Every good vacation town needs a great bookstore, and Wilmington has one of the best small-town bookshops in Vermont. Bartleby’s Books has been a fixture on Main Street since 1989 – over 35 years of curated shelves, knowledgeable staff, and the kind of browsing experience that Amazon can’t replicate.
A Bookstore with a Story
Named after Herman Melville’s famous short story, Bartleby’s is housed in a 175-year-old carriage house at 17 West Main Street. The building alone is worth the visit – old wooden bones with warm lighting, bookshelves that reach the ceiling, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to slow down and read.
The shop spans two floors. Downstairs you’ll find new releases, fiction, mystery, poetry, and a well-stocked children’s section. Upstairs is nonfiction – cooking, gardening, design, architecture, history – plus a discount section for deals. There are comfortable chairs and couches scattered throughout, and the staff actively encourages lingering.
What Makes It Special
This isn’t a bookstore that stocks whatever the algorithms push. The selection is hand-curated by people who actually read. The Staff Picks section is reliably excellent, they carry the Indie Next List and Kids’ Indie Next List, and they maintain a dedicated banned books display.
Vermont titles and Vermont authors get prominent placement, which makes it a great place to pick up something that connects you to the region. They’ll special-order anything not in stock, and they sell signed copies when available.
Beyond books, Bartleby’s carries a thoughtful selection of cards, literary gifts, games, and local crafts – the kind of things that make better souvenirs than a logo t-shirt.
Pricing and What to Buy
Book prices are standard retail – expect $16–30 for most new hardcovers and $10–18 for paperbacks. The discount section upstairs offers selected titles at reduced prices. Cards start around $4–6, and the literary gifts and games typically run $10–25. For a Vermont-themed gift (i.e., a local author’s book paired with a nice card), you can put something together for $25–35 that feels far more thoughtful than anything from a souvenir shop.
A Resilient History
Bartleby’s has survived more than most businesses. In April 2011, owner Lisa Sullivan’s sister store in Brattleboro was destroyed in a five-alarm fire – roughly $250,000 in inventory, gone. Four months later, Tropical Storm Irene sent four feet of floodwater through the Wilmington shop, destroying another $300,000 in stock. By Black Friday that same year, Bartleby’s had reopened. That kind of tenacity tells you something about the people who run this place.
Good to Know
📍 17 West Main Street, Wilmington, VT 05363
🕐 Open daily 10am-6pm (Wednesday until 5pm)
📞 (802) 464-5425
🅿️ Free street parking on West Main Street; municipal lot a one-minute walk east
Bartleby’s is right in the heart of downtown Wilmington, steps from Village Roost Cafe, 1836 Country Store, and the rest of Wilmington’s Main Street shops. It’s about 12-15 minutes from Valley View Villa and a perfect stop on a rainy day or as part of a Wilmington day trip.
If you’re traveling with kids, the children’s section is genuinely good – not an afterthought. And if you’re traveling without kids, well, that just means more time in the nonfiction loft. Guests at Valley View Villa regularly come back with a stack of books and spend the evening reading by the fireplace.
Is Bartleby’s Books Good for Kids?
The children’s section takes up a significant portion of the ground floor and is well-curated by age group. Board books, picture books, early readers, middle-grade, and young adult titles are all represented. The staff is knowledgeable about kids’ books and happy to make recommendations based on age and interest. Rainy-day browsing with kids here is a reliable Plan B when outdoor activities get washed out.
Does Bartleby’s Sell Used Books?
The main inventory is new books, but the upstairs discount section includes a rotating selection of overstocked and lightly discounted titles. For used books specifically, you’d need to check one of the thrift shops in the area. That said, the upstairs deals are worth a look – you can sometimes find recent bestsellers at 30–50% off.
Can You Order Books from Bartleby’s Online?
Yes. Their website (myvermontbookstore.com) supports online ordering. You can browse their catalog, place orders for pickup or shipping, and check for signed editions. If you forgot to grab something during your visit, ordering online is a convenient way to support the shop after you’ve returned home.
How Long Should You Spend at Bartleby’s?
Plan for 30–60 minutes of browsing. The two-floor layout, comfortable seating, and curated displays reward taking your time. Serious readers could easily spend longer. Pair the visit with breakfast at Village Roost next door or fudge at 1836 Country Store, and you have a full morning in downtown Wilmington.
