The New International Bookshop Cooperative was founded in 1994 to continue the legacy of the International Bookshop. Operating under the auspices of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA), the International Bookshop was a Melbourne institution selling Left books and periodicals from the 1930s until the early 1990s when the CPA disbanded.
NIBS opened for business in Trades Hall in 1996 and occupied the space directly above our current location until late 2008, when we moved downstairs into the Trades Hall basement.
NIBS has become well-known over the years for its two fundraising events that occur each year: the Big Red Bookfair and the Big Red Trivia Night, both of which were innovative for the time.
At various times in our history, NIBS has run a café, a catering business, and art gallery and even a photo developing service!
Nowadays the shop focuses exclusively on stocking left-progressive books and merchandise from all over the world, as well as a wide range of second-hand books.
