Grungy, maddeningly disorganized, stuffy and crowded, the Strand is nonetheless one of New York’s premier bookstores, a place that rivals the legendary “Library at Alexandria” in its scope and variety. Its motto is “Eight Miles of Books,” and it certainly feels like it has that many when you visit; best of all, many of these are “front list” books that are ordered directly from the publisher at a substantial discount (sometimes as much as 50%). Those looking for rare books should look no farther: The Strand has the largest collection in the city, with dozens trading in each day.