Category Archives: Bookstores

Birmingham, Bookstore Tourism, Bookstores

Little Professor in Homewood, AL

2 Comments

I found time to swing by the new bookshop for Little Professor in Homewood, AL. It was a beautifully bright & sunny day, which the new book shop is built for. The inside is roomy and Instagram-ready, with high walls and sparse tables. There is also a great seating area along the front window where you can sip your coffee.

They’ve only been open a couple of weeks, and it’s exciting to think about what’s possible in their new space and location. Little Professor has also launched a new podcast at the same time they opened their doors. It’s called A Little Bookish with new episodes dropping on Tuesdays. I recommend episodes one and three if you’d like a good peek behind the scenes of what it takes to open a bookstore.

While I (am old enough) to still miss the tasty sandwiches from the Crepe Myrtle’s restaurant that was attached to a previous location years ago, the new one is easier to access from nearby hotels and restaurants and is clearly built for community. You can check out their old location (up the street here) and you can check out their Little Professor Pepper Place location here.

Little Professor in Homewood, AL only sell new books and also have some stylish sidelines and merch. They also have an annual membership that offers some perks on discounted books and coffee. Their hours are:

They are now located at:
2783 18th St. S., Homewood, AL   35209
Phone:   (205)870-7461

Their hours are:
Monday-Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm

Alabama, Birmingham, Bookstores, News

Little Professor Book Center is Moving to New Location

Leave a comment

The Little Professor bookstore in downtown Homewood is moving again. This time it’s relocating down the street to the old Nadeau building, located at 2738 18th St. S, which puts it across the street from a previous location which is now the big new Valley Hotel. As reported in the Homewood Star, the store owners plan to open the new spot sometime this spring. The Little Professor also has a shop in Pepper Place.

No doubt this will be a good move with lots of foot traffic as their sign will be staring every hotel guest in the face as they check-in. I hope Homewood addresses the walkability of that intersection, though. You can spend what feels like half of a lifetime waiting there to cross. There is so much car traffic. I’m excited to see how The Little Professor solves the parking issue there as well.

According to the piece in the Homewood Star, it sounds like The Little Professor owners will use this second move (they moved to their current location in 2017) to update their stock and fixtures.

I remember Nadeau having their mezzanine level. Wouldn’t it be fun if The Little Professor brought back their mezzanine of used books? I never sold anything to them, but I always enjoyed shopping those used shelves.

They will also have a new outdoor space to sit and chat over coffee.
According to that Homewood Star article, the new location will house about 20% more inventory, about 50% more seating space, and a larger children’s area.

Here’s to another wonderful move in downtown Homewood. Book people are the best, and as impressive as the Pepper Place store is, I am excited to see what the owners of The Little Professor create in their new Homewood location.

Birmingham, Book Column, Book Talk, Bookstore Tourism, Bookstore Travels, Bookstores

LITTLE PROFESSOR PEPPER PLACE – PHOTO TOUR

1 Comment

I finally made it by Little Professor – Pepper Place, back just before Christmas. This is an offshoot of Homewood, AL’s longstanding bookstore – Little Professor Book Center. The new location is tucked around the corner from the main parking lot and is a fantastic spot. The location is walkable from a number of shops and restaurants all the while maintaining a “hidden shop” feeling even with its high ceilings and big bright windows.

They are located at:
2807 2nd Ave S, Suite B
Birmingham, AL 3523

Their hours are:
Everyday 8:00am – 3:00pm

The selection is on par with the Homewood location, but the sidelines and gift-y items, at the Pepper Place location, are a bit different. There were plenty of shelves full of new titles and plenty of empty shelves ready to be filled.

Here are a few photos that I took of the bookshop. If you’re in the area, it’s worth swinging by to see what they have in your area of interest.

The view of the front door to Little Professor Pepper Place.
A sign to Little Professor Pepper Place.
The view of inside the front door to Little Professor Pepper Place.
The view of inside the front door to Little Professor Pepper Place.
A table of books inside the front door to Little Professor Pepper Place.