JudyBug's Books

By Natalie Downey

Downtown Columbus has changed a lot over the last decade. Tower cranes rise over the river, new businesses sprout down Broadway, and more students and visitors and residents can be found enjoying the city than ever before. Amidst all the change, however, there are a few places that remain steadfast, comforting, and familiar. There are some places where, no matter who you are, you are welcome. Nothing exemplifies this more than JudyBug’s Books - a place where, no matter how fast the city moves all around, respite can always, always be found.

For the past twenty years, JudyBug’s has invited passersby in to discover far off worlds, explore new ideas, and revisit the nostalgia of old, familiar stories. Though years have passed, the shop has remained true to its original concept: a bookstore selling new, used, rare, and collectible materials. JudyBug’s aesthetic is nostalgic of past times. “It’s a throwback to the 80’s and 90’s,” owner Alek Ansley explains.

Owner Alek Ansley

Named after Alek’s mother, Judy Nail, who had an immense impact on the arts and education sectors in the local community, JudyBug’s feels familiar and welcoming. Sturdy, real wood bookshelves line the walls and floor, each arranged with an array of books carefully curated by JudyBug’s staff. Music from the 80s softly plays and one finds it easy to forget what decade the world is living in out on the street. “Everything around us is changing so fast,” Alek says.

Customers of JudyBug’s can find comfort in the familiar, old-school style the store has maintained while evolving to better serve: changing while staying the same. “We’ve grown within the walls,” Alek explains.

The word “vellichor” has a peculiarly specific meaning – “the pensive nostalgia and temporality of used bookstores.” It perfectly sums up the way JudyBug's feels: nostalgic, familiar, comfortable, inviting, and endlessly interesting. The smells of books and incense mingle, inviting you in to explore the shelves and stay awhile.

Lingering is welcomed at JudyBug’s, and a community of book lovers and deep thinkers has slowly and organically taken shape. Some frequent customers sit around talking on the afternoon of my visit to the shop. Mr. Lindsey, a regular, tells me, “The atmosphere is the ambiance of an old SoHo, Manhattan bookstore.” He appreciates the fact that Alek always remembers what you read, and what you don’t read. A personal fan of African American literature, Mr. Lindsey points out that JudyBug’s has a collection of books you can’t find anywhere else. “The African American section is second to none in the city,” he explains. “There’s a great atmosphere here. You meet great people here.”

Stan Merritt, another regular, calls the shop, “Downtown’s largest living room.” He appreciates the fact that at JudyBug’s, a person can have whatever experience they prefer. From a “hands-off social experience,” with respect to customers who just want to browse privately, to an experience with Alek “working his magic,” Stan explains the uncanny way Alek is able to sense what his customers need. With a mysterious accuracy, Alek can help direct people precisely to what they need to read next, even if they didn’t realize it was what they needed.

Thus, JudyBug’s is not your average chain-store bookseller, but a neighborhood shop which is “extraordinarily personal,” Merritt says.

The shop is an homage, Merritt explains, to “books as a physical work of art,” a concept that often feels forgotten in the modern day of tablets and paperless books.

Mary Walker, who has lived in the downtown Columbus area since 1979, recalls a time when “there wasn’t anything downtown.” She’s been a customer at JudyBug’s since the shop opened. She says, “Alek provides a place to gather for folks that maybe don’t think like everyone else.” This, she says, makes for an interesting mix. “It provides a social, educational, artistic outlet for people. There really isn’t another place like it in town.”

While the social interaction at JudyBug’s books keeps many regulars returning, their book selection sets them apart. From used books to the largest local selection of autographed copies, to rare books and one-of-a-kind finds, JudyBug’s has a plethora of interesting materials to discover. In addition to books, the shop sells records, CD’s, and DVD’s. JudyBug’s also places custom orders for books every week. “My goal is to be able to put the book in your hands as quickly as possible,” Alek explains.

Not quite a year ago, JudyBug’s hired a new staff member, Lady Chey, who offers technology help, handles social media, and has helped expand the esoteric section, one of JudyBug’s fastest growing genres. “She stopped in one day to look at records and never left,” Alek recalls. It seems that many who walk into JudyBug’s have a hard time leaving once they discover the quirky community within the shop’s walls.

Colorful, eclectic, comfortable, and welcoming, JudyBug’s is a place where everybody is welcome. It’s a place where you can get lost for a while. And it’s a place you can come back to and always discover something new. Like a good book.

JudyBug’s is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Make sure to stop in and congratulate them and maybe stay a while. The store is located at 1033 Broadway. Open Wednesday - Sunday 11am - 6 pm., and on Mondays (that are holidays).