About

McKay Books was founded in 1978 as a “free enterprise library:” a bookstore which would contain a wide variety of books which an individual could obtain cheaply, keep as long as they wanted, and return for credit on other books in the future.

The original idea remains unchanged, but the company has grown…and keeps on growing! McKay stores are now a valuable resource for scholars, casual readers, music lovers, video gamers, and movie buffs throughout the region.

McKay History

  • Lost? Follow the Signs!
    Lost? Follow the Signs!
  • Knoxville CD Store
    Knoxville CD Store Early 90's
  • Knoxville
    Knoxville Early 90's
  • Cat Logo
    Cat Logo
  • In the Days Before Shelves
    In the Days Before Shelves Crates and blocks
  • In the Days Before Shelves, part 2
    In the Days Before Shelves, part 2 Taking a break
  • A Work in Progress
    A Work in Progress Knoxville, 2005
  • Chattanooga, circa 1995
    Chattanooga, circa 1995
  • Knoxville Incoming Desk
    Knoxville Incoming Desk Summer of 1998
  • Computer Repairs
    Computer Repairs 1998
  • Knoxville Processing Area
    Knoxville Processing Area 2004
  • Knoxville, circa 1985
    Knoxville, circa 1985
  • In the Days Before Computers…
    In the Days Before Computers… Price Books and Charts
  • The Original McKay (1974)
    The Original McKay (1974) Fayetteville, North Carolina
  • Chattanooga, circa 1997
    Chattanooga, circa 1997
  • First Knoxville Store
    First Knoxville Store 5710 Kingston Pike
  • Incoming desk
    Incoming desk Knoxville...sometime in the 1990's!
  • McKay Chattanooga
    McKay Chattanooga 2009

  • 1978: McKay Books is born in North Carolina.

  • 1985: The Knoxville store opened, selling only used books.

  • 1990: The Chattanooga store opened in August in a rented storefront beside Circuit City. It had 6 employees…one of whom still works here!

  • 1993: McKay entered the used compact disc market.

  • 1997: Chattanooga moved to the first new McKay building — an 18,000 square foot thing of beauty!

  • 2005: Knoxville store moved to its current location. It featured our first ever 2-story sales floor — and a fancy glass elevator, too!

  • 2007: McKay’s Nashville location opened in September.

  • 2009: Chattanooga store moved to its current location in July.