The Old Book Barn

126 S State Route 51
Forsyth, IL
(217) 875-0222

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At the Old Book Barn, you will find:

• Largest selection of used books in the Midwest
• Discount prices on thousands of books
• Special orders available at a discount for most titles
• International and domestic mail order upon request
• Gift certificates in any amount
• Haunted Decatur Series available

Driving north on Route 51 as you pass through Forsyth, you might have noticed a large green barn with a big sign firmly announcing the [mostly] obvious: The Old Book Barn. The building itself has been around for more than 50 years, but The Old Book Barn has called it home since the mid-80s. Perhaps you’ve never paid much attention to the old mule barn, as the older faction of the community remembers it, or maybe you’ve never thought about the cache found inside the walls supporting the sign.

The Old Book Barn is more than a barn and it’s more than a book store. It is a treasure trove of new, used, and out-of-print books as well as some nostalgic antiques for sale. It’s a place where you can bring in your gently used books and earn credit toward the purchase of other gently used books. It’s a place where serendipity rules as you find books you never knew you wanted. It’s a place where you can hold a book, feel it, smell it, and take it home to love. And, heck, once you read it, you might even bring it back to see if someone else can use it! If your books can be re-sold, you get credit toward the purchase of other used books, so you’re buying already discounted books at an additional 50% discount. (If you’re interested in more information about The Old Book Barn’s trade policy, give them a call and inquire: 217-875-0222.)

Since October 1998, Cheryl Haubner has owned The Old Book Barn and has learned firsthand the challenges of running an independently owned bookstore in the time of amazon.com and other powerhouse online book shopping sites. But she knows what every book lover knows: There is nothing like walking into a bookstore and handling the books, running your fingers down the neat rows housing thousands and thousands of books, prying one open to discover its secrets. If you just felt goose bumps rise on your skin and your pulse quickened, you’re a book lover too. It’s high time you get to the Old Book Barn and plunder its 14,000 square feet of books and trinkets.

Cheryl and her husband Larry along with a delightful staff of employees work tirelessly to keep up with their inventory brought in mostly by customers looking to trade some books. The staff sorts, prices, and shelves hundreds of books per week, directly resulting in a clean, well-organized book shopping experience like no other. Old Book Barnies (the loving moniker given to the well-read, knowledgeable employees there) pride themselves on customer service. Despite the inventory not being computerized (Gasp!), the staff can almost always let customers know if a book is on its shelves—or at least show you where to look. And having been an employee of the Old Book Barn in my youth, I can speak to the excitement of bringing order to the chaotic, ever-changing inventory and helping customers find the books they seek.

Science fiction, mystery, romance, war, true crime, you name it, and there’s a section for it at the OBB. You want books about sports? Look at the newly insulated ceiling and find the bicycle and kayak hanging from it; sports books take a timeout under the gear. What makes the Book Barn especially cool, though, is that many sections have been turned into rooms where aesthetic considerations delight. For instance, Nairobi Station is an area where nature books await discovery, and the décor reflects the theme with hand-painted wooden shipping crates serving as shelves in some parts. Pull up a chair in the Mystery Room and practice your armchair detective skills as you exercise your “little gray cells” (as Hercule Poirot would say), browsing hundreds of paperbacks and hardbacks in the genre. One of the most popular sections, the Classic Romance Room, houses some of the more popular and acclaimed romance writers, a space contributing to the OBB’s special recognition in 2003: Romantic Times Book Seller of the Year.

The section that cheerfully greets you as you walk past the counter is a brightly lit and even more brightly colored children’s section. Thousands of well-cared for children’s books at great prices wait for young, eager eyes reading their way into a lifetime of book loving. South of the children’s section is a wide range of cookbooks. Regional cookbooks filled with practical, down-home meal ideas that regular people enjoy every day are my favorite to pore over. Just past every cook’s dream, buggying you to the past is a recently renovated Vintage Room where late 19th to early 20th century books continue to age gracefully. From a time when book publishing was nothing short of art with the finest materials used for covers and pages, the vintage books are a glimpse into the culture and minds of the past.

So the next time you’re looking for books, drive a mile north of Hickory Point Mall and discover one of Decatur’s best attractions and a fast-fading anomaly in the book business: an independently owned book store with the largest used book inventory in the Midwest. Spend your time (and your money!) in a place that gives the Greater Decatur Area something to brag about. Hope to see you there!