FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

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The Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore is an independent, not-for-profit co-operative offering new and used books, and a wide variety of local artisan items. Founded in 2002, we're proud to to offer a viable alternative to corporate bookstores for the Montreal and Concordia community.

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Do you accept used/secondhand books?

Yes, we accept donations of secondhand books, provided they are not more than 10 years old & are intact and in good shape (no missing pages, covers, spines, etc). We only accept donations; we do not buy used books.

 

Do you sell textbooks?

  • New textbooks can be found here; please note that we only stock new textbooks when the prof has specifically ordered them with us.
  • We do sell used textbooks, however there is no inventory for used books - but you can come in and browse!

 

What is artisan consignment?

Artisan consignment is a service that the Co-op offers to artisans who wish to put up their products for consignment. Artisan consignment is done in 3 period during the year: Jun-Jul-Aug, Oct-Nov-Dec, and Feb-March-Apr. If the products sell by the end of the consignment period, the artisan is paid; if not, the products are returned to them or donated to the Co-op if they wish. Artisans whose products did not sell may also apply for the next artisan period.

 

How does membership work?

Costs:

  • $10 for a regular membership
  • $5 for Concordia students
  • $100 for Support Memberships (groups, organizations, collectives, etc)

Benefits:

  • Lifetime membership, no expiry
  • 5% discount on all new products
  • The ability to attend and vote at our AGMs, and the ability to nominate yourself for our Board of Directors

What does it mean to be a co-op/not-for-profit?

Being a co-op means that we do not operate in a typical hierarchal, capitalist business model: instead of one singular owner we have a Board of Directors, as well as thousands of members who each have a share in the bookstore. Some goals that co-ops strive to work towards are solidarity, equity, democracy, and community. For more on who we are as a co-operative, check out our mandate and values.

As for being a not-for-profit, this simply means that any surplus we make goes into paying our worker-members and back into the bookstore (stock, maintenance, worker projects, etc).