Church Street Coffee & Books
81 Church Street
Birmingham, AL 35213
Church Street Coffee & Books (site) @81ChurchStreet (twitter)

Church Street opened its doors on July 2, 2011. I stopped by on opening day to see what they had to offer, in the way of books. The selection there was great! It’s not huge, but very well curated. You can tell that this is a shop isn’t just run by folks who like coffee… they are also readers. It doesn’t take a customer long to figure out that some real thought and research went into the books part of the business. The first thing you see when you walk in is a floor-to-ceiling double bookcase of fiction titles. It was great fun looking through what they had and it felt kind of like visiting a neighbor’s home and perusing their personal library. There is usually just one copy of a book on the shelf and no floor stacks of the latest big-name thriller. So stop by and see what Birmingham’s newest indie bookstore has to offer.

They also have about 8 tables and a couple of big comfy chairs to sit in. I didn’t check to see if they have wi-fi and it was too hot, of a day, for me to buy coffee. But I did pick up a copy of Deborah Blum’s “The Poisoner’s Handbook“. It’s been my experience that coffee shops see books as an “add on” type deal. That’s obviously not the case here and I’m excited to see what they have to offer on down the road.

Below are some photos of what the shelves looked like on opening day.

This is what greets you when you enter the shop.

They have a mostly-fiction section under the banner "Summer Reads"

The kids section is tucked in the corner. Complete with bean bag chair.

I like the shelf talkers that start each section. The look like bookmarks.

The first case of non-fiction is to your right as you walk in.

The other case of non-fiction is across from the coffee counter.

Lots of books on little tables & around the registers. They even have books on the walls.

• easy to raise and lower the shelf for the monitor and keyboard (ergonomics are a must)
• leaves plenty of room for a cashier’s mat (highly recommended, to ease strain on heels)
• it’s cheap and easy to do
• plenty of places for books and book covers that we’re working on

I don’t know why it plays with my sense of balance so bad. Every time I look at it I feel as if I’m just catching myself before I tip over backwards in my chair. Have a good weekend!

A photo is worth a thousand puns. I have been in many shops that this very same structural support could have been in. They always are the fun ones.

This came via email from the thereifixedit.com site. You can waste an entire day clicking through that site. You have been warned!

Cinder blocks and 2×4′s, anyone?

{via FreshHome}

I’m not sure I could handle this bookshelf in my home. I’m afraid the tilting tomes would cause me to be too anxious to enjoy them. But, I understand the “cool” factor of these shelves with their sliding weights and all. You can check them out over at Yanko Design.

{via Gizmodo}

But I have to say that this one…

has qualified for the top ten list. I’m not a fan of the color scheme, but I like how it’s done. I like art that hangs on the wall, as much on the next guy, but I haveto say that having a house full of these functional art pieces (full of books) would be much more satisfying! There’s a lot of discussion about “form vs. functionality”, but I think these would all be great, if you wanted to pull out and feature part of your library. Say all signed firsts or books with covers by Alvin Lustig, etc.