Just had a chance to read an interesting piece from the Los Angeles Times about Powell's City of Books in Portland and how it's coping with the digital shift. It seems that the shifts in the industry are happening faster and cutting deeper than just a couple of years ago. I think change is going to continue to be rapid-fire and unsettling for the short term.

The LA Times piece does a good job of framing the challenges ahead for Powell's. It also offers some interesting tidbits: Powell's was selling books online in 1994, before Amazon. And 90% of Powell's book sales take place outside the Pacific Northwest.

Of course, Powell's City of Books holds a special place in our hearts here at CMP — its rare books room iis even mentioned in our mission statement. While for my money, Elliott Bay Book Co. in Seattle has more charm, Powell's City of Books has the power to inspire. It's the mecca of bibliophiles. We watch its next moves with both great expectations and a hint of trepidation.