HERSELF on her very first day. *But I am giving the actual establishment 0 stars because apparently they had run out of the older macbooks weeks ago but were continuing to print the add with the discounted computers, WTF. Plus the fact that someone decided that a new employee didn't need any supervision or anything which completely wasted our time. So my recommendation is to call and make sure that their ads are current and that they aren't advertising things that they don't actually have. read more

Just purchased a beverage from the food section of the bookstore. They charged me about a dollar more than the posted price. I pointed out the price discrepancy to the cashier and she just said "thanks for letting me know." Would've been nice if they honored the posted price but SJSU will get every penny out of you that they can. I'll just walk to 7-11 next time. read more

I am a senior at SJSU and have been renting my books from the bookstore ever since the start. The new bookstore is really nice and updated . Great selection of school supplies, clothing , accessories and books. Pricing can be high depending on what you get. Beginning of the year is ALWAYS packed inside but that is typical . I recently dropped a course that I rented books for. I went to the bookstore to return my rental. I was informed by one clerk I would not be able to return them because it was past the grace period to return them and I did not have the original receipt. She also questioned my legitimacy of me actually dropping the course even after I showed her mysjsu class schedule to prove I was no longer enrolled in the course. Long story short, Emma stepped in and was able to go above and beyond to work something out with me to complete my return transaction . She was very professional and understanding . Being a college student , text books can be expensive so every dime helps when it comes to getting your refund. Thanks again Emma for your help! read more

Pretty expensive, but i used to go there bc i had the biggest crush on a beauuuuuutiful girl that worked there. Never did work up the courage to ask her out. *sigh* hehe. if you go to sjsu this place can be a little tricky. Sometimes Roberts (bookstore across the street) will have books for WAY cheaper, other times its about the same. It'll usually pay to list your books and prices and compare prices/"used" availability at the two stores. But you WILL get raped (on the price; not literally) if ur buying new books. So if you waited till 2 weeks after the term started, and dont have time to buy books on amazon or anything - try to scrape out a used book if ur lucky. yeah, so again, dont get raped; figuratively. read more

Where do I begin...? First I ordered my textbooks online, then I got an email that one of them is out of print so the order was cancelled. That's fine, I brought the digital version. Then I get to class, opened the digital access card on the first day and the professor says she is not using any digital versions in the course and does not no anything about giving any class # codes! I attempted to return it at the bookstore and they told me am stuck with the online access I brought because I opened it already. Mind you I cannot use it...!! I ended up purchasing a rented version from amazon because am now running low on funds. Get to another class first day that professor said he changed from 2 textbooks to one... Great now I purchased these online rental digital copies... downloaded then on the first day of class while I waited for the professor who was 15 minutes late. So I go back to the bookstore store same thing. I ended up renting the new textbook from chegg. Moral of the story for digital users like myself, when you order textbooks wait until you meet with the professor and he/ she confirm the textbook before you access the digital copies. Because sometimes the bookstore advertise things you do not need or there is a possibility the text will change and you are stuck with digital copies you cannot use. Positive note: the accessories and clothing in the store are really good quality. Most of the staff is new students, so the maybe slow on getting you the answers to your questions. read more

I originally ordered my books online, but decided to stop into the store to check on the progress of my order. I was informed that it would be faster and cheaper if they assigned someone to look for my books and purchase them on the spot rather than waiting for my order to be filled. So, a new employee found *all* of my books within about 10 minutes, I canceled my original order, and paid for my books. I was very happy with my service from about 4 people! Great customer service! At the check out counter I realized I forgot my wallet at home and then had to have them old my books while I went back home and brought back my wallet. The girl who helped me was a bit rude about it, but I had received such good customer service from everyone else that her attitude did not matter. All in all, I saved myself $35 dollars by going in and getting my books directly. Winning! read more

I normally don't give out one star reviews, but out of five different text books I was looking to return they would only give me cash for one of them. All of them were in really great condition too, so why advertise that you take in used books? I understand books are to be sold back for less than the original price, but come on... they wouldn't even give me a third of what I had originally bought the book for. Big waste of time in my experience. read more

Book prices = DEATH to my credit card. I'd suggest buying them from Half.com for waaaa-aaaay cheaper. On the other hand, the store's well organized I must say. Workers are always friendly to me. I buy other things instead of schoolbooks here. I love the SJSU planners!! They keep me on track. They need to print them out before school starts though instead of waiting 2-3 weeks into school to sell them. I feel all over the place w/o one. Nice, cute clothes too. You know you wanna rock a whole SJSU fit! Haha. But along with their textbooks, their clothes are priced pretty steeply as well. Booerns. read more

So I came here on a Saturday when it wasn't as busy to get my textbooks. They're a pretty spot on bookstore, complete with clothes, snacks, supplies, electronics and of course books. I was able to find all my books easily even though one was not available. I was a little annoyed that they were out of stock and that I would have to wait at most a week to get one, but it was understandable. My cashier was super nice as well. The bookstore is super convenient especially with the 10th street parking garage right there and it had 30 minute parking for those days you forget your parking permit which I did. I was on and off campus in less than 15 minutes. Tip to the wise. Come on the weekend instead of the weekday to get your books; we all know it is a bit overpriced but you are paying for convenience and if anything your money goes directly back into school. read more

Everyone here is super helpful and they are always trying to do their best. Yes you can find most books online for cheaper, but if you are in a pinch, or can only get your text books from store, this is just as good of a place as any. If you want to buy any Spartan gear, or supplies for school, this is a great place to get this stuff on campus. read more

I hate this place for 3 reasons: 1) I always get lost trying to find my way in! Talk about embarrassing freshman status. Ok, maybe that's my fault, but I've only been at SJSU for a semester (and I'm not a freshman!) and all my classes are in Sweeney, which is right next to the 7th St. parking garage so I never go anywhere else on campus unless I have to. 2) They never have used books and even new books aren't stocked well. You have to buy your books SUPER early or get ready to fight some b*tches to get the last copy on the shelf. 3) And the cherry on top... so I decided to play it smart and order my summer books EARLY online. I went to pick them up today without bringing my original order -- I figured I would be picking up MY order, and I feel that it's a safe assumption. So the order slip with my books lists 8 books, and there are only 7 books in the bag. I see that I was charged the used price for the missing book and the guy gives me a new book. Winner winner chicken dinner? That's what I thought... until I checked my original order at work and turns out that I didn't even order the "missing" book. Basically, they forgot to give me a book that they charged me the used price for and gave me a new book that I didn't even order. I live in the east bay so going back to return that overpriced piece of crap is such a hassle. ANGRYFACE! read more

They would not take back a rental that had a watermark on the cover, According to them writing and highlighting in the book is perfectly fine but a book with a watermark "cannot be re sold" BA! HUMBUG! read more

I get the feeling a lot of the reviewers haven't been on another campus. It's conveniently located, and if you buy stuff there (especially books), it will be at a premium. That being said, it's clean, even when there's been a line it's moved relatively quickly, the staff was helpful when I couldn't find testing supplies, they have a decent amount of clothing available for standard college-gear prices. Anyone complaining, I challenge you to go to a Big Ten campus bookstore during welcome week. You ain't seen nothin'. read more

Not only are book prices inflated, but be careful when you order online. In a attempt to save money, I ordered used books through the bookstore because I couldn't find my books anywhere else. Well the bookstore didnt have what they advertised online, so they took the liberty of filling my order with two brand new books. Changing the final cost of my books by 200 dollars. Thanks SJSU! read more

20 sheets of Resume paper for $11? I just checked Amazon and it only costs $10 for 100 sheets. Prices are insane here. I can't blame them since the school needs some sort of income. I would've given it 1 star if it wasn't for the nice service and the convenience whenever I need that quick hunger relief. read more

Do not waste your time buying expensive textbooks from the bookstore; their advertised price online is MUCH larger than the price in the store. I bought a textbook for $200 dollars from their online store, only to find out that it was selling for $13 at the physical bookstore! They do NOT update prices online, so do not buy books online! Amazon is your best bet for cheap, affordable books. In addition, greenbooks, pencils, pens, and anything else you might need to take tests are given away for FREE by certain student organizations. Terrible customer service that doesn't address fundamental discrepancies in the pricing system. read more

This review is for a return I tried to make. I bought a sweater for my friend who graduated. It was too small for her. Tried to return it and they kept making up excuses as to why I couldn't return. There was no return policy on the back of the receipt. The girl said there was one in the back that said return within 14 days but it was a return policy for electronics not clothing. Lol I didn't want to argue so I just walked out. Terrible experience. Wasted my time. I just wanted my money back. read more

They keep sending me spam emails. I don't even know how they got my personal email address.

I don't love this place or hate it. It does have it's advantages that make it useful since it is on campus. Advantages here are the US Post Office (when you're at school or living on campus and need to ship stuff out), Testing Materials (Scantrons and Blue Books for exams), small but useful retail items (I recently bought a Dakine backpack from here, and noticed that the Spartan Bookstore actually has a better selection than most other places), and you can buy Apple products at a discounted (very little. but hey, it's better than nothing) price. Other than that, there's a magazine section which can be cool if you have time to spare and want to read up on magazines and don't want to buy them, and there's also a pretty big section of Spartan SJSU apparel, with (in my opinion) no clothes that I would ever actually really wear. And on top of all that, there's the textbook section. Spartan Bookstore is way too expensive for textbooks. I learned that after my 1st semester at SJSU - to either buy your books at Robert's or online, but not at the Spartan bookstore. Expensive, expensive, expensive. And last but not least, there's a mini grocery section where you can get snacks (chips, crackers, etc), drinks (sodas, waters, juices, etc), and travel sized need items (feminine items, over the counter meds, etc). And even though the service isn't that great, I don't think anyone expects too much, because hey, the employees here are our fellow peers, and they're just putting in the hours between classes to make some money. But it can be cool when you run into a friend who happens to be working there and you chat it up a bit with them. read more

This review is of the experience I've had with the online book store. I choose to go through the Spartan Book store bc one book on Amazon was back ordered and both my books "new" versions were on sale through the school so I figured okay I'll get it there. When I originally placed my text book order, I received a prompt email that my order was on its way to the bookstore and would ship out from there. Seeing that I chose to pay for 2-day air I didn't expect my order would take long. A few days later I hadn't gotten any further notice about my books being on their way so I logged back into my bookstore account. The status or my order was now listed as "On Hold". Concerned I placed a call to the book store and I got a call back the next day. The woman I talked to told me that it meant my books were back ordered and my order would take additional time but could give me no estimate how long it would take other than a week or two. I told her the website and the emails were very misleading and I was displeased bc I could have just as quickly gotten them through Amazon but now it's been a week so my amazon order would take longer than waiting for them through the bookstore. So another week later one book if finally being sent out and low and behold the sale is no longer valid and I'm paying more than I originally thought I would but at this point I just need my books and at least they would be coming soon. Well my two day shipping turned into 5 days bc I got the email they were shipping out Friday evening and I didn't get them until Tuesday afternoon! I get that Sunday is a lost day but how in the heck can leaving Friday and arriving Tuesday be considered 2 days!?! Apparently I still have another week for my other book to arrive and I'm further annoyed bc that book is also no longer on sale and they will be charging full price. I don't know how they can list sale prices on items that they don't even have in stock and don't intend to honor the sale prices on once they arrive. This has been the worst and most stressful textbook buying experience I have ever had and I'm in grad school so this isn't new to me. I will NOT be using the online school bookstore ever again. PS- My graduate program is online and I live in a different part of the state. A seven hour drive one way makes it prohibitive for me. This is why I am not able to physically go to the bookstore. read more

I agree with all the other reviews about this place. Expensive, but adequate, clean, and well organized. Some of the kids that work there are annoying, but I understand that working at the bookstore is part of their personal college experience so I let it go when the only two cashiers on duty are flirting with each other instead of ringing me up. read more

worst place ever...... everything is expensive and the books are expensive. When you want to sell them back they will give you almost nothing for the books. Buy your books online.worst place ever...... everything is expensive and the books are expensive. When you want to sell them back they will give you almost nothing for the books. Buy your books online. read more

The Spartan Bookstore is alright. There's nothing special about it, in my opinion. Sure, the store's set up all nice and neat, but what's there to it? The most useful thing this store has is the US Post Office, which I get good use out of. Other than that, there are some of the required textbooks (cough-Robert's Bookstore-cough), the grad section, the half of the top floor which is just flooded with SJSU junk, school and office supplies, art supplies, magazines, candy, drinks, books, and the computer section. I actually bought a Macbook here for 50 bucks cheaper than retail which was nice, but honestly, it could be a lot cheaper. And as plain as my description is, well, that's just like the Spartan Bookstore. read more

Not only do they sell books and supplies AND can fix your Apple products, but they have super cute and manly Spartan attire and among the many other things here. It is overpriced on the clothing, that I saw I did not look at food or things of the sort, but where else can I purchase my SJSU clothing? I skipped the lines and waited till later to get my clothes and books. read more

The remodel looks nice, though some carpeting would have looked better. High prices, but that's due to the publishers. The staff is knowledgable and friendly. read more

Everything is crazy expensive. I pre-ordered two books online that I could only buy here and it still took them 20 minutes to find the two books when I arrived. But they have the market cornered and when you are forced to buy the books there, why should they care how long they take? :-( read more

I tried to return a SJSU edition math book that i paid $190 for, brand new, and they refused to buy it back! They are pretty pricey and their website is always down. read more

These guys are fast and have all the books ur class needs but only thing, they have expensive prices. You would be able to find good prices on Amazon on Chegg. I needed to buy fundamental of finance book, when I checked at this place: I got it way cheaper on Amazon. read more

im just disappointed how they handle things there. I was trying to return my textbooks but it was closed. and no drop box or anything. and I had an emergency to deal with and they don't cater to that, they just want the money even if its late and they say just to keep the books then and charge you for them. I would look else where for textbooks at times because they are cheaper somewhere else rather than here when I was researching online. NOT worth it anymore. read more

On the phone they were very helpful to tell the pricing and availability! That was very good. I had to buy it because I needed book in a day. But prices were not cheap compared to online prices. Normally I compare prices using textbook comparison web site like http://www.TextBookHunting.com web site or other similar ones. read more