Hobart Book Village
What exactly is a book village? And where are they located?
To find out, didyouweekend did some exploring, and we found ourselves in Hobart, NY, a small–really small–village near Cobleskill, NY.
A ‘book village’, come to find out, is a village of bookstores. This is largely a European concept, where the government actually pays bookstores to come together and form entire villages. The Europeans mastered the concept that reading is good for us.
While we have no where near the government support here, the United States is now home to (last count) four book villages. Only one sits east of the Mississippi, and it is here, in upstate New York.
The village sells mostly older, second hand books, but with variety. One store sells mostly foreign books, and the owner speaks Italian. The village has events for children, and they can actually hear Pinnochio read in Italian and other languages. Also of note is an antiquarian store, with a great collection of ancient books.
Nearby:
Morse Maple Syrup
Jefferson Trout Farm
George Landis Arboretum