As I was perusing Overheard in New York this afternoon, a headline mentioning Strand reminded me that I’ve long wondered which is bigger: Strand or Powell’s?
I have yet to set foot in the Windy Apple, so I can’t judge this for myself. Powell’s bills itself as “the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world,” but that’s a pretty qualified statement. Is Strand considered independent? (Powell’s is really independent only as a technicality anymore; it’s become a local chain). Is it a new and used book store? That stuff has nothing to do with size. And how is “largest” measured, anyway? In terms of floor space? Number of titles? Number of books overall? Turning to Google for answers provided mixed results; web pages that compare and contrast both stores are few and far between, and rarely seem authoritative.
An article from 2003 would seem to settle the issue in favor of Strand:
It helps that Strand, founded in 1927, is one of the largest used book dealers in the world. It boasts 2.5 millions titles with many rare and autographed copies. By comparison, Oregon-based Powell’s Books, one of the largest dealers on the West Coast, has 1.5 million titles.
Is that in terms of overall books, or unique titles? Does it matter? Both stores’ inventories have undoubtedly grown since, but Powell’s was making the same claim way back in 2003. The assertion that Powell’s is largest is all over the web.
There are brief mentions that take Powell’s claim for granted:
The Strand, New York’s largest used bookstore, will answer an inquiry within three hours and hold any book for three days. Norman Levine’s Editions has an extensive music section in its monthly catalog, but Powell’s, whose claim to be the largest bookstore in the world is probably true, has more music books, both new and used.
Others who repeat the claim without the caveats, or specifying the criteria by which size is measured:
Down the coast in trendy Portland, Oregon, Powell’s City of Books is the largest bookstore in America. It covers an entire city block, a bookstore so big they hand you a map when you enter—with 4,000 subject areas running from Aardvark to Zen.
A blog entry that compares the two stores, but again without criteria:
The book is now up for advance order on one of my favorite bookstores, Powells.com, the online concern of the Portland, Oregon independent store. (If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know it makes New York’s Strand look like a newsstand.)
User comments that do the same:
Twas a time when [Strand] claimed to be the biggest used bookstore in the country. Having worked at Powell’s in Portland, Oregon, I know that’s far from true. Yet I like the Strand better than its West coast counterpart. The selection is as varied; the atmosphere, much homier. Even while some tomes spill out into the aisles, the books are organized well enough to find what you wish–and to stumble across what you hadn’t considered.
Not to be confused with dusty, dim, magical five star used bookstores–Powell’s is huge and well-lit, and puts the Strand in New York to shame. It should definitely be on some sort of international bookstore pilgrimage.”
That’s Powells in Portland, Oregon, in case you’re wondering, and yes, it’s bigger and infintely better than The Strand.
So what’s the deal? If Strand has more books, why does everyone think Powell’s is bigger? Is it just floor space? Are most of Strand’s books in a warehouse, out of view? Is it some kind of optical illusion?
