Powell's in the Press

December 6, 2010, Portland, OR—Powell's Books announced today that it will offer Google eBooks via its website, Powells.com. The addition of Google eBooks allows Powell's customers to select from hundreds of thousands of ebooks that can easily be read on nearly any device — laptop, PC, tablet, smartphone or open format e-reader.

"We chose to use the Google eBooks platform because it does not require our customers to limit themselves to a specific device," said Emily Powell, President of Powell's Books. "Our customers will be able to read their ebooks on equipment they already own. We felt this was extremely important with our goal to provide our customers with the greatest amount of flexibility and choice."

Not only do Google eBooks offer optimal versatility for buying and reading, Google's system allows Powell's to incorporate employees' book knowledge and recommendations into the browsing process. Powell's has a reputation for helping readers find the books they want, ranging from the latest fiction to reference guides to rare and out-of-print editions. This level of service and guidance is incorporated into the Google eBooks section at Powells.com.

While many of Powell's loyal fans have debated the pros and cons of ebooks versus physical books, ebooks are not new to Powells.com. The company began selling books in electronic formats nearly 10 years ago. What is new, however, is that the Google eBooks inventory will greatly expand the selection of electronic books Powells.com offers and the range of devices on which they can be read, due to its open-platform design.

"The book industry is changing, because the way our customers read books is changing," said Ms. Powell. "By working with Google, we'll continue to get books into the hands of our customers, whether the book format is new or used, hardcover, paperback, or electronic."

About Powell's Books and Powells.com
Powell's is an independent bookseller serving the Portland, Oregon, area since 1971, with four general bookstores and one specialty store. Its flagship store takes up an entire city block, offering 68,000 square feet of used, new, rare, and out-of-print books. Powells.com offers the combined inventory of its five retail locations and five warehouses - approximately four million books in all. The site features exclusive author interviews and essays, as well as a stable of internationally respected book reviewers and content partners.

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