The idea of the Given Tufts Bookshop emerged when the Friends of Given Memorial Library began to run twice yearly book sales with donated books from the community to raise money for the Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives.

At the end of 2003, the Friends were losing their storage space at Village Hall. Once again, they started thinking about a used book shop. Mary Scott Arnold and Jean Funderburg (2003 and 2004 Presidents of the Friends) signed a rental agreement with Marty McKenzie at Olmsted Village to lease space at a very reasonable price. Volunteers painted, built shelves and the counter, carpet was donated and installed, and in June of 2004, the Given Bookshop opened.

Between June of 2004 and August of 2013, over ninety volunteers worked at the shop. The shop gave over $600,000 to the Library, even while renting additional space at regular price at Olmsted Village to hold the over-flow of donated books they were receiving. 

In 2014 the Bookshop closed while the staff and the Library's Board of Directors looked for rental space closer to Pinehurst’s historic Village Center. In addition, the Bookshop was turned over to the Library’s Board of Directors who are now responsible for the bookshop. The Board of Directors signed a rental contract with the new owner of “Pinehurst's old Post Office” (now called the Outpost). In turn, the Board of Directors offered a rental contract to Elliott’s on Linden for a coffee shop (later called The Roast Office). The Given Bookshop opened in its new location in April of 2015, and has enjoyed over a decade of success as the community’s gathering place. In 2025, a new coffee shop subtenant, Brim Cafe, transitioned into the Postmaster space.

The Library and Archives were turned over to the Village of Pinehurst in 2022, but the bookshop continues to have a workforce of approximately seventy volunteers and continues to bring in funds on behalf of the Given Tufts Foundation, the profits of which are donated to the Library and Archives.

Many of the volunteers have been involved since the beginning - the shop could not have been so successful without them. The Given Tufts Bookshop is truly a community endeavor with the community benefiting in many ways. 

Check out the latest on our Instagram @GivenTuftsBookshop