This place was a treasure trove of fun finds! Books of all types - genres for all genders, ages and lovers of literature! Sometimes they run a BOGO sale and I was able to catch this on Mystery/Suspense Novels and hooked a Hitchcock! Can't beat snagging 2 books for eight books! Great deal! They even take books in on trade to boot. The ladies that work there were very helpful and we found some neat things. They even have a nice selection or rare and first edition novels. read more

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I've been to the book dispensary twice now and I will say, I love how many different types of books there are. I do have some problems, though. Firstly, the latest time I went, there were boxes of books everywhere, making it impossible to get into most sections. The childrens' section is quite small. The service is ok, but they are very unorganised, they said they had a book that I needed for school but they didn't end up having it. Their book trade in system is quite sloppy, I gave them $200 worth of old books and they gave me $15 worth of book credits. the value is terrible as well. A very rough looking book about Athens, Greece that I bought was $25, originally $25.50. Other than that, I love the place, I just wish it had better organisation and value. read more

Stopped by yesterday and found a few books to add to my personal library. This was my first time visiting and the atmosphere was amazing! The customer service that I received was super helpful and the prices were very reasonable. You can tell that they truly love and appreciate books. There are rooms dedicated to different genres and there are so many books! I am so glad that I found this place and will certainly be returning again in the future. I got a warm and wonderful first impression! read more

Found this place by doing an internet search for book donations and wow I'm so glad I did! An amazing local bookstore with all the nostalgic feels. Especially if you're one like Carrie Bradshaw who just love the smell of books. They also do a trade credit program which is a great discount program for book purchases. There's plenty of genres and books to choose from. They also have a trade program that support teachers. Be sure to support local and drop into this cozy bookstore for your next book purchases. read more

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Much more than meets the eye! Huge selection inside; very cute and comfortable set up. Books priced fairly. read more

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Lots of books and you can trade for a small price. Friendly atmosphere come in and browse. The whole place is wall-to-wall books.

This very humble looking building is hiding the best used book selection in Columbia! They have seemingly endless rooms upon rooms of used books, and each room is sort of themed so it's easy to find what you want. They also specialize in maps, so they have some really fantastic antique maps from all over the world! It is fun to peruse even if you aren't in the market for a nice map. It appears (like many used books stores) something like 90% of their sales are the cheap paper back novels, so those occupy most of the store. My desire for used books is for the old collectible books, and they have a whole room dedicated to these! Lots of first editions/autographed/hard to find collectible books. They also have a good bit of local history and writings. The woman who runs it is incredibly nice. You can tell she loves her job and her books and she treats each book like a treasure read more

Great place to visit if you love to read books. You'll find thousands of used books and at reasonable prices. Friendly customer service. I'm happy to shop here. read more

I stopped by this used bookstore on my way to the North Carolina mountains. It was right off of I-26 and I needed a particular book for my vacation. They did not have the book I needed (which was a newer release), but they did have a LARGE selection of books and very friendly service. I didn't give it 4 stars because I think newer releases would be difficult to find. read more

The Book Dispensary - Many rooms labeled well according to genre. - Bookstores Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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My first stop for buying books! The Book Dispensary is a wonderful used book store! It's well organized and cozy. It is such a great place to just roam around looking for a little hidden gem perfect for you! There are little nooks and crannies for you to discover. Cushy chairs are here and there if you want to take a closer look at a particular book. Don't miss the rare books area or the adorable children's room. There are shelves and shelves of fiction, history, romance and when I have been there was a clearance area too. I heard that they are trying to make space to have local artists display their work here too. The staff is so helpful! If you are looking for something they don't have just let them know. They will try to find it and call you when they have a lead on it. They also have a deal where you can volunteer to work at the store and receive store credit. Don't miss Markdown Mondays - All clearance hardback books are an additional 1/2 off the lowest marked price! Tuesdays are Senior Citizens Appreciation Day! 10% Off your total hardback purchase and for every 3 paperbacks you get a 4th free! Plus, Markdown Mondays last all the way through Tuesday for Senior Citizens! They also have a book repair and binding/rebinding service. Be sure to sign up for their e-newsletter too. There are often deals advertised for the subscribers. read more

I loved it here! They have such a wonderful collection of gently bused book. I'm a huge fan!!

The store credit system rocks, and because it's all based on list price, the credit adds up quickly. Definitely feeds my book buying addiction. The people working here are great, and the selection is pretty good for your average reader. Some of the more high-brow sort of stuff required in literature classes is a bit hit or miss sometimes, and you do (as is the case with all used book stores) need to be careful if you're particularly particular about the condition of your used fiction comes in. But overall, a great place. read more

I'm from out of state visiting and always try and check out the bookstores! This one instantly gave me amazing vibes. I have a toddler so i was a little worried about how welcomed she be since she is a typical wild toddler. Well she was instantly warmly welcomed and there is a special kids room! praise them!! It gave me a chance to browse with leisure and I could have spent hours there in all honesty! So organized and sooooo homey!! I think any book lover should stop by and check this gem out!!! read more

Really huge selection of books, priced well and in good condition. Well organized, fun. The smell - if you still prefer books to ereaders, you'll love the smell of the books. (Cary from Sex in the City could afford to buy new books, but she preferred books from the library because of the smell of the pages.) read more

She said: A great shop for used books! Everything is well-organized by category and author. I easily found what I was looking for. The books either sell for 50% or 40% of the cover price. Glad I found this place! read more

Fantastic selection, and great service. Everything is well placed and organized, and the staff is courteous and helped me locate just the right read. Thanks for a great score and a great local business! read more

These guys have a wide selection of books to choose from. I really like how they help you out when it comes to picking out a book. Plus it's a really convenient place. I'd definitely recommend this place to everyone I know. read more

These guys have a wide selection of books to choose from. I really like how they help you out when it comes to picking out a book. Plus it's a really convenient place. I'd definitely recommend this place to everyone I know. read more

Professional and very helpful staff. Huge selection of books. Excellent atmosphere. Great place!!!!!

I made the mistake of essentially donating thousands of dollars of books for store "credit" (i.e. 50% off of all future purchases up to the list price of the books). They never once told me I'd have to buy more books to redeem the credit. Do yourself a favor and take your books somewhere else or donate them. Plus the location is isolated and the selection not too impressive. read more

I visited for the first time today and I just love the place! The owners are so friendly and helpful, the prices are fair and the selection is huge. They have an adorable children's section so I can't wait to return with my brood. :) read more

Terrible place. Charged ridiculous prices for worn out, smelly, yellow, paperback (not rare, hard to find or out of print ones either). Would not recommend and will not return (unless I happen to find myself in the market for worn out, smelly, overpriced, garbage). I'm an avid reader and love books in most any form....but not theirs. Don't waste your time. read more