I don't know what has happened to the University Bookstore in recent years but I do know that today I was browsing through a few sections on the upper level. I could not only clearly hear--but also see --half a dozen store employees bunched at the central information kiosk, carrying on as if they were at a barbecue--in their own backyard. Belly-aches of shrieks of laughter interspersed with ostensible conversation. It was clearly gossip about recent personal (mis-) adventures of absolutely no interest to anyone but said party of employees (who should have--shall I dare say?--been working). For the bookstore operated in close association with the University of Washington, the premier university in the Pacific Northwest, this is disappointing. And I have had this sort of experience the past several years at the University Bookstore. "The sky's the limit" in terms of very audible and very annoying personal chit-chat by employees who probably would be entirely suited to working at a discount supermarket like Lucky's. Or selling hot-dogs at Husky Stadium. Actually, I'd prefer someone clipping their toenails on the floor of the Bookstore than to be disturbed constantly by loud store employees. An atmosphere conducive to genuine private conversation or intelligent banter, this is not. This kind of uncouth behavior would be rare in Canada, France, or the U.K., etc., at least until recently (with the worldwide 24/7 coverage of the demise of Michael Jackson, I am beginning to seriously doubt that American popular culture can be resisted). But in an era when students bring not only their lab-tops, but also their cellphones, Blackberries, and MP3 players to college classrooms, maybe this is not so surprising. I have never witnessed such outlandish, undignified behavior at the Elliott Bay Bookstore (with its booksellers), so I am puzzled by the glaring lack of cultivation and manners at the premier college bookstore in the region. That said, the University Bookstore continues to stock a fine array of books of a scholarly, special-interest, or general nature. In addition to the racks of cute teddy bear key-chains and counters for cosmetics, please continue, University Bookstore, to stock Shakespeare, Sartre, Ibsen, Keats, and Dickinson. [2009 is the 100th anniversary of the Fitzgerald translation of the 11th century Persian "Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam." There is nothing in the Bookstore to note this]. read more

Great selection of books, of course. Also - gifts, stationary, Clinique, pens & all types of office supplies. The coffee shop isn't bad (haven't had any amazing coffee here, but it's drinkable). Excellent book readings - get on their mailing list. Staffers vary from unhelpful to awesome. read more

One of my favorite bookstores in Seattle! This large, multi-floor bookstore does have UW textbooks, but also contains a wide selection of general-interest books, stationery and gifts, and even makeup and jewelry -- plus a pretty decent cafe. The bottom level has textbooks and art supplies, including a huge variety of fancy writing and art pens that should be enough to satisfy even the most obsessive pen nerds. There's also a selection of kids' art supplies and craft books, and inexpensive stocking-stuffer trinkets. The upper floors have all the departments you'd expect of a large bookstore, including a nice display of local Washington-themed books (nature, history, hiking guides, travel). They usually have several large bargain tables with fiction and nonfiction at decent prices. Staff tends to be hands-off, so you'll have to hunt someone down if you need help, but otherwise you're mostly left alone to browse. However, my favorite part about this bookstore is the non-book items! There, I said it. They have a TON of Moleskine and similar fancy journals, notebooks, postcard sets, stationery, post-its, and other adorable office accessories. They have scented soaps, tote bags, scarves, holiday ornaments, locally made chocolate, and some really cute sterling silver jewelry. They have cool mugs, bags, and ceramics made with NW tribal art motifs. They have a Clinique makeup counter. And yes, they have every piece of Husky gear imaginable, if you want to show school spirit. (Not that I could have afforded any of this stuff when I was an actual student, of course.) So what I'm trying to say is you could do ALL your holiday shopping here in one pretty painless trip! And then treat yourself to a coffee and a pastry in the small, friendly cafe inside the store. They also have regular author readings, both free and paid (both in the bookstore and in the church across the street). Parking is validated inside the store. I've been to events in both locations and they're well-run, start and finish on time, and are often filmed for online streaming after the fact, so if you miss a reading, you might also be able to watch it online. Overall, a welcoming and large bookstore with a good selection, but especially great for office/art supplies and cute gifts. read more

I came to a Hillary Clinton book signing here. We arrived at 6:30am and stood in line until 9am. The line wrapped around the block, the employees were very organized and friendly. Once we got our wristbands, we were told to come back at 5pm for the actual signing. We arrived at 4:30pm and they moved the line into the store, which snaked around all 3 levels. They handed out water and snacks. The line moved fast once it hit 5pm. This is because Hillary wouldn't allow any photos and wouldn't personalize any books. She shook my hand, asked how I was, I nervously said "thank you" and walked away. Only me would fuck that up. I turned to snap a pic, and some woman grabbed me and said "no photos". Sucka, I got some stealth photos before I got my book signed. I hope this review helps anyone planning a future book signing. 5 stars for the awesome staff, -1 star for the heat wave in the basement. Damn. read more

Variety and huge stock of supplies (binders, pencils, paper etc.) Good sales on 'regular' books FOR TEXTBOOKS GO ELSEWHERE! Way too over priced. Just not worth it. Amazon is so much better. Even the buy back is ridiculous. read more

In terms of variety, I agree, it's quite good. However, as a (poor) college student, I kind of hate this place. You know when your class just has to require a "UW version" of some textbook, and you're thus forced to pay retail price for a book you may or may not look at more than a couple times? It's happening more and more often, but though I don't totally blame the store, it's clear that everything, not only the textbooks, are overpriced. I guess I'm not really into the novelty stuff, and I don't want to pay twice as much for a planner that is "specialized" for the UW, so I'm not a fan like most everyone else. read more

Eh. If I was buying a textbook for my course, I guess I would come here if I couldn't get it for cheaper online. The free gift wrapping that others mention is pretty cool, but in this intarwebb age, I don't really care. Most of my gifts are dropshipped with free gift wrapping anyway. Since the area outside their doors is full of kleptos, addicts, and dealers, it's no wonder they have to watch their inventory with care. I don't blame them. It is cool that noted authors appear here. I like that. It doesn't have the style or chill factor that I like in a book store usually though. Update: It has come to my attention that this place will import books that may otherwise not be available for upcoming releases. Very cool! +1 star. read more

There are a lot of good things about the bookstore, but the cafe is awful! I went in my first time and ordered a White Chocolate Mocha, my usual. I left the place on my way to the bus stop and went to sip it, and it was so tasteless I couldn't help but make a funny face. I admit my tastebuds are not very sensitive, but in my opinion there is not enough white chocolate or espresso in it, even compared to other coffee shops. I thought maybe that experience was a fluke, so I went back once more since it was on the way and I needed to do some reading. I ordered the same drink and it tasted the exact same. They really need to do something different because it does not taste good at all, they should really not make them if they're going to make them that poorly. read more

When I was a child living about an hour and a half outside of Seattle, the Univeristy Book Store was THE center of the universe for me. A day that included a visit here, was likely to be the happiest day of my life until the next visit. The selection is hard to beat, especially when it comes to children's/young adult books, and "academic" topics. I still get so excited about the possibilities everytime I walk in here. If it wasn't for the horrible hit my wallet takes (I feel there is a definite markup here above the norm, probobly to help keep the selection so large) every time I go, I would probobly be there much more often. A required stop when shopping in the U District. read more

This is going to make me sound painfully pathetic, but the U Bookstore is one of my favourite places EVER. I used to ask my dad to take me here after picking me up from AM Kindergarten at the age of 5. I am now perfectly capable of making the trek all on my own and believe me, I do it very often (probably way too often)! They seriously carry everything: textbooks, every colour of Sharpie imaginable, UW gear, posters, lab supplies, the largest variety of pencils (both mechanical and non) that I've ever seen in one place, ugly dolls, quirky gifts like plush Gandhis and giant plush microbes (my personal favourite), Clinique makeup, greeting cards, and books (duh)! I can spend hours at a time in this store and still not get bored. The unfortunate part is that I always come away with an assortment of things that I probably don't need (I bought a brontosaurus-shaped measuring tape and some dangly octopus earrings last Wednesday, for example). Thank god for my 10% customer rebate! read more

As a student at UW, I'm a regular customer here at the bookstore for required textbooks for class. I appreciate that they have a 10% back rewards program, which I use to cover (admittedly) only 1 of my required (expensive) texts. This 2 star review is due to the following reasons: 1) prices are much higher here in comparison to online for textbooks 2) Their website never seems to work (gets overloaded easily??), so I can never get estimates on prices online to compare to other locations without directly going into the store. Get on fixing that!! read more

Wow! what an awesome bookstore! It puts the university book stores in Colorado all to shame! There are several levels to the bookstore and it takes a bit of time to process it all. The middle floor mostly has knick knacks and fun reading which is the floor you enter from off of the street. The bottom level has all of the text books you may need if you are attending classes and the upstairs has yet even more books! The restrooms are on the top floor. I definitely recommend this place if you area book lover! read more

Yeah, it's big, and yeah they have greeting cards. So does the grocery store! Maybe it's because I like the idiosyncrasies of little, independent shops, but I wasn't moved to tears. They have a lot of books, they have a staircase, but if you have used books (and I think they do), can't you get a roll of that yellow tape that says "used" on it? Huh, can't ya? I couldn't distinguish the used from the new books-so I wasn't in there a long time. So long, UBC! read more

I hate the bookstore because I always come out $10 poorer with a load of cute pens. Pens are my weakness, and walking into the UBS is the quickest way to incapacitate my ability to not spend money. Husky gear for every occasion, including my much loved and beloved purple water bottle with a huge gray "W" on it. The employees here have mastered the art of the first week of the quarter textbook-buying-zerg-rush -- even if the line is ridiculously long, I'm out of there in five minutes or less. Which is basically like handing every customer a free kitten with every purchase -- it's that awesome. read more

I'm in San Jose right now and I'm craving the bookstore cafe's soy latte like nothing else. The bookstore is so awesome now, compared to what it was ten years ago. The coffee is great, the children's book section is nice, the textbook buyback program has improved, and the patronage refund went up. During school, I visit the bookstore at least three times a week as my sole source of fun. I like the greeting card and writing materials selections better in the HUB UBookstore, but that one's tiny and cafe-less, so that makes the U-District UBookstore my favorite bookstore in the whole wide world! :) For the coffee, for sentimental reasons, for the patronage refund, and for always working hard for improvement. read more

U-Bookstore always had what I needed in my student days, but it's been an increasingly handy supplier for my teacher days as well. As an elementary school teacher, I'm always on the prowl for cheap Children's books. Contrary to popular belief, discount supplies like Half-Priced Books and others of its kind do not always offer the cheapest bargain. Believe it or not, U-Bookstore has some pretty sweet sales on children's book - particularly hardcover books which are more desirable as they're more durable, thus a longer lifespan being constantly touched by kiddos. At this location, the sale Children's book bin is usually right by the entrance - I've found many a bargain book there - hardcovers on Houdini, poetry for kids, even hardcover Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys for a fraction of what they'd cost at Barnes & Noble. ADDED BONUS - they offer a 10% teacher discount card - on ALL merchandise, not just supplies for your classroom read more

The U.W. bookstore is a great place to visit as they have a very large selection of merchandise to choose from. They have all sorts of Husky gear items for sale besides the main bookstore area. On the 3rd level you can also buy electronic products from laptops to iPad's. The store is kept very nice and contemporary looking with even a small cafe located in the back of the bookstore. read more

Art Supply shopping only: I usually go to Blick Art Materials, but I didn't want to drive do Capitol Hill to deal with the obnoxious parking and crowds of people. I decided to see what other places had art materials in my area. I decided to try Univ. book store... They surprisingly had a good amount of Prismacolor markers, pens, and paper. They're pretty well stocked for a university bookstore. I would recommend it! It's more chill, and everyone is so helpful in the store. read more

I didn't really need to buy many text books for my classes since I was an Art student, but the bottom floor of this store saved my butt countless times! The store is located pretty close to the School of Art, and they always had the art supplies that we needed in stock, unless someone in class nabbed all of the foamcore. Sheets of Duo Tac, blades, t-squares, french curves, they have it. But the best thing besides being so close to the SOA, is that by buying my emergency art supplies from this store I got 10% back at the end of the year! Woo hoo! read more

Clearance section ftw. There's not a lot you won't find here in regards to husky apparel and paraphernalia. They also have skyline socks which you won't find anywhere except online. Btw, good on those guys for making it into the store. That's no small feat considering they were students when they started the company. I digress, staff is always helpful and I'm even considering joining the alumni association just to get the discount since I shop here pretty frequently. read more

Wow, I hate to be a buzz kill here. Am I the only one who gets the stare down whenever I'm in the book store? I am constantly watched like a hawk - like I'm going to steal something or whatever. Ok, I'm not 16 anymore, kids. My grad school tuition dollars is what's keeping you employed so back up off. The store is stocked wall to wall with great books, stationary, gifts, clothes, calenders, even make up. The prices are steep but it's what you get at a university book store. Whenever I need a text book or feel like being stalked, I know where to go. Otherwise I usually stay away from this place. read more

I will focus my review on a specific aspect: the U of W bookstore's stationary department is the most impressive I have seen in the Pacific Northwest, bar none, as far as paper and writing paraphernalia* is concerned. They carry a mind-boggling selection of Miquelrius notebooks (both the spiral and the softbound types, in all sizes and designs you can imagine), Myndology, Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Field Notes (upstairs next to the bookstore cashier), Apica (a.k.a. "Most advanced quality gives best writing features") and others. I have no idea who is their stationary buyer, but that person is definitely well-connected to the stationary scene and has the very best functional products out there. All they are missing is notebooks of the Quo Vadis lines Habana and Robert le Hero, but maybe I just didn't see them. (I did see the planner versions.) Congrats on a great store! * Note that although they have a very impressive selection of inks, including Herbin and Noodler's, they do not have as many fountain pens as I'd imagine. I would suggest adding more entry-level pens to their selection, of which both Waterman and Pelikan make a few models that retail for $20 and below. read more

last 3 times in I have gotten greta help and info. I am stilll bothered by slacky looking staff in gift area, but .they got the job and I didn't! read more

Why would you buy stuff from the bookstore? All items in the bookstore can be bought for cheaper either online or from a friend. The organization of this place is nice though. The coupon books (survival guide) are a must have. read more

Nobody likes paying astronomical amounts of money for textbooks. Some of the textbooks here you could rent or buy at other retailers for much less. The 10% rebate doesn't help very much, but whenever my items are eligible I do appreciate it. The husky gear they have is immense, and it's quite expensive too. I could see people getting into debt with all the gear they could buy. My only complaint is the high prices all around for students. Granted, not everything is overly priced, but they should really give us students some more discounts. Our tuition is already high enough. I usually buy my school supplies here, but that's only because I like the UW notebooks. If you could buy all your school utensils and textbooks elsewhere at a cheaper price, do so, it's just a search away. Oh! And the free parking -- I like that very much. Update: I made an online order for pickup. I waited 4 days without hearing nothing from them and when I did call four days later, the textbook I ordered was ready for pickup. Apparently the book that was in stock for 2 days after I ordered became unavailable and was forced to purchase a more expensive one. These custom books are a pain, and it sucks having to pay even more because of a delay. read more

Is it a bookstore or an art store or a gift shop. Now: show me running around in circles because I am so excited. They have a fantastic sf/fantasy section. Shhh... don't tell anyone I read that stuff. They have great art books and a good kids section as well. And religion and... and... and... Plus... PLUS they have art supplies and notebooks and pens... pens... oh PENS! And validated parking! Well, I assume they still have that. It as been way too long since I've been here. Got to get me some UW bookstore. read more

This review concerns the supplies section only. I can get lost for hours when I wander into the supplies section. There's so much to see.. so much to want. Mostly though I make a bee line for what I'm here for so I don't get a bad case of the "I wants". It's that great. I love it. The U Book Store carries a great selection of items for dressmaking/patternmaking such as Sketch tracing paper by the roll, curved Vary From rulers, hip curves, french curves, etc. There's lots of great templates for drafting, too. The staff are knowledgable and friendly for the most part. Just don't bother calling them on the phone to ask your questions. I haven't had any of them sucessfully answer my queries. For example I called them the other day looking for a specific ruler to see if it was in stock. They said sorry, no. Since I had to stop in for something else later that day, I wandered by the area where this amazing ruler should have been and there were at least 6 there. I have no idea why the employee couldn't find them. No, I don't think they were recently restocked. Other than that the lines can get pretty long. Then again they can be pretty short. It just. A big plus is the 1/2 hour of free parking you can get without a purchase. You can get 2 hours free parking with a purchase of $4 or more. Whoo-hoo! read more

I came here because I needed a fountain pen and read from another Yelp review that they have a really, really good collection of fountain pen inks. So I thought they must sell fountain pens. And, they do! Two out of the four display cases around the customer service center of the supplies section are filled with fountain pens. They had a really good collection and a wide range of selections that I've really only seen before in a few specialty, small stationary stores. The girl who worked there and helped me with the pens was super knowledgeable and really, really friendly. The prices weren't too bad either---more expensive than buying pens online, of course, but considering the convenience and the friendly help it's not that much of a markup. And they do have a large collection of fountain pen ink and a nice binder of ink samples. They carry the standard Pelicans and whatnot and even have half a shelf of Noodler's ink! I was very happy walking out that day with purple ink. In terms of other school supplies they are a little pricey, which is why I did not give it 5 stars. They do have a good range of selections in terms of recycled papers and such though. read more

Great place! The service clerk was very quick to help with any questions and they have a lot of classic books! If you're not interested in books on the other half of the store they sell stuff like clothes and trinkets. read more

Sometimes when I'm having a hard day, I walk into the UW bookstore, and I finally feel at peace with the world. I often find UW Branded clothing on sale. I find the best children's books discounted. One time I forgot my wallet, and a stranger bought me coffee at the shop within the store. I'll be honest, sometimes I do get a bit lost here. I soak up literature like sponges soak up water, and let me tell you, my thirst for books has never diminished. I believe in independent bookstore because of stores like these. Live. Laugh. Love UW bookstore. read more

The store is well kept but prices are just ridiculous. All my fellow broke UW students can relate. I dread coming here tomorrow to prepare for spring quarter. The selection in the supplies section is pretty nice though. You can find pretty much everything you need here. Still....too.expensive. read more

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! University Book Store is so much fun! (Secret- I never buy textbooks there.....) but you name it, I've bought everything else! I can't get past any doorway without picking up at least 2 things from those little sale tables- especially the books. I always pick up the Seattle-area tourist stuff for visiting pals, they have a great card selection, there's the little coffee shop for when you just have to take that little caffeine break in the middle of your shopping excursion (tee hee). They will wrap your stuff for you if you ask, there's a whole section downstairs with art supplies, AND they validate parking! Wow. What more could you ask for? read more

Much love. Really. Plain and simple. I love bringing the kidlet here. We can spend hours upon hours up in the children's section looking at all the wonderful things. Good thing I get my student rebate! The textbooks for the particular classes I've had to take so far aren't marked up as high as I'm used to back at my old school. Most of the ethnographies are simply being sold at list price, maybe a few dollars more. I haven't had that kind of "Oh my god a 300 dollar book" sticker shock yet. All those dodads. Seriously... all those knick knacks and cute little things that girls like me can't get enough of. I go nuts in here. I come to get my text books and I end up leaving with earrings and a wallet. It's a trap! But still, I heart you bookstore! read more

Tech Center - Has the largest selection of laptop cases in Seattle for both PC and Mac. There was no comparison. The only other place to compare is the internet. But here, you can bring your laptop to try on. I went to BestBuy, Frys, Target, KMart, The Apple Store, Office Max, Office Depot, Fred Meyer, Goodwill, Value Village, REI, and I can't remember where else. read more

My family and I accidentally wound up in the U-District because of our GPS taking us to the wrong part of town. But, we ended up finding a lot of great places, like this bookstore, and ended up exploring the UW campus. I like this bookstore because has a lot of UW stuff, textbooks, and regular books too. It's a great place to kick back and read a book. read more

This is a great store with a great selection of Husky gear,gifts and much more. The store has three levels. They carry different things from Textbooks to supplies and much more including a technology center, magazines and calendars. read more

This place is neat-o in my book! Whenever I need to study on campus, I like to get a cup o' Americano and get to reading cause it's not swarming with socialites posing as studiers. Outside the coffee shop, you have your bookstore and your apparel store for all your UW needs. It ain't dirty, it's vast and filled with goods, almost your one-stop-shop, although not the best for bargain shopping, but that's to be expected at a university store. People are helpful and parking is validated. All good things to make your shopping/studying experience easy peasy. Come and say Hi if you're in the area. I'm the Asian guy in the coffee shop trying to study but actually playing Plants vs. Zombies on my iPad between sentences. read more

Even if you aren't a student at UW, there's a reason to go to the University Book Store. Besides a generous selection of books you'd find at any bookstore, there's the student sections in the basement where students can find their books and their needed supplies for just about any class. For non-students, there's stationary, pens, bags, knick-knacks and husky gear galore. There's also a cafe with plenty of places to sit and decent coffee. I have only really interacted with the student staff downstairs, but they've always been super nice and helpful. Unfortunately, it's not very often I get books down there because just like tuition, book prices get more and more astronomical. If I can find it elsewhere for cheaper, I have to get it at that place. Sorry! As far as husky gear goes, I know I can always find exactly what I'm looking for here more than any other husky location from a specific hat to a "UW Grandma" cup. And, being the main store, that's to be expected. Bonus, you can get your parking validated at the store for the lot right out back. Score! read more

Love being a university student and getting all these great discounts...on tech products!!! They have on-going lists of software, Apple/HP products, and much more on sale for students. I brought my Apple macbook during my freshman year, and got my free ipod AND Canon printer along with it! Also help my friend get his laptop as well, with my student discount. Love it! Three levels of supplies/clothing. Main level is books, cafe, misc, Husky gear/clothing. Upper floor is children's books, printing, US bank, gift wrap, restrooms. Lower floor is textbooks, art/school supplies, backpacks. I would only recommend getting your textbooks there if you think you would benefit from their rebate program. Or, if you have a required course packet that you can only purchase from there. Otherwise, I find it to be rather expensive than their competitor across the street, or better yet, buy it online!! Free wifi at cafe, and by magazines. Stop by to browse books, magazines, makeup, Husky gear, or get your school supplies! read more

U-Bookstore is a large book shop, cafe, souvenir boutique, office supply, electronics store, and art materials vendor rolled into one. This place is quite a delight for the occasional visitor, but probably pretty mundane for students coming here for textbooks. If you have time to tour around, U-Bookstore has a wonderful collection of Washington history books and their supply of art material is vast. PROS: Come for all sorts of supplies! Since Book Kennel (a rival textbook supplier across the street) has gone kaput, this is the only store for textbooks for many classes, obscure or not. Bring your UW ID (Husky) card for a 10% cash back offer (not immediate - you have to wait for your rebate for months). Preview your textbooks here - if you should think you can get better prices, go buy elsewhere, but it's always nice to check stuff out here first. If you are an art or architecture student, they have everything you need here including T-rulers, canvasses, paint, modeling clay, chipboard, fine pens and pencils, etc. CONS: Though the textbook area is large, it can get crowded in the week before academic quarters start, so come early (or as I did, come later) Prices for some ordinary non-book items are high, the reason being you will probably find them in the souvenir area. Ex: an umbrella may be pricey because it's a UW edition. Some textbooks here are pricier than online (most?), but not too much, and to be honest you may wish to sacrifice a few dollars in place of the hassle of shipping. Explore the non-textbook areas! read more