5. Selection:
It only takes a moment once you've entered Powell's flagship store "City of Books" to realize that you are in the mecca of the printed word. This individual location, one of many, is the size of a city block and has multiple levels to explore. In each of their color-coded rooms, you'll find shelves upon shelves of fascinating subject matter from the obviously popular to the obscure and the rare. According to their website, Powell's City of Books has over 1,000,000 volumes on their shelves. These 1 million volumes are divided into 122 major subject areas and 3,500 subsections. There is something for EVERYBODY at the City of Books, the world's largest new and used bookstore.
Photo courtesy of www.culturaloregon.com
4. Bookseller AND Bookbuyer:
Powell's specializes in both new and used books. As such, their orange room is staffed with book buyers who will buy back your unwanted volumes. Now, they won't buy everything, but they are more than fair with their prices. If you want cash, then the amount is less than if you take in-store credit. The difference is substantial, but you know you want to buy more books anyway, so take the store credit. It can be put on a gift card as well, so you can buy over the website if you prefer. In addition, Powell's does book buying over the internet as well. They even pay your shipping. How cool is that? If you are running out of room on your shelves, but have an itch for new books, Powell's will take care of both sides of that equation.
The Orange Room during my last trip to Powell's. Photo courtesy of me!
3. Environment:
The Powell's locations have that special something that make them dynamic environments. Even the bookstore at the Portland Airport has a certain comfy quality that makes it pleasant to visit. Although, the City of Books location is the real gem in the crown of the Powell's locations. There is something about walking into this store that excites even the most reluctant reader. The cross-section of people present at any given time in Powell's is astounding and worth the trip for people watching alone. In addition, they have a primo coffee shop just off the yellow room that provides a nice break and table seating so you can browse the selections you've pulled off the shelf.
Photo courtesy of Big Blue Globe.
2. The Staff:
Have you ever been to a bookstore where the clerk just doesn't understand what you are talking about or how to help you? I have, and it is a frustrating expedition. I have never had this experience in Powell's. On my last trip, I ventured up to the yellow room and asked the clerk for some recommendations for good dystopian novels. Together, we wandered the shelves while the clerk spouted off author and title suggestions one after the other. He began schooling me in the subgenre of dystopian fiction called "cyberpunk" and gave me recommendations that stretched across the decades from the 60s to present. It was a whirlwind of information. This is the rule at Powell's, not the exception. Every time I have asked a Powell's employee a question, I have either been met with an exceptional answer, or guided to an employee who could provide one.
Miriam Sontz, CEO of Powell's Books.
Photo Courtesy of KGW.com
1. Community:
Powell's is an organization rooted in the Portland community, but its reach is felt way beyond the borders of this town and this state, even, some would say, this nation. This doesn't stop them from being an organization rooted in the firmament of our own community. Powell's does so much to bring writers and artists together with their readers and admirers. From the ever-changing art exhibits in the Pearl Room of the City of Books location, to their wide array of readings, Powell's brings art to the people and has worked hard to do so since 1970. It is a cornerstone of the Portland, Oregon, community whose scope and reach makes it a marvel amongst the doom and gloom reports of modern day publishing. Just walk into any Powell's location and try and make the argument that the printed word is faltering. In each of their stores, you will find proof that the world still needs books, writers, and readers, and that the institution of the written word is still very much alive and well.
Support your local independent bookstore. If you aren't in the Portland area, then look around for yours. It is important to keep them alive and well in our communities because they serve a vital function.
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