Shops
The Regulator Bookshop
About
The Regulator Bookshop
A Ninth Street Institution Since 1976
The Regulator Bookshop opened on Ninth Street in 1976, founded by Duke alumni Tom Campbell, Aden Field and David Birkhead, who had started The Regulator Press a few years earlier. The shop takes its name from the Regulators, the 1760s North Carolina backcountry rebels. It is widely described as the oldest independent bookstore in the Triangle.
After decades at the helm, Tom Campbell and John Valentine retired in 2017 and sold the store to two longtime employees, Wander Lorentz de Haas and Elliot Berger. Under their ownership the Regulator has stayed independent and community focused while adding an online store with pickup and delivery options.
What to Find
The shop is larger than it looks from the sidewalk, with a broad fiction selection, nonfiction across many subjects, international and translated titles, and a generous children’s area with a reading nook and a hot air balloon mural. The new arrivals section near the entrance reflects picks from the owners and staff.
Anything not in stock can be special ordered. The store also offers audiobooks through Libro.fm, gift certificates, consignment for local authors, book clubs (including the Read the World Book Club) and the curated Redbird Reading List. Author events and community programs are posted on the store’s online calendar.
Tips for Visiting
The Regulator is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, with curbside pickup available during the same hours. Parking on and around Ninth Street can be tight at busy times, so allow a few extra minutes to find a spot.
The store is in the middle of the Ninth Street shopping district, a short walk from Duke’s East Campus, so it is easy to pair with coffee, lunch or a stroll past the neighborhood’s other independent shops.
Who It’s For
Serious readers, gift shoppers, parents building a home library and Duke students looking for something beyond required reading all find their way here. It is also a good stop for visitors who want a sense of Durham’s literary side, and for anyone who prefers a bookseller’s recommendation to an algorithm’s.