Known affectionately as The Living Room of the Mission, Adobe Books and Arts Cooperative, Inc. ("Adobe Books" or "Adobe") was founded in 1989 by Andrew McKinley at 3166 16th Street. The store became a bohemian nexus for a large and rotating cast of artists, musicians, writers, readers, thinkers, and whoever was looking for an old comfortable couch and a place to feel welcome. With an open heart and open door, Adobe Books has played host over the years to an innumerable number of memorable afternoons and evenings.

In 2001, the former back storage room was transformed into a dedicated gallery space, becoming the Adobe Books Backroom Gallery. This vision was led by Amanda Eicher, with the help of many people along the way. The gallery has lent its humble walls to hundreds of artists, providing an alternative space where artists can make momentous decisions in their practice and experiment freely in the company of their peers. Adobe Books is one of the institutions associated with the rise of the Mission School. Artists and collectives such as Chris Johanson, CTRL + SHFT, KEEPEYES, Kirk Maxson, Alicia McCarthy, Sean McFarland, Barry McGee, MCXT, Ruby Neri, Kyle Ranson, Christine Shields, Cate White, Yoshi Yubai and many, many others have displayed their artwork.

Musicians including singer-guitarist Devendra Banhart played regularly in the shop, as did harpist Joanna Newsom, Sonny Smith, Thee Oh Sees, and countless more. Internationally and locally recognized authors such as San Francisco's own Rebecca Solnit, Tamsin Smith, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Michael Bernard Loggins and Diamond Dave Whitaker have been regular customers, collaborators, and hosts of literary events. In 2004, Adobe made national news when the artist Chris Cobb organized the shop's 20,000 volume inventory by color – in a piece titled There is Nothing Wrong in This Whole Wide World.

In 2012 the beloved 16th Street shop faced an untenable rent hike and a changing neighborhood. A group of Adobe supporters came together and formed a cooperative business structure. Through many late-night meetings and hard work, a new shop was imagined for a new era. Adobe Books crowdfunded $60,000, created a cooperative corporation, and found a new storefront location at 3130 24th Street in the Mission District, where the store joined a small number of existing independent bookstores adding to an informal bookstore row.

Now in our 9th year on 24th Street, we are almost entirely volunteer-run – and managed with nearly 15 Coop members and countless volunteers. In 2018 we received a grant from the City and County of San Francisco as part of the late Mayor Ed Lee's Bookstore SF Program. In 2019 we partnered with Calle 24 as part of an grant initiative to help community venues on 24th Street obtain Limited Entertainment Licenses allowing us to legitimately host our music and literary events. In 2020, Adobe Books was added to the SF Registry of Legacy Businesses recognizing the our history and contributions to the city.

In addition to the hundreds of free public events that Adobe organizes annually, the bookstore is also an active member of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, Paseo Artistico, MAPP, Litquake, and the Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives. Adobe donates books to a prison literacy project coordinated by local activist, Nancy Frank. We also offer space free of charge to neighborhood organizations for meetings, book readings, music, performance, spoken word, and more.

Adobe Books mainly serves local residents of the Mission, but people come through the doors from all over the Bay Area and the world. On any given day, there may be 10 different languages spoken in the store. Our primary focus is books in English, with a significant collection of Spanish titles as well as some in French, German and Italian.

Adobe Books has steadfastly adhered to the idea that good books sold at affordable prices can succeed in today's digital age. The independent bookstore serving offline, in-person communities is a dying breed. The store cannot and will not change this essential core value of its business model. Nearly as important as the mere existence of printed matter is Adobe's daily commitment to live events, face-to-face interaction. In our current age of smart phones and laptops, people still desire these personal interactions, and Adobe Books is happy to provide a location and platform for them to grow and evolve. The tradition of intellectual curiosity is a hallmark of this great city of ours, and Adobe Books and Arts Cooperative, Inc. has significantly contributed to such a history. The cooperative hopes to continue this well into the future.

In the immortal words of the bookstore's founder, Andrew McKinley, from a recent interview:

"For 30 years, I've had a bookstore in the Mission district. I started with the hope of selling good, interesting and useful books at low prices. I never expected to attach myself to a locale that would provide me with so much entertainment, stimulation and cultural connections. In the dense and crowded world of the urban Mission, people needed a place to unwind and entertain — not everyone has a great home life or living situation, and I always wanted everyone to feel welcome. When we choose to interact with the public at a public space and in a public way, we all grow richer, sometimes in assets; but in the case of Adobe Bookshop, we are rich because we achieved an intangible — part legend and part living room. I hope that more such spaces will arise in San Francisco. Never have I lived in a neighborhood so diverse or where the different people have mixed so harmoniously. People feel comfortable in the Mission, and when you are comfortable, truly great things can begin to happen."

Shop volunteer

Established in 2013, the Adobe Books & Arts Cooperative is a Volunteer Worker Owned Cooperative. We're like work club for people interested in projects that have a cultural impact. Take your interest and apply it to our effort.

Join the co-op

We're looking for volunteers who can work their way into becoming full fledged Co-op Members. Their are lots of benefits (store ownership, 20% off purchases, and voting rights) and a handful of responsibilities. We’d love to tell you all about it.

Gallery exhibitions

Ever want to get behind-the-scenes of an art gallery? The Adobe Backroom gallery is currently seeking people who have interest in exhibition installation, artist assistance, social media, and sitting gallery hours.

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