Sherman’s at 49 Exchange Street offers a bookshop stop in Portland’s Old Port with a connection to a much longer Maine story.

The business began in Bar Harbor in 1886, when Bill Sherman established a printing and stationery operation that also sold books.

The Portland shop opened in 2014, bringing books and gifts to Exchange Street.

It is one of ten communities now served by the company’s shops, all described as open year-round, seven days a week.

For a reader or a gift shopper, a local bookstore gives a practical reason to slow a shopping trip down.

Ask staff about a title, browse a shelf you might otherwise pass and consider what someone on your list would actually enjoy reading.

Use the Portland store’s own listing for current hours and contact details.

The company also has shops in Freeport, Falmouth and Windham, useful alternatives for readers around the wider Bay.