Founded by Fred and Pat Cody, Cody's Books opened in 1956 in a tiny Berkeley storefront with an investment of $5,000. Cody's moved to its flagship Telegraph Avenue location in 1965; that store was expanded significantly in 1986, with the addition of the Fred Cody Building, housing both more bookstore and all company offices. Our second Berkeley location, Cody's Fourth Street, opened in the fall of 1997, and Cody's Stockton Street store in downtown San Francisco opened in September 2005. An amalgamation of decreasing sales, changing reading habits, and neighborhood difficulties led to the closure of the Telegraph Avenue flagship store in July 2006. Our Berkeley and San Francisco stores continue the traditions and challenges of being a bookselling institution as well as internationally famous bookstores.

Cody's has been a pioneer in the book business, helping to establish such innovations as quality paperbacks, in-store author readings, and direct importing of books. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the Codys fought attempts at censorship and kept the store open even as it filled with teargas from demonstrations in nearby People's Park. You can find out more about Cody's and its role in bookselling and Berkeley politics, in that era, in Cody's Books: the Life and Times of a Berkeley Bookstore, written by Pat Cody.

Today, as always, Cody's offers knowledgeable booksellers, a comprehensive selection of books of all types, special orders of any book in print, worldwide shipping - and local bicycle delivery, a world-class author event program (in the stores and at community venues), book club and other group meeting spaces, corporate and institutional accounts and services, teacher,school, and library accounts, services and discounts, school book fairs, convention and seminar services, international sales made easy, an extensive magazine, journal and newspaper selection, and exceptional selection of children's books, carefully chosen cards, blank books, address books, and stationery, and, always, complimentary gift wrapping. Cody's gift cards and certificates are available in any amount, as are Book Sense gift certificates which can be redeemed at over 1,200 bookstores nationwide. Please inquire for details.