Located across from Lee Wicker Hall on Oakland Avenue and nestled beside Wingbonz is a small business called Liberty Book Company.
Liberty Book Co. is a new and used bookstore. With popular releases to 200-year-old antique editions, Liberty Book Co. offers a variety of genres and books. They have been open since 2018 and also sell other media, including puzzles, games, player handbooks and supplies for role-play games (RPGs).
For the owner, Alison Boulton, Liberty Book Co. is proud to have a firm dedication to community outreach. The business offers multiple book clubs and works closely with the York County Public Library and the Palmetto Reading Council.
“I take great pleasure in being part of Rock Hill’s vibrant creative community. As the owner of a business like The Liberty Book Company, I can participate in local initiatives, and offer public support for projects that I believe in. It’s also nice being able to offer a platform (albeit humble) for local writers and artisans to achieve greater visibility and recognition,” Boulton said.
With over 20 years of experience working in bookstores, Boulton joined forces with her long-term co-workers and opened their own store when the bookstore she had co-managed for over a decade closed.
For those interested in starting their own business, Boulton said, “Be very honest with yourself about what you actually want out of the experience. Owning a business isn’t a job. It literally becomes your life, and the hours don’t stop when the store closes.”
“Having reliable staff is the only reason that it’s possible for me to attend to my own personal needs outside of the store. But, at the end of the day, if someone can’t come in or if something comes up, it’s my responsibility to be there and take care of things. That responsibility is always with me,” she said.
Her manager, Rayne Rickrode and employee, Kara Balarezo, assisted Boulton in answering some of the questions about the store.
“I enjoy being able to work in a field I have always wanted to know more about and connecting people with stories that matter to them,” Rickrode said.
Between the three of them, they have a wide range of interests in books and genres.
Rickrode said their favorites include Sci-Fi and future fantasy. A fun fact about them is that they built most of the Young Adult section in the store.
Balarezo said their favorites are “Unspeakably weird paranormal romance, Topical Non-Fiction Science and anything by James Patterson!”
Boulton said, “History (fiction and nonfiction), and Sci-Fi if there’s a charming robot involved. My favorite book of the past five years is ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller.”
Boulton’s interest in history helped inspire the name and logo of the store.
“When my partner and I started the business, we wanted a name that reflected our mutual love of history as well as local interest. The Moultrie Flag (flown during the American Revolution, and also known as the Liberty Flag) is a South Carolinian icon, as well as the inspiration for our logo. We derived the name of the store from the word “Liberty” emblazoned on the Moultrie Flag,” Boulton said.
For anyone looking to read more but doesn’t know where to start, Boulton said that it really depends on the individual.
“We usually start by asking what kinds of movies, TV shows, games, or other media the person enjoys, and from there, we can curate some suggestions. Every person is different, and there is no universally appealing book. We enjoy finding out the interests of an individual person and making recommendations that can inspire them with the confidence to pursue reading on their own terms,” Boulton said.
Boulton and the Liberty Book Co. welcome all to their store, including old and new readers.
“We want every visitor to the bookstore to find it to be a place where they can enjoy a sense of belonging. The store is full of nooks and crannies, with cozy chairs tucked wherever we can find space. All are welcome, and we hope, comfortable,” Boulton said.
The official location of the store is 1037 Oakland Ave., Rock Hill, SC 29730.
Hours are 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
