Hootieslist Help Topics

What is Hootieslist?

Hootieslist is an online application created exclusively for parents and students of The Overlake School, in order to help them buy and sell textbooks among themselves. This is a parent run site, sponsored by the PFSA to use the resources we have to keep costs down, reuse what's in the community and get the materials you need for your or your student's Overlake classes.

Click on a link or scroll down to find help on these topics:
Registration
Finding a book
Buying a book
Selling a book
Book condition
For further information

Registration

How do I register?

First, click on "Register" at the top of the Hootieslist welcome page. Fill in the blanks with:

Username and password: something easy for you to remember
Email: You may use any valid email address
Name: Please use a name that will be recognizable to other Overlake users. If you'd rather not give your full name or a nickname, first or last name and an initial will do.

Once you have submitted this information, you will receive an email at the address you provided. In the email will be a link for you to click on, to verify your identity and address and complete your registration. If you don't click on the link, your registration will not be completed.

When you click on the link in your email, your browser will open to Hootieslist.org and you should see this message: "Account activated, you may now log in." You may log in and enter books for sale or offers for books you want to buy.

Finding a book

What books are listed on Hootieslist?

All books used in current Overlkae classes are listed, whether or not there are any copies for sale, in anticipation that a book may be available in the future. Each book listing contains the book's title, ISBN number, author, publisher, and edition. This information is provided by the OwlNet My Textbooks site based on the teacher's requirements for the course.

Do I have to register if I just want to look around?

No, you can browse the list of books without registering. Once you want to offer a book for sale or contact a seller, you must register.

How do I find the books I need?

By clicking on the Browse/Buy Books link at the top of the page, you can see a complete list of books needed for current classes at Overlake. You may also narrow the list by using the drop-down menu to select a class, at which point you'll see a list of the books required for that class. If a book shows no "lowest price" and a "0" quantity, that means that no one is offering that book for sale yet.

When you click on the link from the book's title, you'll be taken to a screen listing the complete edition information for that book, along with the retail price, seller's name (if any), the condition of the book, and the seller's asking price. To sell or make an offer on a book, you must be registered and logged in. (See "How do I register?")

Buying a book

How do I make an offer on a book?

Once you find a book you want, click on the book's title link. You will see a page listing copies for sale, their condition, and the name of the seller. You can find out more about the seller (including other books s/he may be selling) by clicking on the seller's name.

To buy the book, click the radio button under "Buy" next to the book's title and click on "Buy the selected book from this seller." You will receive an email alerting you that the seller has been contacted and providing you with the seller's email address. You and the seller can then negotiate price and delivery.

Selling a book

How do I offer a book for sale?

Be sure you are logged in first. Click on the "Sell a Book" link at the top of the page. Your first step is to select one of the titles from the drop-down menu.

Next, check to be sure the book you're offering matches the ISBN given in the edition information. (The ISBN is a 10-digit number, usually located on the back cover or the back of the title page and included in the product information from online sellers.) Set your price and select the condition of the book. Please be honest! You may add comments about the book's condition if you like, i.e. "doodling but no notes", "some highlighting", "missing cover but otherwise OK".

Click on "List for sale!" You should see a screen that says "Your book has successfully been added..."

When an offer is made for your book, you will receive an email listing your options. Please respond quickly and in good faith, in order to keep the Bookswap database current.

Please note:
The seller is responsible for describing the condition of the book accurately and for communicating with potential buyers in a timely manner. If you are contacted by someone via the Bookswap system, please do your best to resolve your transactions quickly and post the results.

Book condition

Standard descriptions of book condition are defined as:

New: The book was lightly or never used. It still has that new book smell. The spine hasn't been cracked. If there is any writing in the book, it is an inconspicuously placed indication of its previous owner.

Good: The book has a few marks on it. Some pages might be dog-eared. There may be a few highlighted lines here and there. There could be a ring from a coffee mug on one of the pages.

Worn: While the book is in good structural condition, it is scuffed and widely marked up with notes and highlighter ink. It will be easily useful in a class, but the new owner might be influenced by what the previous owner has chosen to emphasize.

Poor: Though still readable and complete, some pages may be ripped. The book may have been warped by water damage or stained by food. The book might be heavily marked by many different inks and highlighters, such that the new owner might have difficulty finding ways to make notes or emphasis within the book.

For further information

Please email hootie@hootieslist.org

Please note:
This site serves as a bulletin board; no money can be exchanged in this system or at school. Rather, you use the system simply to find people who will want to buy or sell a particular book. Overlake's PFSA is happy to provide this tool as a service to the community, but it assumes no responsibility for any facet of the transactions that result from the use of this site.

CPS Book Sale tool (c) 2005 Elizabeth Fong