With over half a million used, new, rare, and hardtofind titles, it will be very easy to get lost in the aisles of powells books at cedar hills crossing. Powells city of books this portland landmark is also the worlds largest new and used bookstore. Powells books 1005 w burnside st, portland, or 97209. Only open from 117, this is a dontmiss corner of the store. We went to powells based on local friends recommendations. Its inventory features imports as well as titles from quality trade publishers and university presses, and is. Located on the fourth floor of burton barr central library, the rare book room houses three collections the alfred knight collection contains 3400 rare, historically significant books and ephemera including 4000yearold clay tablets, illuminated manuscripts, shakespeares second and fourth folios and leaf from the gutenberg bible.
No visit would be complete without an adventure into powells rare book room. Powells city of books portland 2020 all you need to. Powells books rare book room bookstore in portland foursquare. The mother of all book stores, powells has everything. They also have a rare book room with books from the 1500s and earlier, rare books, etc. This is my last biweekly posting on the subject of rare books for the pages of. Powells city of books 1005 w burnside st portland, or. And if the downtown location doesnt satiate your appetite, there are other portland locations to look into. The powell s parking garage is closing to the public on monday, september 23. The hervey family rare book room houses the wangenheim collection of rare books and materials.
Find powells city of books in portland with address, phone number from yahoo us local. It is known by bibliophiles for its rare book room, where you can find. We also have a number of warehouses and book sources locally, nationally, and internationally. The store is surprisingly open 365 days a year yes, really, which means you can visit christmas day. An independent bookseller in portland, oregon since 1971, powells stocks more than 1. Powell s is an independent bookstore based in portland, oregon. If you have questions about current or future rare book orders placed through powells. Sales tax is not separately calculated and collected in connection with items ordered from powells books, inc through the site unless explicitly indicated as such in the ordering process.
Over the last decade, a company called octavo digitally photographed some of the world s great books from some of the greatest libraries. Powells books operates four stores in portland, oregon, and one in nearby beaverton. Serious book lovers should plan to visit the rare book room. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. Books at a great discount, book borrowing policy, the tourists are super nice and fun. Helpful locals guide to powells book store portland guide. The city of books has nine colorcoded rooms and over 3,500 different. Launched by michael powell in 1971, powells has long been a portland institution. A portland icon since the 1970s, powells is massive.
Although we occasionally arrange to come out to look at large, specialized collections, in general we ask that you bring your books into our hyde park store for one of our buyers to. The only exception to this stylistic rule is the rare book room, which trades pine shelving for darker woods, and which seeks elegance with comfy, antique furniture pieces to settle into, and tasteful artwork. See 16 photos from 274 visitors to powells books rare book room. You might find hours have passed while you settled into the warm, woodpaneled room. Found this holy grail item while vacationing in portland. What is the rare book room and what can i put in there. Powells books shopping your destination guide to portland. Powells books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world. To have a powell s buyer look at your book s, please visit the buyers table in the orange room at the city of books, or at our hawthorne or cedar hills stores. For rare and collectible books, powell s follows the condition codes first proposed in 1949 by ab bookmans weekly, which have since been widely adopted as the industry standards. To ensure that you are viewing accurate, up to date information, please visit our events calendar on powells.
The rare book room site has been constructed as an educational site intended to allow the visitor to examine and read some of the great books of the world. Covering an entire city block, powells is a landmark, a great bookstore. Powells books at cedar hills crossing in beaverton, or. I cant think of any used bookstores in seattle that match this. For a long time, powells enormity was a measure of how much portlanders loved books. Powells city of books burnside 1005 w burnside portland, or 97209. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and are available on a first. The quantity of books organized by topic is amazing. It buys over 3,000 books every day to sells in its used and rare book sections. Powells city of books portland, oregon insider pages. Powells offers free public tours of our flagship store every sunday. Restaurants near powells city of books urbanspoonzomato. Learn the history of the worlds largest independent bookstore, from the pillar of signatude to our rare book room. Powells city of books the official guide to portland.
Powells books, portland, oregon, united states shop. Although there are multiple outlets, the flagship location in downtown portland offers by far the best selection. To this day the store maintains a nononsense, industrial feel. You can explore and buy thousands of rare books from around the world. Here youll also find a rarebook room and a coffee shop where customers are welcome to read books before buying. Powells books in portland this huge city of books prides itself in hosting not just a million books but a million of the best. Powells city of books in portland, or 97209 citysearch. Other arrangements can be made for purchasing particularly large or valuable collections. Get info on powells city of books in portland, or 97209. Located on the ninth floor of central library special collections include the hervey family rare book room, the san diego heritage room, the marilyn and gene marx special collection room, the genealogy collection and the california collection. Given the covid19 pandemic, call ahead to verify hours, and remember to practice. The quick guide to powells books in portland, oregon covers everything. Our rare books experts are a walking encyclopedia of all things rare and collectible.
The collection is available for browsing monday through friday, 9 a. Its the largest independent chain of bookstores in the world, and when you visit the aptly named flagship shop, powells city of books, youll need a map to find your way around the store provides one. Powells headquarters, dubbed powells city of books, claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. Signed books, rare editions, as well as one museumesque room dedicated to precious books original copies of george orwells essays, for example are easy to find for everyone, including first time visitors. Housed in a fivestory building that occupies an entire city block, calling powells a city of books is. Powells books is a chain of bookstores in portland, oregon, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Spend your special evening surrounded by rare and antique books curated by strands resident experts. Powells city of books, 1005 w burnside, downtown daily.
Powells city of books is a portland landmark and has many rare and outofprint books too. Visit powells city of books on your trip to portland or. Restaurants near powells city of books advertisement. Powell s city of books is set into various sections, including the rare book room. Portlands 10 best bookstores and no, powells isnt our. For more information about supporting these collections, contact laura fay at the library foundation. Ashley kasper august 9, 2016 you could honestly spend hours here. All of our stores and used book buying counters are temporarily closed. Portlands 10 best bookstores and no, powells isnt our favorite updated jan 09, 2019. Powells books is a chain of bookstores in portland, oregon, and its surrounding metropolitan. Due to the visual nature of the rare book room, listings sell particularly well.
Locations powell s books operates four stores in portland, oregon, and one in nearby beaverton. A kind woman who worked there said it was placed on the shelf two hours earlier. Powells books wholesale, which sells to the trade only, has over 16,000 titles in stock, making it the countrys largest distributor of academic bargain books. It also holds rare and collectible books on a wide range of other subjects. Stop by one of our locations any day of the week to sell your books over the counter. The company claims to be the largest independent bookstore in the u. The rare book room of our salem store specializes in science fiction, fantasy and horror. From humble storefront beginnings in 1971 on a derelict corner of northwest portland, oregon, powells books has grown into one of the worlds great bookstores, with five locations in the portland metropolitan area, and one of the book worlds most successful dot.
Rare book room is good, but the architecture and design books on top floor are the best, and good places to slowly pick out your favorite book of ideas. Turn your books into cash or get even more value in store credit. Items ordered from powells books, inc may be subject to tax in certain states, based on the state to which the order is shipped. The first librarian for the rare book and manuscript collections was hired in 1938, and some years later the room was renamed for albert m. Powells city of books is located in the pearl district on the edge of downtown and occupies a full city block between nw 10th and 11th avenues and between w. Questions about the rare book room should be directed to 18008787323 ext. Be sure to stop by the rare book room where autographed copies. Its four stories, and has every book you could ever want.
John wilson special collections multnomah county library. The strands rare book room is a perfect venue for weddings, celebrations, and private events. Powells city of books is open daily from 9am to 10pm. Across the pearl room from the basil hallward gallery, our rare book room is 1,000 square feet of dark wood shelving, ambient lighting, antique furniture, and. For the most uptodate information, click on each store location below.
Open during select hours and by appointment only, the rare book room has an extensive selection of antique books and references, set in beautiful dark wood shelving, antique furniture, warm lighting and works of art. The city of books was born in a former used car dealership. Bender, the san francisco bibliophile whose philanthropy had long benefited the stanford rare book collections. In addition to the endless isles of new and used books, youll find rare and outofprint books, too. Hotel near powells rare books in portland the nines hotel. Powells city of books fills an entire city block, where it sells new and used books.
This is also the only area with its own hours and appointments. Many types of unique or collectible items sell well in the rare book room. We will only be able to give you an offer on your books if we have seen them in person. For recommendations on gifts, help finding the perfect addition to your collection, or a look through whats new and interesting in the rare book room, they have you covered. Products, new, used and rare books, magazines, cards, and sidelines. In 1948, the rare books collections, together with the manuscript, rare map, print, and. The flagship store on burnside avenue is the size of a city block, and is divided into different rooms e.
In the rarebook room, youll find two 1814 volumes by lewis and clark. Powell s is generally very conservative when assessing the condition of book, so you can generally be assured that a book listed in, say, fine, condition is in at least as good a condition as the description listed below. The book bin also deals in rare and antiquarian books. Hey local fans heres a list of store holiday hours. Found at powells rare book room in portland reddit. Powells city of books is a book lovers paradise, the. We partner with some of the best caterers, florists, and decorators in the city to bring your event to life.