Third Street Books

Overview

Address

320 NE 3rd St, McMinnville, OR 97128, USA

Phone

503-472-7786

Hours

Open until 6:00pm
  • Monday 10:00am – 6:00pm
  • Tuesday 10:00am – 6:00pm
  • Wednesday 10:00am – 6:00pm
  • Thursday 10:00am – 6:00pm
  • Friday 10:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm

Third Street Books has been on Third Street for more than two decades, with Sylla McClellan owning it since 2004. She’s watched businesses come and go along the block, survived the 2008 recession and the pandemic, and has a clear-eyed view of what that does to an operation: you become stronger and smarter, even if you didn’t want to be.

It’s a general interest bookstore carrying both new and used, with a genuinely wide selection across fiction, history, fantasy, kids’ books, and local subjects. If they don’t have something, staff will check with distributors and most special orders arrive within a few business days. They partner with Libro.fm for downloadable audiobooks, so you can buy audio without going to Amazon.

They buy paperbacks from customers, run a purchase credit program, carry local authors on consignment, and post employee recommendations throughout. There are cards and gift items too.

The community work runs deep. They support the SMART literacy program and local schools, UNIDOS Bridging Community, Homeward Bound Pets, and the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District, and they host readings and events alongside Linfield and the McMinnville Library.

What customers describe most is the freedom of the place. One reviewer listed everything she loved about it and ended on the detail that mattered most: a bookstore that lets you sit on the floor and read until you’ve made up your mind.

Common questions

New or used?
Both, alongside cards, gifts, and downloadable audiobooks through Libro.fm.

Can they order something for me?
Yes. Special orders usually arrive within a few business days.

Do they buy books?
Yes, they buy paperbacks from customers and run a purchase credit program.

Do they carry local authors?
Yes, on consignment, along with books on local subjects and history.

Are there events?
Regularly — readings, storytimes, and literary events in partnership with Linfield and the McMinnville Library.

Who owns it?
Sylla McClellan, since 2004. Woman-owned and independent.

Can I browse for a while?
Yes, and people do. Customers specifically mention being able to sit on the floor and read until they decide.

Where is it?

Third Street in downtown McMinnville, near Hopscotch, Currents Gallery, and the tasting rooms.