The largest bookstore in the Hobart Book Village with 5,000 square feet of space, an inventory of over 50,000 books, and 50 years of history.
Liberty Rock Books was originally established in 1976 in Rockland County NY, moving to 678 Main Street in Hobart NY in 2013. This was my first stop on my trip, although I didn’t shop here until day three. I stopped in mainly to pick the brain of owner John Mahoney, who in many ways is the voice of The Hobart Book Village. Very knowledgeable about not only the village but books in general thanks to his fifty years as a bookseller.
Liberty Rock Books is a sprawling 5,000 square foot bookstore with an inventory of between 50,000 and 85,000 items (depending on which source you reference). The Hobart Book Village, it is bursting with shelves upon shelves of used, rare, and new releases. There are specialty sections that include 19th/20th-century children’s books, art books, Native American history, an extensive James Joyce collection, travel books and more.
They have an assortment of vinyl records, CDs, and New York State themed postcards. The space includes an area for local events and an on-site art gallery. I also discovered a fun/odd find. ‘The History of West New York, NJ’ by Patrick R. Cullen, Jr. Yet another sign that my hometown areas of Bergen and Hudson Counties in NJ reach far away. In addition to all of that, there are many more boxes of books and whatnot in storage.
When I asked if I could snap a few photos, John joked, “Not of me. I’m in witness protection, but the cat doesn’t mind.” Sure enough, the cat was a natural. This wouldn’t be the only store with a feline resident that I’d meet. There’d be another in nearby Delhi (more in another post).
As with other shops in Hobart, Liberty Rock Books is also home to additional retailers. Nestled in a smaller space to the left of the entrance is a nook known as The Hobart Booksellers Emporium. It is a unique multi-vendor space which includes: JQR Books (children’s books, mysteries, science fiction, poetry, sports, and more) and Little Dog Books (paperbacks, cooking, business, science, and more including items to benefit animal rescue). Amid all of this is a consignment of collectibles, jewelry, vintage magazines, decorative items, and more acquired from Pankin’ Poon Collectables (formerly of Jefferson NY).
I thoroughly enjoyed my day here and wound up snagging the largest haul of the trip. Three books. My TBR is bursting now and yes, it’s got me a little stressed out.
‘The Star Rover’ by Jack London was published in 1915. It is science fiction and tells the tale of a prisoner who learns to cope with a form of torture by inducing a trance state. In that state, he roams the stars and visits past lives. I’m looking forward to reading it, despite the oddly shaped and somewhat disturbing portrait on the cover. I mean, why does the face look so weird to me? Seems an odd choice.
The other two books are from John Updike’s ‘Rabbit’ Series. I’ve become inexplicably obsessed with reading this series. It all started at a bookstore in West Cape May when I found ‘Rabbit Redux’. I was intrigued by the blurbs on the sleeve. Soon after, I realized it was book number two in a four-part series chronicling the life of Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, a former high school basketball star. Published between 1960 and 1990, the series takes the reader from Rabbit’s failed marriage in his twenties through his late middle age. I’ve heard good things about the series. I’ve since found all four books. Now to find the time to read them.
Whatever your intentions are for a visit to Hobart, be sure to do three things. One; Double check the hours of operation of each store as they change seasonally. Two; Stop by Liberty Rock Books and pick their brains for valuable information. And three; shop
Hours of Operation
Memorial Day to Columbus Day: 10am – 5pm Daily
– Occasionally closed Tuesdays so call ahead
Columbus Day to Memorial Day 10am – 5pm Weekends Only
– Holiday Mondays: 10am – 3pm
Cheers!
Stephen
