Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Little Professor Book Center - Homewood, AL

Little Professor Book Center, Homewood, AL
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The Little Professor in Homewood, AL has been around since the 1970s, a long time and a great run for any independent bookstore.  On the day of my visit however, they had just relocated and reopened in a new location.  They had only been open a few days when I visited and it was so new I felt like I could've cut the ribbon.  If I had visited here 1-3 weeks prior I wouldn't have been able to visit.  They were closed briefly in order to pack and prepare for the move.  I can tell you that their hard work has paid off.  When you enter the Little Professor's new location in the downtown area you'll see a neatly organized and attractive bookstore in a spacious one-level setting.  And as nice as this is, it's only going to get better as they become more comfortable in this new location. 

I don't know about the Little Professor's previous locations but in my opinion this is one of the best things about the new place.  It is in the heart of a village-type area surrounded by retail businesses of all types.  It will be excellent for foot traffic and attractive to shoppers visiting the other businesses.  The street is very busy making it highly visible.  There's free parking available right on the street but it can be tight at times because of the businesses.

The store offers a great selection of new books for adults and children.  There are a few sidelines here including greeting cards and t-shirts.  The greeting cards do particularly well, especially a line of cards by an artist and poet from South Carolina.  Little Professor also offers books and magazines of local interest.

I didn't get to meet Paul S., the owner, on the day of my visit but I did meet Joanne and Kathleen, two of the store's staffers.  Both of them told me a bit about the store and especially the current challenges of relocating to this new location.  But I have a feeling they'll have things streamlined and find a good groove in no time.  After all, any independent bookstore that's been around since the 1970s is a successful survivor.  Check out this attractive bookstore and its terrific new location in the heart of Homewood, AL.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  The Year The Yankees Lost The Pennant, Douglas Wallop.  This book was published in 1954 and was the inspiration for the musical and movie, Damn Yankees.  A middle-aged man makes a deal with the devil and becomes the incredible baseball player who leads the Washington Senators in a pennant drive to overtake the Yankees.  Simply, a great book.  Recommended.  

CURRENTLY READING:  The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood.  



Another exterior view.  


This new location has lots of great window display space.  

View looking to the left from the front entrance.  


View looking straight into the store from the front entrance.  

Looking to the right from the front entrance.  

Nicely arranged table display of non-fiction.  

A nice front counter display.  


I always enjoy seeing the new arrivals display.  

Children will have lots of things to check out here.  

A portion of the children's items available.  

A great place to sit and discuss a book.  

A few of the books of local interest.  

Great display of staff picks near the front of the store.  How many have you read?  

Looking for books about dogs?  Find this area.  

I love areas like this where you can try out a book.  


View looking from the back of the store toward the front entrance.  

You'll find lots of greeting cards here and these are just a few.  

If you visit bookstores, you'll recognize some of these best-sellers.  



One of the long book aisles at Little Professor.  

Lots of magazines to pick from. 

Many older readers really like finding large print books and you can't always find them at all bookstores.  Not a problem here.  



With Kathleen, one of the fine booksellers at Little Professor.  Thanks for a great visit.  



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