Library Bookstore

This place is my secret weapon.
Gifts.
Photographs
Journals.
Tarot cards.
And the smell when you walk in is heavenly, intoxicating. That beautiful old book smell.
Mmmmm.
I spend so much money here.

I love going into the bookstore, I always find great books. I’ve been going there for years, great people.

I love used bookstores and I like Ferndale a lot. Strangely, I don’t ever recall poking into this place before today. Well, poke I did today and I will be doing so again.
The Library Bookstore is a cut above most used bookstores in the area. The books are well presented and most are in very good condition. The titles are of high quality; I didn’t see also-​ran or junk works in any department (the philosophy shelves here put those in local competitors to shame). The prices are fair. The proprietor is very helpful (I heard her offer to call a customer if a certain desired book came in).
The Library has an appropriate used bookstore vibe. I felt as though I were browsing the collection of a caring bibliophile. However, there is a seriousness (not stuffiness) and attention to detail that sets this store apart from some others. It is a nice place to slow down, browse and buy.

Fantastic small book store in Ferndale, Michigan. They even have an old magazine collection which was incredibly interesting. Lots of old National Geographics and Life Magazines I had to flip through because my Grandpa helped illustrate the covers half a century ago. MAN. Old postcards, photos that somehow end up getting donated. You won’t find an awful lot of modern books here but a great selection of the classics and a pretty decent Sci-​fi section. Amazing history section. This is a shiny hidden gem if I didn’t ever see one. Very reasonably priced as well.
*Nearly forgot to mention the highlight of my discoveries in this shop: children lit books based off of the 1980’s/90’s series AVONLEA. Nearly had a brain hemorrhage. For all those that don’t know, Avonlea was a phenomenal CBC run Disney Channel show, that reeked of both Dr. Quinn and Anne of Green Gables. It’s horrible and amazing. You know you are close to Canada when you find Avonlea books scattered everywhere. My niece had no particular interest in it at all (totally understood) and picked up Hunger Games. Sigh. Generational gap.

I guess there are certain things you start to accredit to fate when you pass out of the good graces of adolescence and into whatever harshness your 20s (and falling in love) are willing to give you. I wish I were still dumb and young and could think of everything as an accident — magnetism doesn’t work that way. I don’t know about divine will but something in the earth knows better and I want to stay under the blankets in the morning.
That’s the way I was pulled here too. That’s why there was a beagle on the walk home from here too. That’s why this is the only store, library, shelf in the whole earth where I saw «Rabbit, Run» by John Updike. I haven’t seen it since and I’ll never see it again in order to hold it in my hands.
I would have bought it but the woman at the register said she only accepted cash. She would have taken a credit card but I needed to spend $ 15. The value was not in the product but in the transaction. I wasn’t willing to spend $ 15 to continue holding the book.
For Christmas you gave me coffee beans and they’re gone now. For Christmas I bought you socks and a Bedhead record and they’re at the bottom of my closet still.

Maybe this bookstore is under new management or something, but I did not have a pleasant experience. Walked in and the man working there was on the phone, then when he finally got off the phone, he acted like he didn’t want to be bothered. I asked him about some prices of books and he just had a stand off-​ish attitude. I was going to go ahead and browse, but he was just watching me like I’d walk out of the store with a book lol. The whole thing was just awkward, unpleasant and uncomfortable. I just walked out. I probably won’t ever come back.

Best used bookstore I have been inside. The selection is great, the prices are good, and the owner is extremely helpful. I will be going back often.

What a fabulous bookstore! I could spend days upon days going through the treasures held on the shelves of this tiny used bookstore! I found an amazing book this afternoon: a North Korean stamp catalog compete with full color photos of all of the country’s stamps from 1946 through 1998. How on earth did this book end up in a used bookstore in Ferndale, Michigan? Whatever your interest, you just might be surprised at what you may find in this absolutely fantastic shop staffed by a polite, friendly, and intelligent gentleman!

I’ve been a customer here my entire life and I mean it. Martha (the owner) is a fierce Ferndalian and supporter of her home town and Denny (the sole employee) is such a great guy to chat with, very friendly and accommodating.
One of the reasons I love this place is because it’s neat, clean and well organized. Most of the other used book stores I’ve frequented smell like a basement and look like a tornado hit them. They’re very selective about the type of books and the quality of books they buy and it shows. Over the years I have scored some gems here, from Bukowski to Burroughs this place has it all.
READ A BOOK READ A BOOK READ…(you know the rest)

I went here 2 days ago with about 75 pounds (it was really heavy) & the lady that works there bought some of the books I had (all the 500 page books) I’m so happy I found this place it’s like Rainbow in Newark DE & easy to get to on Detroit Transit/​SMART

The store seemed to have a nice selection, but I didn’t get much chance to look as, after about two minutes of browsing, a woman came and announced that she had decided to close because she wanted to go to a wedding. I had driven a half an hour to try the store out and was looking for a new used bookstore to frequent – luckily, there are a couple of really good ones on Woodward! I had a lot of luck at Classic Books closer to downtown Royal Oak, so the trip wasn’t a total loss. I’m not sure that I’d be able to justify going back to Library Bookstore though – who knows if they’d be open!

Great selection, great prices, they buy books, and one of the owners often listens to the Harry Potter soundtrack. Perfect browsing music!
$ 15 minimum if paying with a card.

I like used bookstores a lot. Between the beau and I, we read libraries of books and always keep our eyes open for interesting volumes, kitschy books, and interesting curiosities to add to the collection. In return, we have made a better point of dropping off our standbys at used bookstores so there’s always room for more. More shelf space equals more purchases, right?
The Library is a nice bookshop in the heart of downtown Ferndale, adjacent to the bike shop and the Java Hutt. Nothing like a bit of caffeine to induce some exploring, right? The shop is not terribly large, longer than it is wide, and a bit disorganized through the bookshelves. You can find newer novels next to musty magazines, old textbooks, and manuals for how to do just about everything short of fly yourself to the moon. The staff know where to find different subjects and, believe me, you might need to rely on their expertise if you have either a short timeframe to shop in or something specific in mind.
I can strike out here, but the search is always worth its while. Some people enjoy vintage shopping, others combing through specialty markets for a certain something, and I get joy in finding good books I meant to read or have never seen before, a gift on a shelf waiting for me. At the very least, it’s entertaining to see what sort of offerings are available thanks to the cultured Ferndale audience.
That said, Melissa and Dil are spot on. Used prices here do not fall within the realms shared by John K. King around the corner, Amazon, Powells, and other major vendors. I like supporting the local shops over online conglomerates, but with the advent of PaperbackSwap and other sources for cheap used books, the Library Bookstore doesn’t compete very well. I don’t care to pay near cover price for paperbacks unless they are next to mint, and that rather defeats the purpose of a used bookstore. Especially when there’s not a whole lot of difference between what Ferndale Public Library, B&N, and Library Bookstore carry, I’m likely to look to the first two as viable options.
I wish they’d tune their prices down a bit back into a reasonable level. I get that the rent on 9 Mile near Woodward may be high, but I’ve had one too many purchases I was borderline on go through because the price was a bit too high.

Location, location, location! Right on 9 Mile next to Naka, a great restaurant selection and coffee houses/​bakeries, and that American Pop store, which I also love. Placed perfectly to attract foot traffic and general browsing, and a perfect spot to duck into when doing same. I have to say, I really enjoy this place. And it’s not just that I keep finding books I want for under $ 10, but I get the impression that the owners know the value of their stock.
Let me be clear: I am a bargain hunter. However, I get so tired of people talking about books as if they’re outmoded pieces of trash (yes, e-​Reader evangelists, I’m looking at you). It’s really refreshing when I go into a used bookstore that hasn’t given up. Books are valuable. Certain books are very valuable, and the Library Bookstore knows it. The stock is good and extensive. I’ve been happier with poetry selections elsewhere, but the kiddie lit has some very interesting editions, as does the cookbook section. Fiction looks pretty normal, but for those Tradition House Book Club slip-​covered edition fans, plenty there for you (in a separate spot).
They also have a delightful selection of old postcards priced very reasonably, and a glass case with the more expensive selection for you to ogle to your heart’s content.

After several visits as both a shopper and a seller, I have to tell you how much I like the Library Bookstore! It’s a very small place, but every single square inch is covered with books so you can’t help but find something you’ll want. Plus, it’s different every time you come in!
When I told the owner, Denny, that I was trying to sell books so I could save up to buy my husband a camera, he helpfully told me what kinds of books they usually can sell so that I could look for them around the house. Whenever I came back with more to sell, he asked me how the saving was coming along and when our anniversary was, etc. Just a really nice, helpful guy — he makes it very pleasant to come in and visit.
The ever-​changing selection, great prices, and awesome owner makes this place ALWAYS worth a look when you’re in downtown Ferndale!

Not cheap, smallish, ok selection, great staff.
And great staff counts for something, so I give them credit there. Helpful and friendly. Their collection of classic and contemporary fiction is pretty strong, everything else I’ve found to be a bit weak and scattered, which isn’t always a bad thing, but it DOES mean one is uninclined to return when you know the stock isn’t turning over quick enough. The fiction though, you’ll almost definitely find what you’re after.
I also agree with Melissa D below… For a used bookstore, the prices here are generally high. Esp., again, with the fiction. Too often I’ve found the same books I was looking for just down the street at John K King for half what Library Bookstore is asking, or less. This meant that I turned Library Bookstore into my «last resort» stop. That’s NOT the model a business owner should be gunning for. They need to lower prices. I will say, in their other genres (not fiction), once in a blue moon the owner was holding something quite valuable and didn’t know it, which suggests to me that he/​she doesn’t check their stock with online prices… which is quite rare these days, and is certainly to the customer’s advantage.

It may be small, but it is big on appeal. Its size is utilized in an efficient and logical way.
What’s that? You say you want to read and lounge about while sipping lattes and nibbling on biscotti? Sorry, there is no room for that sort of nonsense here. Instead, you will be forced to find the reading article of your choice, purchase it from the friendly and knowledgeable owner, Martha, or manager, Denny, and walk in the outside air a few steps to the nearest coffee shop, bistro, café or diner that pervade Ferndale.
I recently brought in a bin full of no longer needed books from home to them. Denny handled the transaction professionally. When I inquired why he didn’t take particular books, he explained why in a reasonable way. He offered an amount in store credit or a cash amount that was about 20% less. I opted for the cash.
After a quotation in one of the books I brought in caught his attention, he shared the humor of it with me. This turned to a pleasant conversation relating to it. I detected no creepiness, and, in fact, found him to be a person who was intelligent, articulate, funny and easygoing.
When I spoke to the owner, Martha, upon my initial visit and later on the phone, she was polite, helpful and professional. When they didn’t have an out-​of-​print copy of Peter Mathiessen’s, «The Snow Leopard», she took down my contact info and promised to call whenever they got it in again. In the mean time she showed me another book by him, «The Tree Where Man Was Born». She said that she wasn’t trying to sell me another book but, I somehow wound up with it anyway.

There are so few good bookstores in this area. I was looking forward to shopping here because it’s so close to home. But it is sort of the stereotypical bad used bookstore.
One good thing about used bookstores is that there are «finds». The books are priced individually and you find some unexpected bargains. Here, most of the books had price-​tags (which was strange) and there was a very obvious and disappointing pricing protocol. Books are business, yes, but it shouldn’t be like this.
And I also had the displeasure of watching the proprietor chew out someone trying to sell books to her. One thing I’ve never appreciated is the surly bookstore owner.
So, I left empty handed, and quite certain that if I want to buy used books in the suburbs I will go to Classics Bookstore in Royal Oak.

Ahh… the smell of old books! There are not too many musty smells I actually enjoy, but the smell of old books and newspapers is really comforting to me. Blame it on my English major mom and the giant story-​and-​a-​half bookshelves we had next to the stairs when I was little. Put me in a big room (or rooms!) full of books and magazines, and I can happily while away an afternoon.
The Library Bookstore is my kind of place. I never spend enough time here, because I usually stop in on my way someplace else, but quick (for me, 20 min. in a bookstore is quick!) jaunts in have yielded worthy purchases, as well as finds that I’ll return for one day.
On my most recent stop, I spied a book of Faye Kicknosway poems (I’ll come back for you!), as well as a somewhat hidden pile of old Mojo magazines. Pay a few bucks for someone’s old magazines? My inner-​record geek said yes. My decision was reinforced when the fellow at the counter gave me a deal as we chatted about him seeing Bowie in the early 70s at the Masonic.
One of these days, I’ll just devote an entire day to book shopping, and hit here, the John King Annex, Book Beat, and John King downtown. I should probably assemble my new bookshelves first!

The Library Bookstore has that old book smell to it– which I really like. It’s pretty well organized if not terribly pretty. They also have magazines and comic books in the original wrappers for sale and stapled up above the shelves as decorations.
This is one of those places I could browse for hours if I didn’t have to go out and feed more quarters into the parking meter.