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The Booksmith Your Neighborhood Bookstore in Cyberspace
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DIRECTIONS & PARKING | METHODS OF PAYMENT |
SHIPPING TERMS
| RETURNS | PRIVACY POLICY | BONUS CLUB | MAILING LIST | FAQ

THE BOOKSMITH
1644 Haight Street
San Francisco, California 94117

TELEPHONE: 415-863-8688
800-493-7323 (toll free in USA)
FAX: 415-863-2540

HOURS: Mon-Sat 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-8pm
Signed Books Dept: Tues - Thurs 10am - 5pm
Fridays 10am - 3pm

a photo of our storefront

books The Booksmith has been in business since 1976. The Booksmith is a member of both the American Bookseller's Association and the Booksense Network, as well as the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. In 1998, we were named "Best store for new books" in San Francisco by the SF Weekly. In 1999, Time magazine selected us "the independent bookstore to shop at online."

The Booksmith is located at 1644 Haight Street in San Francisco's historic Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Our cross-streets are Clayton and Cole. We are located 1 1/2 blocks from the corner of Haight & Ashbury and 2 1/2 blocks from the Stanyan Street entrance to Golden Gate Park. We are also just a few blocks south from the University of San Francisco. Neighborhood businesses include Cha Cha Cha's, Balazo Mexican Restaurant, Recycled Records, Amoeba Records and the (in)famous Persian Aub Zam Zam. Street parking is atrocious, so carry plenty of quarters and be prepared to walk! Metered parking can be found on Haight Street itself, while unmetered parking can be found along sidestreets and along the Panhandle.There is a public lot located within walking distance on nearby Stanyan Street.

 

DIRECTIONS

  • DIRECTIONS FROM THE EAST BAY: Once across the Bay Bridge, take the MISSION ST exit onto US-101 NORTH. US-101 NORTH becomes OCTAVIA ST. Turn Left on FELL Street. Proceed up Fell Street to MASONIC and turn Left. Proceed along MASONIC three block to HAIGHT Street and turn Right. Proceed down HAIGHT street two and a half blocks and The Booksmith is located on the right hand side of the street.
  • DIRECTIONS FROM THE SOUTH BAY:Take US-101 NORTH into San Francisco. US-101 NORTH becomes OCTAVIA ST. Turn Left on FELL Street. Proceed up Fell Street to MASONIC and turn Left. Proceed along MASONIC three block to HAIGHT Street and turn Right. Proceed down HAIGHT street two and a half blocks and The Booksmith is located on the right hand side of the street.
  • DIRECTIONS FROM THE NORTH BAY: Once across the Golden Gate Bridge, take PARK PRESIDIO BLVD. to CABRILLO and turn Right. Proceed one block and turn Left on 14th AVENUE and Left again on FULTON. Follow FULTON all the way to STANYAN and turn Right. Turn Left on HAIGHT Street and proceed approximately three blocks. The Booksmith is on the left hand side of the street.
  • DIRECTIONS VIA MUNI: From Market Street, take the #7 or #71 bus lines up HAIGHT Street and get off at CLAYTON. The Booksmith is one-half block further on your right. Crosstown lines, including the #33 and #43, also stop at CLAYTON & HAIGHT, as do neighborhood lines #37 and #66. STREETCARS: The N-Judah streetcar stops at the corner of CARL & COLE. Proceed downhill on COLE approximately four blocks until you reach HAIGHT Street. Turn Right and The Booksmith is about 1 1/2 blocks further on your Left on the North side of the street. BART & CALTRAINS: From the Caltrain SAN FRANCISCO Station transfer to the N-JUDAH Muni car. The N-Judah streetcar stops at the corner of CARL & COLE. Proceed downhill on COLE approximately four blocks until you reach HAIGHT Street. Turn Right and The Booksmith is about 1 1/2 blocks further on your Left on the North side of the street. From BART's MONTGOMERY STREET STATION transfer to the N-JUDAH Muni car. The N-Judah streetcar stops at the corner of CARL & COLE. Proceed downhill on COLE approximately four blocks until you reach HAIGHT Street.
Click on map to zoom in or out, for driving instructions - link will open in new window.
The Booksmith on Haight Street

The Haight Ashbury is a popular shopping district and tourist attraction. Consequently, street parking in the neighborhood can sometimes be difficult. Metered parking can be found on Haight Street itself, while unmetered parking can be found along sidestreets and along the Panhandle.There is a public lot located within walking distance on nearby Stanyan Street.


[ Yahoo! Maps ]
Map of 1644 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117-2816

 

You can also use Google Maps for directions and a map.

 

  METHODS OF PAYMENT
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Diners Club. We also accept Paypal (read at booksmith.com). 

SHIPPING - DOMESTIC
Shipping within the United States is via US Post Media Mail and costs $7.00 for the first book and $1.00 for each additional book. Oversized volumes and sets will cost more. Books to Alaska and Hawaii are sent via Priority Mail at extra charge as Media Mail can take over a month to arrive. Buy more than one book and save! Insurance is available for an extra fee. Contact us at read at booksmith.com if you have questions.

SHIPPING - INTERNATIONAL (including Canada)
International shipping starts at $16.00 for Global Priority. Oversized books and non-GP reciprocal countries cost more, please contact us for shipping quotes.

International deliveries may be subject to import duties and taxes, levied once the products reach their destination. Any such charges must be borne by you and are beyond the control of The Booksmith. All packages may also be subject to opening and inspection by local customs officials and therefore The Booksmith cannot guarantee the condition in which the package may arrive. The Booksmith is not responsible for loss or late delivery. We strongly suggest you purchase insured shipping. The Booksmith will not falsify customs forms.

 RETURNS
Merchandise may be returned for a full refund if returned in original condition within 10 days of purchase. Shipping costs are non-refundable unless the return is a result of our error. We do not reimburse for Post Office error or damages. Please wrap the package securely and for your protection, please use Insured US Mail for shipment. If you've paid by credit card, we will refund back to your card or if you paid by Paypal we will refund to your Paypal account.

 PRIVACY POLICY
We do not sell information about our customers. This includes your email address and other personal data. We are online to sell books, not to collect consumer data to sell to others. For the sake of your personal privacy, please be cautious of those companies that do not claim otherwise. We take every possible precaution to protect the integrity of both your personal privacy and credit card information. We have been doing business online since 1995 - and are concerned for the safety, confidentiality and satisfaction of our customers.

SPECIAL NOTICE : "Currently, under the Patriot Act, the FBI has vastly expanded authority to search business records, including the records of bookstores and libraries. The FBI may request the records secretly, and it is not required to prove that there is "probable cause" to believe that the person whose records are being sought has committed a crime. In addition, the bookseller or librarian who receives an order is prohibited from revealing it to anyone except those whose help is needed to produce the records". To read more about the Patriot Act visit http://news.bookweb.org/freeexpression/.

  BOOKSMITH BONUS CLUB
Bonus Club If you are one of our local 'real-time' customers, we invite you to join The Booksmith Bonus Club, where your purchases add up to a credit on future purchases. This offer applies to our in-store customers only. Here's how it works:

After you join for a one-time-only fee of $5.00, we will begin to track the amount of money you spend at our store. Every 15 items (which includes books, books-on-tape, calendars and book-related gift items), we will calculate the total dollar amount spent and issue a coupon for 10% of your total purchases. For example, let's say you buy $150.00 worth of books. As a bonus club member, you would then receive a coupon worth $15.00 towards any future purchases. The more you spend, the more you save.

There are no expiration dates. And there's no membership card to carry. All you need at the time of each purchase is your account number, which can be something as easily remembered as your phone number or any other seven-digit number. It's that simple! Ask at the register for an application.

MAILING LIST
Thanks for your interest in joining The Booksmith Mailing List. One you've subscribed, you'll receive our monthly events calendar. Please email us at read@booksmith.com to subscribe. To unsubscribe please email us at the same address.

BOOK COLLECTORS MAILING LIST:
If you would like to receive notices about signed books and limited editions available through The Booksmith, send us a note at read at booksmith.com
.

BOOK SEARCH
We can search books-in-print and check the availability of any title currently in-print. Please note: we carry new books only, we do not carry used books or out-of-print titles. Try ABE Books to perform an out-of-print book search.

 A FEW FACTS ABOUT US

Why should I shop at The Booksmith? What makes your bookstore different from other stores?
At The Booksmith, we can help you find the books you're looking for - even if you only half-remember the title or aren't sure of the author. More than just booksellers, our staff is made up of musicians, artists, writers, poets, film buffs, and computer geeks. So, if you're looking for friendly service from a real bookstore with a great staff - why not give The Booksmith a try? The Booksmith has been in business more than 22 years, and many of our employees have multiple decades of bookstore experience. You won't find that kind of professionalism in a chain store!

Meet the individuals who work at The Booksmith by visiting our lively Staff Page.

Your store offers signed books and collectibles. Do you deal in rare books?
No, not as such. Though we're a general bookstore and carry only new books, we occasionally recieve unusual titles that stand out as collectibles. Some of these are newly issued limited editions, others are markdowns of soon-to-be sought after titles, others are close-outs on finely printed books of unusual merit. Whatever the case, the bibliophiles among us are eager to share some of these precious finds with our customers.

Since The Booksmith is a destination store for touring authors, we also maintain a generous supply of signed first editions of recently published books. You can see a partial list of currently available titles by visiting our page of Signed Books.

The Booksmith is an independent bookstore - what does that mean?
Independent bookstores are just that - independently owned and operated businesses. Some call these sorts of stores "mom and pop" businesses. Some are bigger and some are smaller; whatever their size, independent bookstores are a vital and responsive part of their community. As has been said, "independent bookstores are the last bastion of independent thinking." We agree!

The Booksmith is a longtime member of the American Booksellers Association as well as the BookSense network. Unlike chain bookstores - which are often owned by multi-national corporations - The Booksmith is locally owned and operated. Decisions about what to stock are made not in a corporate office thousands of miles away, but here on the premises. As a result, the feeling you get in an independent store like The Booksmith is very different from the atmosphere found in so-called "super stores." Our staff are dedicated professionals, and we love books! The Booksmith is also proud to be a longtime member of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA).

books How can I find out more about The Booksmith?
To find out more about our store, you can check out our amazing Store History to learn a little bit more about The Booksmith. Did you know, for example, that our store was named "Best store for new books" in San Francisco by the SF Weekly ? Did you know that six Pulitzer Prize winners have appeared at The Booksmith? And did you know that we produce a exclusive series of author trading cards to promote our regular Author Events? You can see pictures from a few of our events on our Booksmith Memory page.


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