Open Books is an independent, all volunteer, non-profit bookstore located near downtown Pensacola. Since 2007, the store has provided quality reading material, with all profits benefiting the Prison Book Project. “We carry a wide variety of subjects including fiction, philosophy, history, politics, poetry and art. We also have a young adult and children’s section, as well as a section devoted to local authors and local/regional topics,” says Open Books General Manager, Johnny Ardis. “We also sell local art, honey and fair-trade coffee. Over 20 volunteers support this mission as store personnel and prison book project volunteers.”

According to Ardis, Open Book volunteers have been serving the prison community since 2000—first as affiliates with the Subterranean Prison Book Project until it closed, and then as Open Books since 2007. “Throughout Florida, prison libraries struggle to meet the reading needs of their prisoners. To make matters worse, prisoners are prohibited from receiving reading materials from family and friends,” he explains. “The cost of purchasing and shipping new books is cost prohibitive for many inmates. Our project helps meet these needs by sending them materials at no charge.”

The Open Book project plays a small part in a huge task—providing prisoners with educational and recreation reading materials. “We try to provide prisoners with resources they need to improve their reading and language skills, obtain further education, or learn a new skill,” says Ardis, who notes that Open Books is one of the few used book stores left in the local area.   

Each month Open Books processes around 400 inmate book requests at a cost of around $1,000 for mailing. “Including the bookstore operating costs—rent, utilities, maintenance, etc.—we operate on a modest budget,” shares Ardis. “Prisoners simply have to send us a letter with their requests, and we send them books. While the bookstore has a wide selection of new and used books, the selection that has been donated to the Prison Book Project is limited. We do our best to find something that fits the interests of the prisoner.”

Ardis affirms that he and the other Open Book volunteers love serving the community and providing a service that is much-needed to the people incarcerated in the Florida prison system. “The letters we receive from the prisoners themselves thanking us for what we do keeps us all motivated and passionate about serving this marginalized community,” he says. “And for the rest of the community, we really enjoy having a such a nice selection of used books, in addition to hosting our twice-yearly one-dollar book sales.”

Open Books is located at 1040 N. Guillemard St., in Pensacola, FL. Hours: noon to 5p.m. daily. For more information, call 850-453-6774 or visit OpenBooksPCola.org.