Bookstores of St. Albert

The closing of SHAVA’s bookstore late last year was a tragic loss for the bibliophiles of St. Albert. The selection at Chapters is great, and everyone loves sipping on a coffee while they shop, but shopping at a big box store is never quite the same as shopping local. Shopping at local bookstores gives you a chance to support the businesses that make St. Albert unique—and it’s usually a lot easier on your wallet, too. Chapters will always be there when you need a specific book in a hurry, but here are a few local booksellers that deserve some attention, too.

The Bookstore on Perron: A standard of the downtown core for over 40 years, The Bookstore on Perron is the go-to local bookstore in St. Albert. It is family-owned and operated and is a good choice for anyone looking for a more personal shopping experience than you might get at a franchised store. The Bookstore on Perron carries new copies of popular best-sellers, the classics and everything in between. You can find them (as you might expect) at 7 Perron Street.

Bailey Books: Not too many are familiar with this book shop, as it conducts most (but not all) of its business online. Specializing in rare editions, first printings and signed copies, Bailey Books is a collector’s dream. While some of the more sought-after titles can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, there is also a huge selection of more gently-priced books that anyone would be proud to display on their shelves at home. The Bailey Books storefront can be found at 29 Rowland Crescent.

Value Village: On the other end of the price spectrum, St. Albert’s Value Village has a huge selection of books that you could spend hours looking through. While not locally owned, Value Village offers St. Albertans the chance to recycle their libraries and bring new reading experiences to their neighbours for almost no cost at all. Most of the titles here won’t be winning any literary prizes, but if you’re looking for a fun, low-commitment book to take on vacation, the collection here is worth checking out. You might even discover a hidden gem or two. You can check out their selection at 18 Inglewood Drive.

Lo-Se-Ca: The thrift store operated by Lo-Se-Ca (short for Love-Service-Care Foundation) offers a second-hand book selection similar to what you would find at Value Village. But all of the funds raised through the sales at Lo-Se-Ca go towards the funding of programs for adults with disabilities here in St. Albert. The book collection here is always changing, and you never quite know what hidden treasures you might find. You can visit them at 215 Carnegie Drive.