Kepler's Books

Kepler's Books is an independent bookstore in Menlo Park, California approximately two miles from the Stanford University campus. It was an important fixture in the 1960s counterculture; (the Grateful Dead gave live shows there early in their career). It opened in 1955.

History
Kepler's was founded on May 14, 1955 by Roy Kepler. The store "soon blossomed into a cultural epicenter and attracted loyal customers from the students and faculty of Stanford University and from other members of the surrounding communities who were interested in serious books and ideas". Kepler's also played an important role in the of the 1960s as "some of the young people who used to hang out in the heady atmosphere created by Roy Kepler are now legends themselves. Folk singer Joan Baez, members of the Grateful Dead, and many local leaders remember sharing ideas, political action, music, and danger in the cramped store".

Kepler's has a long history of serving the area as a community resource and is an important landmark in Menlo Park, California.

Short closing and re-opening
Kepler's announced in September, 2005 that it would be closing. The local community held demonstrations to protest the closing, and started a blog. Kepler's subsequently re-opened in October of 2005.