Book Haven

This bookstore in downtown New Haven makes its business by serving the Yale community. It is one of the favorite spots among professors from the University to copy and distribute course materials, as well as to order required books. The bookstore provides this service very well, and the course packets are always ready on time. However, it does not go far beyond that and most of the books that can be found in there are books that have been, or are likely to be, used for different classes at the University. The decor is equally utilitarian and offers little to soothe the senses. more

This isn't think kind of bookstore you want to go browse around in. It seems like when they don't have course books for sale, they don't really have much. As a student I always got upset when professors had their course books there, but it was only because then I couldn't charge it to my Yale account. The course books were never organized very well, but there always seemed to be someone to help me find what I was looking for...too bad they weren't there to help me read it when it came time for it! more

Book Haven has a special place in my heart - when I was in college, all the interesting coursebooks (theater, literature, sociology) had to be bought there. You'd always leave with a couple of extra penguin classics... That said, going back as an adult leaves something to be desired. Their selection isn't great and their staff members, so helpful in directing you towards coursebooks, aren't particularly helpful otherwise. Don't count on finding anything in particular when you go, but if you want to poke around and find some odd or unfamiliar books, they're a bit like poking around in a used bookstore - with better organization and full prices. They still run their monthly book contest, though, which is great fun - a collection of books goes up in the window, and your job is to guess the theme. more