First time users

Handy Glossary of Terms

Searching

How to
Understanding the Search Results
What do Mass Market, Hurt, Markdown, Short Discount, and Trade Paper mean?
What condition are these books in, anyway?

Browsing

by Section
by Date of Arrival

The Shopping Cart

Removing Items
Changing Quantities

Checkout

Choosing a User Name and Password
Forgot Your User Name or Password?
Place My Order

What are Cookies (or, How come you still know who I am?)
How do I log off?

Shipping

Customs and Import Duties on International Shipments

Special Services

Used Book Acquisitions
Out-of-Print Services

More about powells.com

Powell's Guarantees
Privacy and Security
Contact Us
Store addresses and phone numbers
Who We Are
Employment

 
FIRST TIME USERS
Careful: Powell's can be an addictive habit. The Surgeon General warns that visiting our site leads to increased awareness of the world around you, success at school and in the workplace, artful dinner party conversation, and, most dangerous of all, heightened imagination and creativity. Spend too much time with us and before you know it you'll be sending off for information about speed reading classes just to keep up. Don't laugh; we've seen it happen. With 3,000 used titles added to our shelves every day, there's literally no end to the great deals you'll find.

So search and browse all you like. Whether it's a book by your favorite author or a title people have been telling you about for years, odds are good you'll find it here, both New and Used, in Hardcover and Paperback. And everything we sell comes with a 100% money-back quality guarantee, so go ahead and buy two used books instead of one new one - read more; pay less. Just toss the books into your shopping cart, and within minutes you can order online with our secure server, or, if you prefer, by phone.

If you have questions along the way, you'll probably find answers on this page. If not, Powell's is a real, honest-to-goodness physical store located here in Portland, Oregon. Our staff of book-loving human beings is here to help.
 

Understanding the Search Results

Included in your search results, you'll find information about the binding of the book, as well as the book's "class." Binding types include Hardcover (which may or may not have a dust jacket), Mass Market (a smaller paperback, the size you often find at grocery store), Trade Paperback (usually taller, wider, and printed on nicer paper than a mass market), and Electronic (a RocketEdtion electronic book). Other terms that fall into the 'binding' category are Advanced Reader (trade paperback versions of books released to book industry insiders prior to the actual offical release date of the book), and Uncorrected Proof (which are similar to Advanced Readers, but not relased specifically for marketing purposes).

Book classes include New (a brand new book), Used (a used book in good, reading condition (like everything you buy at Powell's, if you're not satisfied with the condition of your used book, return it for a full refund), Sale (new books we've made available at substantial savings), Hurt and Markdown (new books discounted due to a dent or small gouge in the cover, but which are in otherwise excellent condition), Short Discount (new books, often published for professional use, offered at a minimal discount to booksellers, and hence usually a little more expensive than other new books) and finally, Special New (books sold to us as used which have never been read - spines uncracked, new book smell intact, etc.).

BROWSING
by Section
In the left hand margin you'll see a box with 'Find Sections' above it and a button that says 'Browse' underneath it. Do we have a section devoted to your subject of interest? Type that subject into the open field and click on the Browse button. If any of our sections or subsections contain your search terms, you'll see them listed in your results. Click on any one of them and we'll take you directly to the holdings of that section or subsection.

If we don't find a section that corresponds exactly to the subject you've entered, don't worry: with almost 3,000 subsections, it's almost certain that we have books on your topic. Simply click once more to find our closest matches. We'll look for each of your search terms separately, run them through our thesaurus, and match them with the closest, related words that we can. We've given the Section Search a lot of latitude in finding 'close' matches, so in some cases it may pull up things you weren't looking for at all. However, most times it will point you where you want to go.

If you'd rather just take a look at our entire section list, you can do that here.

by Date of Arrival
At the top of each section page you'll notice a link to 'Newly arrived used titles in these sections,' a function which allows you to view only the used books we've received in the past two weeks. Take the link to enter our recent arrivals area.

This option is a great idea for those of you who like to check your favorite sections regularly, searching for great deals. We receive approximately 3000 used books each day and update our database every night, so check back every week and you'll always find the freshest deals!
 
SHOPPING CART
Add titles to your Shopping Cart from the Detail page by checking the small box beside the title and clicking the Add to Shopping Cart button. Don't worry - you haven't committed to anything. You can remove as many items as you like before placing your order.

Removing Items
To remove a book from your Shopping Cart, simply click on the Remove from Shopping Cart link below the book listing.

Changing Quantities
To order multiple copies of a single title, after placing the book in your Shopping Cart just change the quantity (in the box beside the title) to reflect the number you'd like. Next, click on the Update Shopping Cart button. If we don't have enough copies of that particular book in stock, the Shopping Cart will let you know. (Oftentimes, you can find more copies by choosing alternate editions or prices from our shelves.)

***To register changes, you must click on Update Shopping Cart before proceeding to Checkout.***
 
CHECKOUT

User Name and Password
Choose a User Name that will be easy to remember (an email address is often best) and a password. Your User Name must be unique - no two powells.com members may share a common User Name.

Be sure to record both your User Name and Password, as you'll need them to place orders in the future.

Forgot Your User Name or Password?
In order to protect the privacy of our customers, Powell's does not release account information, including forgotten passwords. As again and again our surveys show that online security is of paramount concern to our customers, we ask, instead, that you please take a moment to set up a new account.

Place My Order
At Checkout, you'll be asked to confirm your shipping address and method, the items you are ordering, and the total price. If you'd like the books shipped to an address other than the one we have on file for you or you'd like to change the shipping method, simply follow the links we've provided and enter the correct information.

Further specifications may be entered in the Notes field. For example, 'Send this book only if it is the 4th edition,' or 'Book must have a dust jacket!" If the book fits your requirements, we'll ship it.

When you're ready, click on the Place My Order button at the bottom of the page. We'll confirm your order on-screen, and you'll also receive an email copy of the transaction. That's it! In the next 1 to 3 days you'll receive an email letting you know the status of your order.
 
COOKIES
'Cookies' are electronic identification tickets your browser receives when you place a book in your Shopping Cart. We use them to remember those items, and to keep your Shopping Cart distinct from those of other users.

When you make a purchase at our site - any purchase - your cookie immediately expires. In essence, you turn in your shopping cart.

Otherwise, a cookie's natural shelf life is 30 days. During that period, we'll keep your shopping cart full - minus whatever books we've sold since you visited last. (While you may organize books by placing them in your Shopping Cart, those books remain available to other shoppers.) If you do not return to Powell's during that 30-day period, when you visit next, your 'saved' items will no longer appear.

A Note to Public Terminal Users:
Because a cookie lasts for 30 days, if you access your account information at a public terminal and leave without placing an order, technically, you're still logged in. To avoid this awkward circumstance, we suggest you visit our logoff page. Once you're there, click on the link provided, and your cookie will be exterminated. The browser will no longer remember your name.

Cookies do not threaten the well-being of your computer. And while Powell's uses cookies to provide more personal service to our customers, we do not share personal information, including but not limited to email addresses and purchase records, with any outside vendor or firm.

SHIPPING

Customs and Import Duties on International Shipments
In some cases, international shipments can incur import duties upon their arrival in your country. Powell's has no control over these duties, nor can we say with certainty what they will be. Any customs or import duties levied on your shipment are the responsibility of the recipient. If you have concerns, please direct questions to the customs office in your country.

However, if your shipment is going to Canada, please note that to expedite your shipment we do collect GST on this end - your shipment will not be held for the collection of GST by Canadian Customs. You'll see the GST itemized on your receipt.
 
SPECIAL SERVICES
Used Book Acquisition
Out-of-print Searches

MORE ABOUT POWELL'S
Powell's Guarantees
Privacy and Security
Contact Us
Store addresses and phone numbers
Who We Are -- You've heard about Portland's landmark, the bookselling tourist mecca on Burnside Street, but you haven't yet made it to Portland? Or maybe you want to know how the world's largest independent bookstore transformed into a Web site that's drawn raves from London to L.A.? Step right this way!