You can bank on the Book Vault becoming your new favorite bookstore

Former Oskaloosa bank is a literary wonderland on the town square

The Book Vault in Oskaloosa has lived rent-free in my head for the last year.

For those who are uninitiated, the Book Vault is an independent bookstore located on the Oskaloosa, Iowa, square and housed inside of an old bank, hence the name. 

The brick building that houses the Book Vault opened in 1890 as the Oskaloosa Savings Bank, and traces of the building’s old life are visible on the outside and the interior.

All photos taken by Ty Rushing

Over 134 years, the existing building at 105 S. Market St. has been a few businesses, including multiple banks, an insurance agency, an abstract company, and an eight-year run as an antique store.

I had never been to Oskaloosa until I covered a Tim Scott caucus event there in August 2023. Once the event wrapped, I Googled “coffee shops Oskaloosa,” which led me to a downtown Smokey Row location and the adjacent Book Vault.

Once my story was edited and published, I was ready to drive back to my place in West Des Moines, but something compelled me to go check out the Book Vault, and it did not disappoint.

The Book Vault has a “wow” factor the second you enter. The entranceway is awash in natural light from the skylights and period-appropriate light fixtures, while a white marble countertop hosts the cash register.

There are two visible bank vaults—one on the ground floor and another on the second floor—right in the middle of the store, and a third vault tucked away. The vaults are there for more than aesthetics. 

One vault houses mystery books, and another is the “Discovery Vault.” My favorite is the “Is This Heaven? Iowa Vault,” dedicated to Iowa writers to give our homegrown authors a prominent place in one of the state’s most unique literary attractions.

The back half of the bookstore’s spacious first floor contains a test kitchen area that also wisely sells cookbooks, high-quality ingredients and kitchen utensils.

The second floor has a children’s book section and offers a nice aerial view of the main entrance.

I remain blown away by how cool this place is and what an immense amenity it is for Oskaloosa. Having a feature such as this in a town of slightly less than 12,000 people is an accomplishment and would only be possible with forward-thinking residents.

The Book Vault opened in 2005, and it was the brainchild of residents Julie Hansen and the late Nancy Simpson-Brice, the latter of whom quite literally dedicated her life to books. 

Before opening the Book Vault, Nancy was the longtime director of the Oskaloosa Public Library, and her love of literature was noted repeatedly in her obituary, including this line, “She had always been a voracious reader. Mother Fern always said that Nancy was born with her head in a book!”

Something I’ve learned about rural communities from my years in small-town journalism is you need people like Julie and Nancy to have a thriving town. Those two put their time, effort, energy and money up to create a luxury like the Book Vault, and next year, it turns 20.

If you love literature and small towns, I highly recommend making a day trip to Osky to visit the Book Vault, and you can take this recommendation to the bank.