Bookstore

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Welcome to Lab's Online Gateway to Books & Supplies

Frequently Asked Questions

Lab's Virtual Stores are Always Open

All books and supplies, available through MBS Direct, may be ordered by visiting our MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore.

PE uniforms, equipment, and a limited selection of spiritwear items are available at Lab's CLÖZ website.

Online Textbook & Supply Ordering

As MBS Direct is Lab’s official online bookstore, we want you to know what to expect. First, ordering your textbooks will be simple and straightforward. Developed specifically for Lab, our MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore will be organized according to class names and student schedules and will provide you with real-time inventory when ordering. The Store, in Belfield Hall Room 151, will remain open to meet a limited number of student supply needs, as well as provide support for students and families who have questions about the textbook, uniform and supply ordering process. In addition, MBS Direct operates a U.S. based customer service center that is available seven (7) days a week.

Here are just a few of the other benefits of this partnership that we think you’ll appreciate:

Online ordering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Guarantee that every textbook used by our school will be available for purchase
Largest selection of used books in the nation, with each one graded for quality
Customer Loyalty program that gives you more back for your textbooks at buyback
Most orders filled and shipped within 24 hours
Low shipping rates due to MBS Direct’s significant shipping volume with UPS
Payment options of Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express

FastPass Ordering:

You may use your student's six-digit Student ID in order to place orders on the MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore. MBS has updated FastPass to better serve our multiple student families. When ordering, start with one student as usual, then, when that student's books are in the cart, click on the "Continue Shopping" button, which takes you back to the FastPass Login Screen. At this point you can continue the process until all of the various students books have been ordered.

What is a Course ID?

When using the Shop by Course feature please note that the Course ID listed on the Virtual Bookstore is a combination of the "Number" and "Section" provided to your student on their schedule. For example, on the Virtual Bookstore, Course ID 9999.1 would be "Number" 9999 and "Section" 1.

Required P.E. Equipment

Students in grades 5-12, who are taking physical education, are required to have one (1) each of the following: T-shirt, Shorts, Sweatshirt, Sweatpants, Lock, and Swim cap (if taking swim). Place orders at the CLÖZ website. CLÖZ/RHEDHOUSE also carries a limited selection of spirit items.

By using the catalogue and website, CLÖZ will walk each student through the process of ordering their PE uniforms and spirit-wear items. Once you have placed an order online or by phone, CLÖZ will send you an email confirmation of your order with an estimated ship date. It usually takes between 5 to 7 business days from the time you have confirmed your order for CLÖZ to ship out your merchandise. CLÖZ retail store is located in Niles for at-once purchases.

About MBS Direct

Our decision to partner with MBS Direct was made with a great deal of consideration. After researching and exploring all the available online textbook suppliers, MBS Direct was the clear choice to provide textbooks online to our students. They proved to us that they are dedicated to delivering excellent customer service to the Schools and to each of you. The company currently serves hundreds of schools throughout the country and the world. They operate from a distribution complex in Columbia, Missouri with over 7 million textbooks – one of the best selections in the nation.

About CLÖZ-RHEDHOUSE

Many of the same conveniences offered by MBS Direct will be available to you when ordering from CLÖZ. A local company, CLÖZ, will make available the required PE uniforms via a Lab-specific website, an order-by-phone catalogue, or at their retail store located in Niles.

Your Thoughts & Comments

We have compiled a page of Frequently Asked Questions and will continue to add to it as we receive feedback from you about acquiring books and supplies online with MBS Direct and CLÖZ. Please send your questions, along with any comments or concerns you may have at anytime. We also would welcome any suggestions you have for specific spirit-wear items we might offer in the future.

We sincerely hope you will be as pleased about these new partnerships as we are. More information about the ordering process and the buyback will be made available shortly in school publications and on this site, http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/bookstore, which we suggest you bookmark for future reference.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What will the Belfield Hall Store hours be?

The Store hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 7:30 - 9 am and 11:30 am - 2:45 pm, closed on Wednesday.

What will be available in the Belfield Hall Store?

Certain materials for courses, that MBS is unable to carry, will be available for purchase in the Store. Other supplies, for which the fee was paid through Lab’s MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore, but that are not shipped to your home, will either be available for pick up in the Store or be distributed to students depending upon the instructions provided online when the fee was paid at the MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore.

When will the Virtual Bookstore be available for placing orders?

The MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore is always available. You may place orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The 2009-2010 School Year site for ordering titles and supplies will be available July 13, 2009.

Where do I purchase my PE uniforms?

All required PE uniforms and any spirit-wear you may want to purchase will be available on the CLÖZ website that has been specifically designed for the Laboratory Schools. This is a separate site from our MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore.

Links to each site will be available through the Laboratory Schools website, as well as on each other’s websites. In addition, CLÖZ will provide a custom color catalogue for every student. By using the catalogue and website, CLÖZ will walk each student through the process of ordering their PE uniforms and spirit-wear items. Once you have placed an order online or by phone, CLÖZ will send you an email confirmation of your order with an estimated ship date. It usually takes between 5 to 7 business days from the time you have confirmed your order for CLÖZ to ship out your merchandise. CLÖZ retail store is located in Niles for at once purchases.

Are PE uniforms from previous years still acceptable when participating in PE?

Yes, the old PE uniforms of gray shorts and white t-shirt, with the old logo, are still acceptable when participating in 2009-2010 Physical Education classes.

How will the book buyback happen?

General details of the Book Buyback can be found at MBS Direct's EZDrop Buyback site and on our MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore. Lab's EZDrop Buyback will occur the last week of school, June 9-12, in Belfield Gym. The Parent's Association is handling this event and volunteers will be available to receive your books from 8 am - 4 pm Tuesday - Thursday and from 8:30 am - 12 pm on Friday.

How do I get an MBS EZ Drop BuyBack Quote?

Beginning May 18th you can generate an MBS Book Buyback Quote that will last for 30 days. The early quote will enable you to secure the best buyback price on your unwanted new and used titles. Books can be removed from your quote prior to shipment, but any additions will require a separate quote. Remember those students who purchased books from MBS, and wish to sell them back, will receive a Customer Loyalty Bonus on qualifying books. Regardless of where it was purchased, any book for which MBS Direct offers a buyback price may be sold during the EZ Drop Buyback.

Should you have questions regarding the process, visit the MBS website bookstore.mbsdirect.net and select Sell my books, or visit the Lab Schools website www.ucls.uchicago.edu and select Purchase Books Online, or contact the Parents Association, or contact the Lab Schools Store, Belfield 151, 702-2599. EZ Drop Buyback Brochures will be distributed to Advisors and will also be available in each school office, as well as Rowley Library. Watch for further information from The Parents Association, who will be handling this event and receiving your books, with quote, the last week of school.

Should I sell back a book that one of my other children may be able to use next year?

You are welcome to sell back any book MBS Direct is willing to purchase. However, if in doubt, you may want to consult with the volunteers at the EZDrop Buyback, the student's teacher, or the school Store as to whether or not a specific book you are considering selling will be used again next year in one of your student's courses.

What is the refund policy?

MBS Direct's return policy is outlined on the Virtual Bookstore's FAQ Page. Cloz's Returns & Exchange policy can be found here.

Buy P.E. Uniforms & Equipment

Buy Books & Course Materials