Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Little Professor Bookshop relocated to its current location last year.
The Little Professor Bookshop in downtown Homewood holds a little slice of history, being the oldest independent bookshop in the state. Originally founded by the Seitz family in 1972 as part of a nationwide franchise, the shop has passed through many hands over the decades. The current owners, Jonathan and Meredith Robinson, bought the place in 2020 with plans to reenergize the space.
After relocating the store last year, Jonathan sat down to answer a few questions about the business.
Q. Tell us briefly about your business.
We see the space as a community hub. We have around 2000 members who frequent the space for events and gifts and their regular reads.
Q. How did you get involved with the business?
I’m an avid reader, have been for a long time… When we travel we were frequently visiting bookstores. I was buying lots of books for myself and my kids years ago, primarily on Amazon. At the same time, I realized that there was a local bookstore that I barely ever visited. We thought there was a good opportunity to reimagine and reinvigorate Little Professor to be more of a community staple for young families as well as continue to serve existing customers.
Q. Give us your 30-second elevator pitch.
We believe that reading is important, that reading unites people, that it fends off polarization and builds empathy. At the same time, we're digital natives. We believe both in the power of physical experiential shopping and also the convenience of digital platforms. So, you can visit our store, you can uh use our app to search for any title and have things delivered or picked up.
Q. What sets you apart from your competitors?
Shopping is either utilitarian or experiential. I think having a physical environment with helpful employees, with staff picks and helping find your next great read is very experiential… At the same time, if you're more of a utilitarian shopper, typically use Amazon to just get the products you need quickly at a convenient price, we have a website and IOS app for those purposes too.
Q. What would your customers say they like about you?
We cherish and celebrate reading just as they do, that we create a vibrant, attractive physical space where you can find your next great read. We have a slate of really great events both for adults and kids alike. I think most of our customers see our space as the community hub that we desire it to be, and most of our customers and members use the space for that purpose.
Get to Know features are part of a new series we are doing to highlight the unique and interesting people or businesses within our community. Do you know a person or business we should highlight? If so, email your suggestions to sowens@starnesmedia.com.
