Used books store in San Jose
Association of Residents of Costa Rica
Tel: 506-2233-8068 (operator speaks english)
Their hours are M thru F from 9am to 5pm
(Not sure when ARCR's holiday closure begins.)
Also, for the OP, don't overlook GOODLIGHT BOOKS in
beautiful Alajuela Centro. Excellent selection of used,
English-language books and while you're there you can
traipes around the corner to Jalapeños Centro where you
might even run into Marcus Collier or other assorted
CRLers noshing on Norman's nummy Tex-Mex.
In Atenas (world's best climate) you'll find Kay's Gringo Postres, next to the Red
Cross. Not only does Kay have an excellent soup and salad lunch most days, but
also 100's of paper back books which you can borrow, and some hard cover too.
Mostly in English, but I've seen German and Dutch too
Mora's Bookstore, Calle 5 between Ave. 5 & 7, beside Holiday Inn.? Lots of used
books, but in poor organization.? You will have to dig through piles to find
what you might like.? Open 11:00-7:00, closed Sunday.? Exchanges at 1/2 value of
books that were bought there, about 1000 colone credit for paperbacks bought
elsewhere. Yes, you can bargain.
For new books, check out Libermans on Ave. Centro (0) just West from Calle 3.?
From the front of the National Theater go to Ave. Centro, and go left some 25m.?
The selection in English is not great, but has new best sellers.
Another store with both new and used English books is the 7th St. Bookstore, on
Calle 7 just North (up) from Ave. Centro.? The used books are in the very back,
and are likely to be in better physical condition than those at Mora's.
In Alajuela, GoodLight books also has a large stock of used books and is well
organized.? Map at their website: http://www.goodlightbooks.com/
?Lexicon is privately run just like a public library in the US, although there
is an annual membership of around $10.00 (last I knew).? Otherwise you would
have to pay only very reasonable late charges.? They are only open Wed. and
Fri.? For more info and a map check their web site:
http://www.lexiconlibrary.com/
The Mark Twain library is part of the North American-Central American Culture
Institute, commonly known as the Centro Cultural.?? Go east on Ave.
2 from downtown SF (toward San Pedro) until you see a frontage road on the
right.? Look to your left and you will see a car wash on one corner and a
filling station on the other--as well as an AM sign on the left ahead.? Go up
that street and the big white building before the RR ttrestleis the A-C ACI.?
There is both a membership fee and a deposit for non-residents.? My impression
of the collections is that it was assembled by an old academic some 50 years
ago...