Nonprofits: Filling the Void

Today's LA Times described how MacArthur Genius Grant Winner Rueben Martinez's Liberia Martinez is at death's door.

Liberia Martinez is a latino-focused, independent bookshop.  Like newspapers and for all kinds of reasons, independent bookstores are dying.  Market demand and competition (big stores and on-line) are two primary contributors to the problem.  Of course, neither the big stores nor on-line (more so) have passionate and knowledgeable sales people to guide buyers but buyers don't seem that concerned. 

Could one answer be the conversion of these institutions to nonprofit status?  Nonprofits fill the void between the for-profit and government sectors.  The bookstore could recruit some passionate readers who value the gifts of the independent bookseller and who could serve as board members and provide access to capital to subsidize financial losses that are sure to otherwise occur.  And the philanthropic community, with clearness about the need for literacy could pitch in too. 

Yes, the nonprofit sector could indeed be the last bastion for the caring bookseller and caring reader.