Examining Bookstores: The Strand
The Strand, arguably the most famous independent bookstore in New York City, is an oasis of literature and history. The store is conveniently located a short distance from Union Square and is a brief train ride from other iconic New York City locations. I have visited the Strand more than a handful of times in the last year alone, and it is the only bookstore that I recommend to friends and family. Nonetheless, I never cared to pay attention to why I'm so drawn to this place—that was until I made an effort to examine the subtleties that lure me in and cause me to spend hours exploring its stacks.
“New, used, and rare books”—is what the Strand is known for, but one can figure this out before even entering the establishment. Stacks of used books priced as low as one dollar surround the outside of the store. Despite the fact the books have been previously owned, and their condition is not great, one can find treasures hidden among them. After all, the Strand has chosen to display them outside in an effort to attract those passing by.
From even the first floor, one can see how carefully curated the store is. At the very front is the “Modern Classics” section, it includes hundreds of titles of world literature—by authors such as George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Harper Lee, J.D. Salinger, Ray Bradbury, and more. The stack of books is arranged in horizontal rows, perfectly meeting the eye and inviting for a more in-depth examination. Popular favorites, such as Becoming by Michelle Obama, also occupy the same section. Behind the modern classics, there is a section named “Best of the Best,” where most of the New York Times bestsellers and other prize-winning novels cluster together. To the right of it, a bright red sign reading “Black History Month” also attracts attention and signals titles from African American authors. With this, we see the first indication of the store’s values become evident. Directly to the left of the section, an old, dark bookshelf with handwritten recommendation notes by the employees invites the eye. The Strand's book range is very diverse, including how-to, fiction, graphic novels, and non-fiction selections. The employees are seemingly knowledgeable of many different areas of literature, and they assisted me to the best of their ability, even giving me some background information for the book that I was considering buying. Such encounters are pivotal in creating a positive atmosphere of intellectual exchange. The staff is incredibly understanding and patient, a sharp contrast to the employees of the neighboring Union Square Barnes & Noble, which I used to frequent.
Moving deeper into the store, one sees the place where most customers wander, the middle section. The classics section at the end of the hall is most eye-catching, with bookshelves full of big, old, brown books. Directly below them, you’ll find books about cooking, coffee-making, and international cuisine. Such an arrangement, I believe, is based on the assumption that many associate classics in old formats with activities such as cooking or coffee-making. It creates a positive mental image that, I am sure, has been reinforced in the customers’ minds by cultural cues in their lives.
Back to the middle of the store, another section, “Diversity in Fiction and Non-fiction,” is also prominent. It features a range of diverse writers: from the middle east, Moshin Hamid, undocumented writers telling their experiences, and even Nobel prize winners such as Kazuo Ishiguro. These stories are purposely placed together to represent more contemporary world literature and, also, a representative global novel. The LGBTQIA section positioned by the information desk also demands attention. At this point, I believe that it’s evident that the Strand, as a liberal-leaning independent bookstore, actively advocates for gender equality, diversity, and inclusivity. Trying to educate and unite its customers by providing a curated place for the exchange of ideas and ideals. Such efforts also happen outside of bookselling and staff-customer interactions: the bookstore regularly holds events where up-and-coming writers visit to give talks, sign books, and have panel discussions. Most of these writers, according to an event flier posted next to the elevator, are not “mainstream,” but they reflect the values of the store and provide intellectually rewarding conversations with the public.
Still, on the first floor, are tall shelves to the sides. They're hidden from view, calling for an exploration—taking you to a significantly smaller section of plays and screenplays, books on writing techniques, and then leading you to the enormous stacks of fiction (there is so much fiction) that is surrounding you. Here, inside the stacks, curation matters less: I found famous publishers such as Penguin Books and Random House. Yet, I also found more specialized ones, such as Minotaur books, which focuses on the publishing of a select number of genres. The massive fiction shelves, unlike the front and middle sections of the store, have no divisions. They are all arranged together—world literature, American novels, and other categories—a united world of books that desperately wants to reflect a not-so-united reality.
Lastly, there are a few more floors that receive less traffic but are also highly curated—the rare book room, the underground, and the second floor. The second floor is responsible for housing comic books, maps, and books about art, design, and architecture. The underground contains books about business, education, and more niche ones (law, religion, philosophy, and the occult).
In reflection, the store utilizes no color variation in its surroundings; it uses dark shelves and dark red and brown walls, leaving it up to the books to radiate their true colors and beauty while giving the customer a vintage impression. After spending some time in the stacks, I noticed that there is a fluidity in navigation. Going from stack to stack, sign to sign, a perfectly arranged path of book exploration (with the occasional accessory sale with the iconic logo of the store), taking the reader on a journey of values, history, and change. This bookstore knows that readers value the classics as much as the contemporary, the rare as much as the abundant, and implicitly or explicitly, this understanding can be sensed the deeper one ventures into the store.
By Nikolaos Panaousis
Images provided by the author.