We're both! Volumes Bookcafe is an independent bookstore with a heavily curated inventory (every book on the shelves was handpicked by our staff) as well as a cafe serving Metropolis coffee and pastries from Aya Bakery in West town. Wine and beer will be back soon!
That's true. We love the vibrant, diverse community we are a part of here in Chicago's Wicker Park, and the beauty of being an independent bookstore is our ability to serve as a neighborhood meeting hub. Volumes hosts monthly book clubs, open mics and comedy nights, weekly trivia, and StoryTime twice a week, along with a number of author and literary events. For a full listing of our schedule, check out our calendar here and follow us on Facebook!
Let's chat. If you're interested in hosting an event in Volumes' space, please contact info@volumesbooks.com to speak with our staff.
YAAAS! You can totally order pretty much any book ever from Volumes. Let us count the ways...
1. Call our store at 773-697-8066 and order over the phone.
2. Come into the store and order in person from one of our lovely booksellers.
3. Order online through this website right here that you are currently on. There is a search bar located on the top of our homepage. Just type in a title, author or ISBN number to get started.
You can pick up your book at our store at any time.
Want it shipped? We can do that, too!
OR, you can head over to Bookshop, get it direct to home as well!
We love having local authors represented in our store, but unfortunately, we don't have room for everyone. We receive dozens of requests a week, and as such we don't always have the time to review each one.
However, you have some options. We suggest you:
1. take a moment to fill out our Author Information Form. We do not guarantee a response. If we think your book will make a good fit, we will reach out within (we hope) a few weeks.
2. Check out Dart Frog Books. We take preference for books accepted and distributed by Dart Frog. Not only do they distribute self-published books, but they also help to make sure your book is bookstore quality.
We do not order Createspace or any Amazon affiliated printers. Honestly, we don't even take Createspace printed books. The ONLY rare exception is for regular customers/neighbors/books specifically about our nieghborhood. Even then, we will probably lecture you on life choices and point you towards Ingram Spark for your future printing.
We are not hiring at this time, but you are welcome to send us your resume at any time. We keep them on hand in the event something pops up!
Email us at info@volumesbooks.com, give us a call at 773-697-8066 (Wicker Park) or 312-846-6750 (900 North Michigan)
