In 1957, Helen Woodward acquired Drawver's Old Books in Wichita, a store that had been around since at least 1943. Seeking a new name, she avoided using "Woodward's" due to its length and end-of-the-directory placement. Naming it "Helen's" might imply a focus on romance and cookbooks. She chose "Al's Old Books," after her husband, placing it at the top of the phone book listings and suggesting a general bookshop offering a wide range of genres including history, fiction, religion, classics, cookbooks, and comics. In 2005, Anita Siemer took over the store to keep it running after Helen had a stroke. Wanting to maintain its long history, Anita kept the name. She and her staff improved the inventory by constantly adding new books and organizing them. They moved to a new location but retained the same quality bookstore experience, continuing to expand and adapt their collection.