Dockside Bookshop is a  friendly, well-stocked and old-fashioned independent bookstore located in Havensight Mall in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and now online as well!

Dockside Bookshop is your complete Caribbean bookshop! In some respects, Dockside Bookshop is really two stores in one. On one level, it is a typical well-stocked American book store which features a wide array of best-sellers, how-tos, and paperbacks. We stock over 50,000 books.

But there is another level to this particular store - Dockside Bookshop is a delightful store that reflects its unique geographical location. We stock thousands of Caribbean related books. If you are interested in the history of these islands, their people, our contemporary culture, and our nature - then there are dozens of books for you at Dockside. If you are interested in a good book to read while visiting the islands, or for the flight home, stop by the store or conveniently shop online.

The knowledgeable and friendly staff at Dockside Bookshop have been with us serving customers for over a decade, and are eager to assist you find just the right book. Our employees love both people and books. Our staff are hard working and well-read, and enjoy helping our customers find that specific book. Selling books is a people-to-people business, and I believe that the warm, friendly and helpful attitude of our staff is an intergral part of our success.

A Brief History of the Store

Dockside Bookshop was first opened in 1978 by Bent Jensen. It was located just around the corner from its present location, near where the Havensight Pharmacy in now. At that time Havensight was primarily industrial warehouses.

Frederik Gjessing purchased the business from Jensen in 1982, and moved it to its present location in 1986. A couple of years later a computerized inventory system was installed. In late 1992, the store's floor space was nearly doubled to 2000 square feet.  In 2008 we remodeled once again, bringing all the sales area to the street level, leaving us with improved event space and storage areas upstairs.

 

We look forward to serving you!

Jonathan Gjessing
Owner of Dockside Bookshop