The Ultimate Guide to Parksville Qualicum Beach’s Bookstores

Stories are what help carve the curves of our shore by shaping our community and challenging our minds. Our hub of passionate book lovers has helped define our bookshop scene with these unique tales. Behind these stores are locals with passion, avid readers themselves, who curate huge collections of books for every niche.

So whether it’s your creativity that lights your passion for reading or the hankering for knowledge, these bookstores are ready to fill your shelves with fantastical fiction, unforgettable nonfiction, and playful children’s tales.

Browse the shelves of Sea & Summit Bookshop, attend a midnight release at Bellflower Bookshop, or join in on a Friday Tea Time at Mulberry Bush Bookstore. Or, if you have a special love for the smell of old books, shop secondhand titles at SOS Thriftshop, Fireside Books, and Cozy Corner Books.

Find even more books and book-related events by supporting your local library with a visit to our two Vancouver Island Regional Library branches in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area.

Bellflower Bookshop

Address: 133 West Second Ave, Qualicum Beach
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10 AM - 5 PM | Sunday, 10 AM - 3 PM

As you explore the shops of West 2nd Avenue, take a turn under the Arbutus Mall sign and duck into the first door on the right. You’ll step inside a cozy space for book lovers with an inventory of local writers and bestsellers. Bellflower Bookshop hosts a collection of new releases alongside secondhand books from local readers.

In that way, these hand-me-down books carry a little bit of local love as storied stories from neighbours throughout Parksville Qualicum Beach. Bring your own pre-loved novels to the bookshop’s collection, and donate your tired reads. Donations are eligible for credit (perfect for your next Bellflower Bookshop visit). Bellflower doesn’t just accept books; they also offer trades for puzzles.

Just check their requirements for puzzle trades on their website before bringing one in. Don’t forget to check out the bookshop’s one-of-a-kind events, including their occasional midnight pyjama parties for book releases.

SOS Thrift Shop

Address: 188 West Hirst Avenue, Parksville
Hours: Monday - Saturday | 9 AM - 4 PM

Like any other thrift store, SOS Thrift Shop’s inventory includes well-loved products, like furniture, clothing, home decor, and…books! This location is ideal for bibliophiles on a budget, thanks to the shop’s huge variety of affordable titles. Their shelves are troves you’ll really have to pore over to find hidden gems and local treasures.

The time you take to shop your TBR list secondhand at SOS supports our community. The shop is run by the Society of Organized Services charity, which runs 20 local programs, including youth education programs, emergency advocacy, counselling, homelessness prevention, and many more support systems that keep our community healthy, strong, and connected.

Their flash sales and holiday discounts make it almost impossible to pass up the opportunity to fill your bookshelves with a stack of books for half the price. Find out about these sales and ongoing discounts through the SOS Thrift Shop Instagram page.

Cozy Corner Books

Address: 31-2300 Alberni Highway, Coombs
Hours: Sunday - Saturday | 9:30 AM - 5 PM

For exclusively secondhand books, visit Cozy Corner Books, where the smell of old books is a permanent fixture and double-lined shelves provide a wealth of novels and novellas to pore over. Inside the Coombs location, their shelves are overflowing, with books stacked two rows deep and piling up at the bottoms of the bookcases.

Cozy Corner’s library was established through many years of donations, a personal collection, and hand-me-down titles. Its packed interior is the perfect opportunity to slow down, to crane your neck, to discover pre-loved stories and continue the cycle with your own book drop-offs.

The store is located within the collection of stores at Coombs Emporium, right off the statue square. So, after picking up a new, old book, take a seat out in the square and enjoy turning pages surrounded by the artistic pieces.

Vancouver Island Regional Library - Parksville

Address: 100 Jensen Ave E, Parksville
Hours: Friday - Tuesday, 10 AM - 6 PM | Wednesday - Thursday, 10 AM - 7 PM

Can’t quite find the book you’re looking for? Try exploring the public libraries available in the area. The Vancouver Island Regional Library’s branch in Parksville offers a quiet escape where you can pick out a book and have a relaxing place to read it, too.

Just a few blocks away from SOS Thrift Shop, the family-friendly space gives you the chance to find the latest title and to connect with your community through togetherness and experiences.

The Parksville branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library hosts family reading circles, knitting clubs, chess clubs, poetry readings, and more. Keep up to date with their upcoming events on the Vancouver Island Regional Library’s event page.

Little Free Library

Little Free Library is an international program where local businesses, organizations, and even residents build Little Free Libraries in front of homes, outside of public buildings, at parks, anywhere and everywhere a good book would be loved.

These free book hubs operate with the mission: take a book, leave a book. So, as you visit, feel free to pick up a novel that may have been loved by your neighbour, and don’t forget to drop off your own.

Use the Little Free Library’s website map to find locations near you. This can be a fun scavenger hunt with your young readers as you traverse the neighbourhood, on the hunt for books!

Which of these locations are wheelchair accessible?

Both public libraries are wheelchair accessible, with accessible parking and ramps available. Sea & Summit and Bellflower both provide wide aisles and a flat surface, with Sea & Summit’s front door located directly in front of a sidewalk ramp. Fireside Books and SOS Thrift also feature wider aisles and accessible parking.

For those who may require additional accommodations, audiobooks are available at Mulberry Bush Bookstore and both PQB branches of the Vancouver Island Regional Library.

Do I have to have a library card to enjoy the community events at the public libraries?

No, you do not need to have a registered library card to participate in the library’s events. However, some events do require you to sign up for the event due to limited seating.

How can I get a library card for the Parksville or Qualicum Beach library?

The Vancouver Island Regional Library has made it easier than ever to apply for a library card. Visit the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) website and register for a VIRL library card.

You can also visit the branch in your area and register for a card in person. Too remote for a local branch? Apply for the VIRL Books by Mail program.

Find the perfect cafe to crack open your latest title and sip on a locally brewed cup of coffee. Find the best coffee roasters in our area with our Top Coffee Roasters in Parksville Qualicum Beach blog.