For the second time in four years a local bookstore has expanded and increased its services.

Junction Book Room, 822 W. Lincoln Hwy., now carries over 45,000 titles, more than double the amount of titles one finds at a typical Waldenbooks or Kroch’s and Brentano’s bookstore.

“We’ve had a pretty good response from the community,” said David Sytsma, owner of the Junction bookstore. “But we’re also aware we’re competing in a very big market.”

Sytsma said the store caters to a wide variety of readers, but is starting to specialize for NIU students.

“We’re now beginning to carry textbooks for selected courses,” Sytsma said. “We’re very aware we are in a university environment.”

Sytsma said the bookstore has both a very strong history and philosophy section.

One of the other features of the bookstore is the different hours the shop keeps from many other stores in the DeKalb area.

The Junction Book Room is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

“My assumption is students keep odd hours and so do we,” he said. “I think a bookstore is part of the community.”

Sytsma said in order to obtain a more relaxed environment he has added a fireplace and some chairs as sort of a lounge.

“I want to encourage people to come in and browse whenever,” he said.