River Market Books & Gifts

I love used book stores on principle, but River Market is something special. Their used books are in pristine condition, their shelves are incredibly organized, and their selection is HUGE! I think most of the books in my cart were $ 4 each, and I honestly would have never guessed that they were used.

I had a pretty tight timeline for getting on the road, but as I was on my way from the hotel to the car to leave town, I spotted this bookstore… and happily blew my itinerary by spending almost an hour here.
It is a GREAT used bookstore and would be so in any city.
+ Handsome – hardwood floors and copious natural light
+ Four floors of stock
+ Tidy and well organized
+ Exceptional variety of subjects and genres
+ All books in good condition or better (most better)
+ Staggeringly low prices (to a Chicagoan)
+ LPs and DVDs
Plus, they are operated by the Central Arkansas Library System, so I hope and assume that proceeds from the store benefit the libraries, which is always awesome.
On top of all that, I finally found a book here for which I had been searching through dozens of bookstores in several cities for over a year. And although I would have happily taken a shabby paperback, what I found was a boxed, cloth-​bound Library of America edition, including several of the author’s other works – FOR ONLY SIX DOLLARS!
That kind of bookstore good fortune is extraordinary.

Love used bookstores, so I’m slightly impartial. This has high quality used books, plus a nice little coffee shop/​treats available for purchase inside. I love my kindle, but there is something to be said about holding an old book.
Has own parking area in back, which can get tight in this little downtown on the weekends. It is a tight fit to get a stroller in the door, but once inside, enough room to maneuver around.

Cozy bookstore with a café, art gallery and meeting room.
The staff is super helpful and the look and feeling of the location is very inspiring. From the traditional wood floors to the wood benches and desks.
Book selection are used, but a good selection in good quality as well as a good area of Arkansas based authors.
Hight recommend you check this place out!

One of the most organized used bookstores I have seen. The staff is friendly and helpful, but give you the time and space to browse and linger. Many great finds!

My absolute favorite used book store in the little rock area. Clearly they only accept books that are in good shape. I’ve picked up quite a few books here for only a few bucks a pop.

I ducked into this place to get out the heat, since it was about 143 degrees with 110% humidity.
Interesting collection of books, including a large selection of Arkansas authors (and books about famous Arkansans). A lot of staff’s artwork and jewelry is displayed around the store as well.
There’s also a café, where the cashier was nice enough to let me swap out my piece of chocolate pecan pie for a piece of pumpkin pie without charge (yay cocoa powder allergy and deceptive-​looking pecan pie).

River Market Books & Gifts is located inside the Cox Creative Center. River Market Books & Gifts sells gently used books and videos, as well as interesting odds and ends. They have a decent size collection of books by Arkansas authors, which I like. And the Cox Creative Center showcases and sells art from local artists.
The Cox Creative Center was once involved in the 2^nd Friday Night Art Walk, but is no longer. I believe that they do still host events for local artists, and even allow bands to do recordings on the top floor.
Whether you are a local, or just visiting, make sure to stop by River Market Books & Gifts during your stay.