Monroe Street Books

What a great bookstore, and knowledgable, helpful, staff. I pulled in on a whim, having left my place an hour away to explore beautiful Vermont on a glorious day. Have been reading the Jed McKenna trilogy, in which he cites several titles, among them Moby Dick, 1984, Candide, How to Read a Book, etc. So I stopped at Monroe when I saw the Used Books sign from the road. Walked into what seemed to me a scene from The Truman Show. Asked the gentleman standing near the door if he had a copy of 1984; he must have detected the urgency combined with an unwillingness to comb the shelves. He knew exactly where there was a copy outside on the sale shelf. Bought it for $ 1! Will definitely come back here some time when the cues have scratched their design on my mind.

I bought a book from this book store through
and cannot thank them enough for 1. listing the rare book that would have otherwise been lost and 2. the great extent that they went through packing the book to make sure it was shipped with care.
Thank you again for the book!

The best way to spend time here is exploring instead of shopping. The quantity of books is staggering, and it pays to look around at all of the different sections. It also helps to be comfortable on a ladder!
I worked at Monroe for a few months organizing and shelving books, and contradictory to another reviewer’s impression the owner and the handful of other employees are great people. They’re relaxed, friendly, and unpretentious. Most importantly, they don’t engage in any sort of retail showmanship (think of walking into a clothing store in a mall), which makes for an honest, comfortable atmosphere.
The store also gets a fair amount of books resold by college students. Sections like philosophy, sociology, and literature have a lot of current (and most likely barely read) books in great condition.

I come here for books I know I will keep lovingly on display for years to come. Precarious because the selection of rare books is so immensely comforting. The website is also highly useful. A delightful find and well worth a visit.

Very big selection of used books. Not as extensive a selection as ‘the Strand in NYC, for example, but much cheaper pricing. According to the owner, even more are housed in ‘another room’. The owner has extensive knowledge of the books, so I advise you to pick his brain if you are looking for something specific.
The prices are very good, even for the older issues. I could spend hours in this store without noticing the passage of time. They also sell books online, but the prices look much higher than appeared in the store.

If you live in Vermont and lived elsewhere you may notice one thing not so maple-​syrup-​exhilarating: local city libraries may be in wonderful, spooky historic buildings, staff may be wonderfully friendly and inventory cards still on lovely tactile paper in little drawers, just: the book selection is noticeably, sorry people!, C.R.A.P. Have you ever tried looking something up on, let’s say a topic in BIOLOGY and patronized Burlington Library? Art history? Yes, the kid’s section there is great, only I am no longer seven… I have been refereed to use Middlebury college library, but on the way out there I got stuck in Monroe Street Books and found everything I need. It is simply unbelievable, and it is the kind of place where one thinks: «This? HERE?»
I need frequently books on art, theater and photography. They also have other topics, but I need those less, so go and check according to your needs. Prices are normal. Check amazon and compare. Just here you can check the book’s condition and take it home without mailing fees. Staff. They are not overbearing, but also not horrible, they let you be, if you need something they will check if they have it. Occasional sales offers with extra percent off. In this area, surely as good as it gets! If you wanted something more sleek you are better served with the sales table in Barnes&Nobles, it is a different thing. Up to you.

I completely disagree with Dorothy on this one.
First, in such a small state like Vermont, it’s remarkable to find a used bookstore with so many books (80,000+, from what I understand). And considering some of the bookstores I’ve been to that feature piles upon piles of haphazardly-​arranged books that give me what I like to call «Disorganization Headaches» (you know who you are, My Croft in Underhill, VT and Yes! Books in Portland, ME), it’s a pleasure to walk into Monroe Street and see neatly-​organized shelves from floor to ceiling, not only with plenty of ladders to use to access these books and chairs in which to sit and read these books, but also with plenty of space to browse without any danger of claustrophobia setting in. If that means an «impersonal and generic warehouse» setting, so be it. Used bookstore beggers can’t be choosers. Besides, I’m not there to live, I’m there to browse.
Second, I can vouch for Dorothy’s statement that the employees are plugged into their computers, but unlike Dorothy, I don’t have a problem with this one bit. When I go to bookstores, I go there to browse, not to socialize. The times at Monroe Street when I’ve been unable to find a book or have been curious if they had one in stock, the staff has responded to my queries with nothing short of friendly professionalism. And by the way, 9 times out of 10, yes, they did have what I was looking for. Their selection is