Rumor has it that Seattle’s venerable Elliott Bay Book Company is on the move. Paul Constant, the book editor at the Stranger and a former Elliott Bay employee, his hearing murmurs on Capitol Hill that Elliott Bay has found a new home and will be leaving Pioneer Square. Elliot Bay has been in Pioneer Square since its inception in 1973 and has been an upper-tier independent bookseller on the national level for almost as long.
Though still in the rumor stage, the story broke at 4pm on Friday, the mere possibility is seismic. Pioneer Square, the City of Seattle, and the bookselling world at large will all feel the impact of such a move.
The comments left on Constant’s post are a good place to start to get a sense of the potential local fallout of the move. From the last nail in the coffin of Pioneer Square to the death of Bailey Coy Books, from parking to panhandlers and light rail to the viaduct; all these issues are in play as people try to make sense of the possibility.
Constant goes on to say that the rumored move would be “a great thing for the Elliott Bay Book Company.” I’m not so sure.
Wessel & Lieberman has been located within a block of Elliott Bay since 1993. During the heyday of their reading series in the early 1990’s we helped with the overflow, co-sponsoring readings and lending our space when needed so they could keep up with the tremendous demand. When founder Walter Carr was ready to retire we were one signature away from merging our businesses and creating the premier book destination of the Pacific Northwest. I got cold feet at the last minute and it was subsequently sold to Ron Scher, the founder of Third Place Books and Peter Aaron. Aaron is now the sole owner.
The problem is not solely Pioneer Square. It has been pretty much the same for some time. It is a heavily touristed neighborhood with significant social service issues. The Missions, the courts, and the other social service agencies that are in or near Pioneer Square all feed the neighborhood with people who are down on their luck. It has been that way since the time of Skid Road. The Nisqually earthquake and the Mardi Gras mess, which was as much a law enforcement debacle as it was a violence issue, of 2001 didn’t help things either. The perception of Pioneer Square, not the reality, is it’s worst enemy. Then of course there is the economy and torrent of change that has swept over the bookselling world in the last 15 years. Times are tough.
But part of the problem rests with Elliott Bay. For many years now they have survived on the fumes of their legendary status. They have done very little to adjust to the changing landscape of the book world. Yes, they added used books years ago but you got a sense that it was bastard-child type relationship as it never reflected the essence of Elliott Bay; it had a completely different vibe. They have a weak online presence (The ABA deserves some responsibility here for their failed Book Sense initiative which did little to help and ultimately, might have harmed their participating members) and they have no social media strategy. One can only imagine the goldmine of content that lives in the past, present and future of Elliott Bay Book Company.
So Elliott Bay as it is might have to move to Capitol Hill to survive. It is not a lateral move nor is it a step up. It is a move to try and steady a sinking ship.
But there is another possibility. If you’re a book lover with a few extra dollars in your pocket then how about buying the place! From my conversations with Aaron I am certain he would be delighted to pass the Elliott Bay torch to someone who can take it into the 21st century. Then with a little additional investment, a few tweaks to the model, and a few new hires you can once again be on top of the bookselling world.
After all this is Seattle, right?