Welcome to Alabama Publishers’ Warehouse
For more than 50 years, Publishers' Warehouse has served as the textbook depository for K-12 schools in Alabama. We focus on helping educators dramatically reduce the administrative and logistical costs that normally accompany the textbook procurement and distribution process. Publishers' Warehouse represents more than 60 different publishers, offers 10,000 titles, and distributes over two million textbooks every year to Alabama school systems.
Commitment to Customer Service
The Publishers' Warehouse team is focused on one thing - making sure each and every customer is taken care of from start to finish. Our staff of accountants, customer service representatives, and warehouse personnel work hard to provide personal attention and exceptional service. We pride ourselves on establishing long-lasting relationships with our customers.
Mailing Address:
150 Industrial Road Alabaster, Al 35007
Phone:
(205) 980-2820
Our Team
Valerie Allen
Business Support Specialist
vallen1@ebsco.com
Tiara Banks
Customer Service Representative
tbanks@EBSCO.COM
Davonia Buck
Logistics Manager
dbuck@ebsco.com
Dr. Patrick Chappell
Business Operations Manager
pchappell@ebsco.com
Amanda Dean
Senior Accountant
adean@ebsco.com
Yvonne Odom
Customer Service Representative
yodom@ebsco.com
Lisa Silver
President
lsilver@ebsco.com
Wendi Spencer
Business Support Specialist
wspencer1@ebsco.com
Pat Winchester
Warehouse Manager
pwinchester@ebsco.com
Will Winchester
Assistant Warehouse Manager
wwinchester@ebsco.comGet in Touch
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do about off list textbook adoptions - items I adopt which were NOT state adopted?
PW has off list letters from publishing companies for AP materials & science elective courses (forensics; marine biology; etc) can be found on the Resources page in the Local Contracts section. The letters state why the book was not submitted for adoption, as required, & also provide schools with ISBNs & guaranteed prices. If you need to locally adopt a book that is NOT on our website, you will need to independently procure a letter from the publisher.
How much money do I have again for textbooks?
Every school district this year earned $100 per student (up from $70 per student). BUT - in addition to these Foundation Program dollars, districts also have designated amounts within a $25 million supplemental appropriations fund specifically for state textbook adoptions. The memo outlining these funds which also states your district's specific allotment & the funding source code can be found on the banner on the Home Page or downloaded directly from this link.
Can I use state textbook funds for books which are not on the state adopted list?
Yes - the key to unlocking the use of state allocated textbook funds (both in the foundation program & in supplemental appropriations) is the local board adoption process: A board approved, sworn-in committee whose recommendations ARE approved by their local board of education. ALSDE laws & forms clearly outline the process for adopting off list books, which include justification from publishing companies for not submitting to state vetting & review. Of course, districts may NEVER locally adopt textbooks rejected by the state textbook committee & the state board of education.
Can I use state textbook funds for district purchases other than adopted textbooks?
No. State textbook funds should ONLY be used for student materials (textbooks - digital & print - or other instructional resources) that are formally approved by your local school board, as recommended by a board-approved committee who vets the resources. This is the legal process that ensures proper accountability of state taxpayer money, as opposed to securing "the lowest bid" as is done for building & operational school items.
Where do I get a pricelist for science and career tech books?
The list of state-adopted materials, complete with ISBNs, pricing, and courses of study can be found on the Adoption Information Page under the Courses of Study and Textbooks Approved by Alabama State Board of Education section.
What if my Board meets after the March 15th adoption deadline?
No worries! Dr. Jones recognizes that many March board meetings happen AFTER March 15th. Simply wait until your board meets in March to send her the completed forms.
Where are the forms that I complete for Dr. Jones & the ALSDE?
State forms are found on the Adoption Information Page in the Textbook Local Adoption Forms & Related Information section. They may also be found on the Alabama state department page.
What do I do after I send my forms to Dr. Jones & the ALSDE?
You are ready to begin ordering books! The first step is to get your numbers together for the next school year - how many of what books will you be ordering for each grade level / subject? Once you have that information, you need to contact the publishing company representatives of the books you adopted & intend to purchase to procure a quote. READ & STUDY THE QUOTE CAREFULLY. Double-check the accuracy of both the numbers as well as the "bundles" that you are purchasing. Maybe check with key teachers to ensure the quote reflects ALL of the resources with the text series that you intend to purchase. Do you need to purchase any additional TEs beyond the "free with" TEs? Once you feel that the quote is accurate, you are ready to order the books through Publishers' Warehouse.
The quote is from publishing company - why do I make the PO out to Publishers' Warehouse?
Both Publishers' Warehouse & the publishing companies want your orders to go smoothly & for you to get what you expect. The publishing company representatives are the experts on their products - which is why we want you to work through the quote process with them. But we are the experts on process, & you are ordering your textbooks through Publishers' Warehouse - so the PO needs to be made out to Publishers' Warehouse. We will distribute those books to you in the manner in which you wish.
What do I do if my quote has a shipping charge on it?
You never pay shipping on textbooks bought through Publishers' Warehouse! That is part of our special arrangement as Alabama's textbook depository & distribution center. Your CSFO & billing department would simply leave OFF the shipping charges when the PO is totaled & completed.
What if I am ordering consumable subscription textbooks - do I pay each year for those?
NO - if you order the typical 6-year adoption amount in year 1 (digital & print), you pay for the entire order in year 1 - & you will receive your year-1 allotment of books. Each year in autumn, we will ask for your next year's numbers for consumable texts, as you can adjust those numbers within grade span groups without going over. We will then send you those resources in the winter & spring. No POs are necessary.
What about TEs(teacher editions)?
Those are known as "free with" items. Per each publishing company, you typically earn x-number of TEs per student books purchased. You & the publishing company representative work that out while you are getting a quote. The large majority of "free with" TEs will come directly to you from the publishing company (some have us ship them). Be sure you have enough TEs; if you need more than the amount you earn, you will want to include additional TEs in your quote to purchase - & the purchased TEs will come from us at PW. In cases such as that, you want to be careful to account for ALL the TEs (free & purchased) coming from different places, so that your inventory is accurate.
Where do I send my quote(s) & my purchase order(s)?
Once your quote is complete, you send your quote & the PO made out to Publishers' Warehouse to PW at this email address: publisherswarehouse@ebsco.com. Several of us at PW are copied on these emails. Our stock is immediately checked to see if we need to order additional materials to cover your order. Your CSR (customer service representative) responds to you promptly that she will process the order. It also helps ensure that your order is not missed, as several eyes are on it. IF you forget and send the order to an individual person at PW - no worries. We will still process it, of course.
Does it matter how many POs I send to PW?
This is totally up to you & your CSFO. Some districts wish to do one giant PO. Others want to do their POs by publishing companies. Still others do POs by school, if they are choosing to break-out deliveries. We are flexible! Do whatever makes the most sense to you & your district.
How do textbook deliveries work?
How you order your books determines how they are delivered - so be mindful in how you set that up at the beginning. If you are having your order delivered to one central location, then there will be ONE order for PW to process. If your district has 10 schools & you wish for us to deliver to the 10 schools, then that necessitates there being 10 individual orders (regardless of how many POs) - one for each school - with designated school delivery addresses, phone numbers, & contact points. Districts choosing to break out deliveries include a short spreadsheet or explanation with this important information (school name, address, phone number, contact person, etc) as well as the numbers for each school per grade level & subject.
How can I help my warehouse/schools with processing deliveries?
Please see the attached PDF regarding steps in receiving textbook deliveries. I advise sharing this form with your warehouse manager &/or the person in each school designated as the textbook coordinator (usually an administrator or librarian). Go over this information with them at some point. In short, it is important for each textbook coordinator at each delivery location to count the delivery against the included packing slip within 30 days of receiving the shipment. In most districts, packing slips are signed by the person who verified the count & returned to the person responsible for ok'ing payment.
When will my textbooks arrive?
PW is actively working to have new books printed & drop-shipped to us based on projections of what will be sold. Your orders are processed in the order in which they were received - & PW generally commits books to be delivered in that order - first-come, first-served. Logistically, PW will move bulk orders (one order to one location) to the top of the list, as those orders are quicker to fill & help make more room in the warehouse for more books. And product availability is a factor no matter when an order is received. Our general plan is to ship consumable texts in the winter & spring & new orders in the spring & summer, as stock is available to us.
What if there is a question about the items received in a delivery?
If there is damage to a book in the delivery process - or if you are short (or over!) books as listed on the packing slip, the district textbook coordinator should be notified. In the case of damaged books, PW will need more information & potentially a picture of the damaged books. If the case of an overage or shortage, it is possible that another school in the district accidentally received those books, & all that has to be done is to move the books internally. The district textbook coordinator should also verify that the packing slip is being read correctly. Sometimes PW delivers, but some books in the order may be "backordered" - so the count being verified is the number of books received with that shipment - NOT necessarily how many were ordered. Once the district textbook coordinator has accounted for each school's deliveries, any discrepancies should then be addressed at one time with Publishers' Warehouse. PW serves all 139 school districts in Alabama as well as non-public schools - so it is important for us to communicate with a district representative over discrepancies vs individual school personnel.
Who do I contact at PW with questions?
Each school district has a designated CSR (customer service representative) at PW who is responsible for your orders. This CSR is your go-to person who can assist with delivery updates, questions about products, or problems with deliveries. You can always call (205) 980-2820 or Email - Everyone at PW is available to assist you! Specifically, Tiara Banks is the CSR for city & county districts A-E and Wendi Spencer is the CSR for county districts F-Z & also works with all schools over billing issues, and Yvonne Odom is the CSR for city districts F through Z & non-public schools. Patrick Chappell, a retired curriculum director, is available for any questions or advice related to the adoption process or other "big picture" questions & "what ifs" that you might face as a curriculum director or textbook coordinator. Davonia Buck works with logistics - how & when your product will be delivered to you - though your CSR is probably the best person to contact initially with logistical issues.