Ex Libris Bookshop

Preloved Children's Classics
and Educational Resources Bought and Sold


Carefully curated used books that bring the good, the true, and the beautiful to your home and school

Welcome to our online bookshop! We offer in-person shopping in Hamilton, ON, as well.
Taxes included

Free delivery & pick-up options
(see FAQs below)

Ships Canada-wide from L8W 3W3

Almost 4800 items available!

Love a good G. A. Henty, Ralph Moody, or Rosemary Sutcliff, but can't find hardcopies? Consider high-quality audiobooks! Ex Libris Bookshop is now affiliated with Libro.fm. Purchase ANY audiobook through our storefront (https://libro.fm/exlibrisbookshop) and we receive a commission from the sale. You can also choose to support "Ex Libris Bookshop" at checkout. Let's get listening!

Welcome to Ex Libris Bookshop! We are a family-run, used bookstore with a passion for curating time-tested books to help you build a home library brimming with traditional values and captivating classics.

As a family we have experience teaching and learning in homeschool, private school, and public school settings in Canada and abroad.

Shop online or visit our home-based bookshop in Hamilton, ON (by appointment only), and open up a new chapter in your quest for quality used children's books and educational resources!

We can't wait for you to join us on this adventure of enjoying good, true, and beautiful books!

~ Kristen, Sigi, and Theo
  • 131 Terni Blvd, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • Shop online and arrange a pick-up or local delivery. Please email hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca to set up an in-person bookshop appointment or to arrange for Canada-wide shipping from L8W 3W3. We accept CASH or E-TRANSFER only. Thank you!

*AmyLou*

"I got the parcel and everything looks great, even better than I expected! Thanks so much!"

* Christina *

“I love your selection!! Very happy with my purchase. I'll definitely be shopping again!!”

* Andrea *

“The books are stunning! Such a treat to browse through and actually want one of everything, without having to sift through everything else.”

* Amanda *

“Highly recommend. :) I'll be a repeat customer. :)”

* Jess *

“I’ve ordered a couple times already and am so pleased with the quality of the books. You’re great at curating the books!”
Yes, we do!

Here is our current policy: If we sell your book, we give you 50% of the sale price and we keep 50% as our selling fee. Consignment payments (if any are due) are made once a month by e-transfer.

*BOOKS/MATERIALS WE WANT*

We are looking for children's books and homeschool/education materials in good condition (no overly bent, dog-eared, smelly books please). We specialize in classics and beautifully-presented books. Please no popular comic books, cartoons (e.g. Disney themed books), or "easy-to-find-at-thrift-stores" paperbacks.

***Most wanted items:

- Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum and "living books" (http://simplycharlottemason.com/livingbook/)

- Classical education curriculum and related books

- Children's classics

- Homeschool curriculum from trusted companies (e.g. IEW, A beka, Singapore Math, The Well-Trained Mind, The Good and the Beautiful, Sonlight, Tree of Life, Classical Education Press, etc.)

- Homeschool/educational books for parents (e.g. guides, companions, good parenting books)

Feel free to email hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca to set up a consignment appointment. There is no guarantee we will take any or all of your stock. It depends on what is needed and/or suitable for resale. The pricing of your item will fluctuate based on demand/inventory/condition. Thank you for your understanding.

Yes, you can! Look for the small magnifying glass to the left of the main page. Click on it and enter the title, author, or keyword you are looking for. Then click the white magnifying glass (in purple background) at the end of the bar to start the search. Everything related to the word(s) you entered will then appear on the screen.
You can look for books you want by category or keyword search using the magnifying glass to the left of the main page. Click on the book(s) you wish to buy and click on the "ADD TO CART" button. Fill up your cart with desired products and then click the final "MAKE AN ORDER" button. At this point you will be brought to a contact information page. Fill in the necessary details please. You are not required to make payment at this point.

Ex Libris will receive your order and follow up with an email to confirm with you your preferred payment method (e-transfer/cash) and delivery/pick-up options. If you require shipping, a shipping estimate will also be provided ASAP. Feel free to reach out at (289) 244-8377 or hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca for any additional ordering questions!
HC - hardcover
SC - softcover
DJ - dust jacket
Ex lib. - ex library (stickers, stamps, book pockets, etc.)
V - vintage
WSD - wholesale discount (may have minor markings)

LN - like new (in wrapper or perfect condition)
VG - very good (very minor wear)
GC - good condition (some wear to boards/covers, pages, etc.)
AC - aging, creases, but still readable
We are a home-based business in Hamilton, Ontario. Please email hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca for an in-person shopping appointment if you do not wish to shop online.

Online orders will be processed as they are received. Please note that payment is cash or e-transfer only, upon pick-up or delivery. Minimum $50 purchase for free local delivery ("local" is determined in proximity to 131 Terni Blvd, on case-by-case basis). Shipping across Canada can also be arranged from L8W 3W3 for an additional fee.
You can use the purple magnifying glass icon to the left of our webpage to search by keyword/author/title.

We add new titles within a couple days of their acquisition. At the moment, we have about 4700 titles in stock and they are all online.

If you are looking for specific titles and/or authors we do not currently carry, please email hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca and we will put your "book wants" in our master list.
Yes! Upon receiving an online order we will be in touch via email about your delivery options. Most locations in Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, and Dundas are eligible for FREE local delivery with a minimum $50 purchase. A $10.00 fee will be applied to local purchases requiring delivery, but under $50.

If your location is outside our "local delivery" range (TBD case-by-case), we may be able to deliver for an additional agreed-upon fee.

Shipping across Canada can also be arranged from L8W 3W3 for an additional fee.

Pick-up from 131 Terni Blvd, Hamilton, ON is ALWAYS FREE!!! :)
Yes! We ship Canada-wide from L8W 3W3.

One to two books often qualify as oversize lettermail and ship from between $1.50-$6.00 (between 100g - 500g max.)
See Lettermail - Pricing | Canada Post (canadapost-postescanada.ca)

For larger orders, we will measure and weight your order to determine the most economical shipping method (it might be a Canada Post flat rate box or a package through netParcel). I will always communicate these options to you ASAP. I charge $20 for a small flat rate box (regular $19.99  tax, but I'll cover your tax), and $25 for a medium flat rate box (regular $24.99+ tax, but I'll cover your tax).

You can fill your flat rate box/parcel with several Ex Libris orders, as long as the orders are paid by e-transfer within two days of making the order (when I email you to confirm the order will be processed). You have 8 weeks to fill the parcel with more items, or I will ship it as is after that time.






As a general rule, all sales are final. Books are inspected for quality several times before being put online, and we make every effort to state glaring deficiencies in the book description (e.g. "Boooo! Someone coloured on page 4 of this 100-year-old book!") and price the product accordingly.

As these are *preloved* books, slight wear on the covers/boards/pages, names on first few pages, missing dust jackets/accompanying CDs, underlining of words, and slight creasing should be expected. In general, though, the majority of our books do not have major deficiencies.

We are, however, only human! We may have missed some torn out pages or scribbling that seriously injures the readability/enjoyability of your purchase. We apologize in advance for these potential oversights and will do our best to make it right.

If you are unsatisfied with your purchase in any way, please reach out to hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca or text/call 289.244.8377 (Kristen). We will do everything we can to meet, and hopefully exceed, your expectations in customer care.

Thank you for your support and understanding!


Most of our books are used, but we also source wholesale bargain books that can be bought on our site for much cheaper than new, retail prices.

Many of these books look brand-new, but we cannot (legally) and do not advertise them as "new" because of the nature of the wholesale "bargain" category. Some have minimal markings that we do our best to describe for each product.
Sometimes we have multiple copies of the same book, but some are in better/worse condition than others. We try to price accordingly.
Most of the time you will! Sometimes, though, we have multiple copies of the same book, but slightly different covers (e.g. some classics, Magic Tree House books, etc.) In same cases, you might get a book with an ex library sticker on it or a slightly different picture on the front, but it's the same content and price range as the book pictured. We just might have had four copies and didn't want to take a picture of each one!

If you are purchasing a book and you want to make sure it's the exact one pictured (e.g. to match your collection), you can feel free to reach out to hello@exlibrisbookshop.ca or (289) 244-8377 and we can follow up about the book you will be receiving (e.g. send you a picture if it differs slightly from one online).
Oh, the joys of used books! They are economical, but sometimes have the remains of multiple price tags removed and reapplied! While I would love to sit all day cleaning book covers (*ahem* I do this for a few books!), I can't possibly clean up every last sticky part on 1000s of books.

Some books are perfectly non-sticky (huzzah!), but if you've received books in your order with that seem stuck on their past (pun intended) here are a few tips.

Goo-gone works well, but I've recently been applying rubbing alcohol (to remove most of the sticker material) and following up with coconut oil to remove remaining stickiness.

Mind you, don't put these cleaning products on paper dust jackets/covers or you may damage them. Such maneuvers are best saved for glossy or hardback types.

As a last resort, sometimes I place a heavy-duty white sticker (think: Avery no-see-through durable labels) over perennially sticky areas on covers.