Bart's Books
Founded:1964 by Richard Bartinsdale
Bart’s Books is “The World’s Greatest Outdoor Bookstore.” It lives at the corner of Matilija and Canada streets in Ojai, California, a small village-like town that sits in the valley of California’s famous orange groves. It is a dry heat all year round, perfect for the outdoor life of Bart’s Books.
This bookstore is a converted home from the 1970’s. The pop of color and shades of green from wooden archways to the growing ivy along the shelves gives the property its signature look. The flat, sleek architecture from the seventies is still in style, preserved with the modern reconstruction of the landscape and shelves. While many of the original elements remain, including an indoor section- the book house- that contains their new books, Bart’s Books has expanded dramatically since Richard Bartinsdale first started selling his books on the street. Fiction alone takes up the entire left side of the outdoors section, next to an old brick oven that was once used as a bread maker. And as you will find, this is what makes Bart’s Books so unique: history is a living part of the store.
You can even learn about the interesting story behind Bart’s Books offered in a walking tour of the bookstore. Matt, the general manager, gives an in-depth portrait of the building’s history and all the characters who brought the bookstore to life. When I visited Bart’s Books this past summer, my friend Ginger and I trailed Matt around the shelves in the high heat of August, starting in the poetry and rare books room and wandering through the sprawling fiction section to history, science fiction, biography, religion, psychology and more, learning about the unique stories of how this outdoor book-wonderland came to be.
The area is spacious and inviting, each corner leading to a new room with ever-growing shelves. This is one of the greatest aspects of the store: the sections are large enough to contain a prolific amount of titles. They take pride in their curation and every genre reflects this. There is an order and flow to the arrangements and sections, and you’ll even find their assortment of cookbooks inside the quaint, indoor kitchen.
THE STORY
Bart’s Books was founded on an honor system. In 1964, Richard Bartinsdale left stacks of books outside his home with small coffee cans to collect payment. Strangers would throw the change over the gate and the employees would have to sweep the grounds for dimes the next day. The store still relies on an honor system as the outside walls are lined with rows of 50 cent books.
What started as a row of books outside eventually grew into the wonderland it is today. Matt described the process of converting a 1970’s house into a full blown bricks and mortar bookstore and how the counterculture of the time found its home inside the four + walls of the store. The store went through many stages of remodeling and additions but remained a center of the 60’s counterculture. At one point it was even a bread-baking commune (hint the red brick bread ovens). It still functions as a safe space, a type of refuge from the volatile world we live in.
Matt also shared his own history with Bart’s Books. As a kid, he went to middle school down the street and used to skip class and steal books from the shelves. Years later, he ended up working directly across the street and finally applied for a job at the bookstore, which he views as part of “repaying his debts.” Now the store is his livelihood and he cares for all the books from then to now.
NOTABLE SECTIONS
Each section inside of Bart’s Books is carefully curated and contains a prolific amount of work. They have local author sections, California history sections, and graphic novel sections to check out near the front. Their poetry room, tucked in a corner on the left side, is also full of rare books and first editions. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask one of the team members and they are happy to guide you. There are endless unique finds inside Bart’s Books, so make sure to take your time, enjoy the sun, and take a book or two home with you (just don’t forget to leave the change!)
Used Books: ✓
Rare Books: ✓
Cafe: ✕
Wifi: ✓
Pets: ✓
Website: http://www.bartsbooksojai.com/
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