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I think this is the way to go. The only central database where I officially put my textbook choices on record is the bookstore order. The department collects syllabi, but they aren't centralized beyond that, and they make no effort to standardize the format.

If you are interested in just a small number of courses just Googling it will surely tell you what the book is. But for a school-wide list the bookstore is probably the only option.

Useful for texts, less so for readers / article-lists.

something new, I didn't know. since my college didn't have online book store at the time