North Escambia Residents Bring Bookstore To Flomaton, Aim To Lift Local Economy

October 2, 2026

A new bookstore, The Guilty Librarian, opens on Saturday morning in downtown Flomaton, Alabama.

The business is operated by two North Escambia residents, Chandra Rigby and her daughter Tori Walker, who are fulfilling a dream and looking to help the town grow along the way.

“I’ve always loved books and I approached my husband last year about getting the cart to do on the weekends,” Rigby said. “It’s my love of books runs deep. My mom’s always been a reader, I’ve been a reader and my girls are readers, and my granddaughters are readers.”

“We wanted that wanted that Hallmark town feel to the store, and we wanted it in a community that we thought would really support us. This community has gone above and beyond here; they have wholeheartedly supported us even before we are open,” she said.

Rigby and Walker said they immediately fell in love with the building on the corner of Palafox and Ringold streets in the heart of downtown Flomaton. It was built sometime in the 1880s, and had been empty since Coleman’s Drugs and its soda fountain closed about 30 years ago. Along the way, it housed the town’s telephone switchboard, a hospital, and the second story even served as a safe haven when downtown Flomaton flooded. Other periods in the building’s history remain a mystery.

During the renovation, original tile floors and a solid wood ceiling were discovered.

For more photos, click to enlarge.

Walker has taken to social media to build a following of thousands before The Guilty Librarian’s opening, often taking the time to promote other Flomaton businesses.

“I know if I bring people in for me, I’m going to bring them in for other businesses down here,” Walker said. “And I want all of us to survive and succeed. And I want to be able to stay here for a while.”

On November 28, which is Small Business Saturday across the country, The Guilty Librarian has partnered with the Town of Flomaton to host “Miracle on Palafox.” All of the vendor fees from the holiday market will be donated to the town.

“They came to downtown with the attitude that they want to help and have bent over backwards to become involved,” Flomaton Mayor Arthur Odom said. “What they are doing will benefit all of Flomaton, not just the bookstore.”

Both women said they believe a bookstore can thrive in a small town like Flomaton as it draws people in from the surrounding areas.

“A lot of people don’t understand the book community. I’ve been a part of the book community for 15-plus years,” Rigby said. The book community is unlike any community out there and independent bookstores are on the rise. People are putting down a Kindle, and they’re wanting to read a book. They are wanting to hold a book; they are wanting the experience.”

“And when you come in here, it’s not just about buying a book. It’s about the whole experience,” she added. “It’s about the whole experience you get when you are here; it’s about the vibe, and it is about feeling.”

“We want people to walk in here, and everything out here is quiet,” Walker said. “They’ve escaped their own reality and just hung out with us for a little while. It’s like the whole thing, and also I don’t know of any other bookstores around here that are like this.”

The Guilty Librarian is located at 331 Palafox Street in downtown Flomaton. Saturday’s grand opening is at 10 a.m. and will feature book signings by several authors, swag bags for the first 50 people, and more. After Saturday’s grand opening, the store will be open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., while remaining closed on Sunday and Monday.

For more photos, click to enlarge.

The bookstore offers a wide selection of genres, including romance, classics, self-help and religious, best sellers, new releases, and children’s book for all ages.

To learn more about Miracle on Palafox in Flomaton or for a vendor application, email theguiltylibrarian@gmail.com.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, FRONT TOP, Features