The Trickle Down Has Trickled Away

Anyone fond of books is aware of the steady drip of book shop closures.

You might chalk it up to the decline in the quality of books being published today, with a heavy emphasis on that which will be a blockbuster over that which is a good read.

You can't deny that the troubles being visited on book vendors has a great deal to do with the economy and the overall lack of spare change in the average reader's pocket.

Bookstore owners have to look at any and all cost-cutting measures to survive, and once they've exhausted all options, they'll turn to the property owner and beg a reduction in the monthly rent. After all, space that was once worth a given amount during the boom times isn't worth that much any longer.

For New York's Cooper Union, however, there isn't enough money trickling down from above to trickle down to the owners of St. Mark's Bookshop who came calling with hat in hand.

Bob Contant and Terry McCoy can't keep their doors open and still pay the same rent they've been paying back when the bookstore was flush. The problem is, property owner Cooper Union is equally skint.

For Cooper Union, there is the option of renting the space to someone else who would be willing to pay the price that's been set. The iconic school would then maintain that level of much needed income, and there'd be no need to ask teachers or staff to take a pay cut to make up the difference.

So is there someone else waiting in the wings to take over the space? Given the state of things, it doesn't seem likely.

Being a popular place, St. Mark's Bookshop has turned to its customer base for help, but petitions don't put money in the till. While there's been a slight uptick in sales as people make purchases to help out, such an uptick won't last forever and there's no light at the end of the economic tunnel coming into view just yet.

Somehow, Mr. McCoy and Mr. Contant have to convince the powers that be at Cooper Union that a reduced rent is better than no rent at all, and that's what is most likely to happen if the bookshop has to shut its doors.

Is there no one out there who patronizes St. Mark's Bookshop who can lean on friends or colleagues with some influence at Cooper Union? Some architects or engineers who benefited from the school, and who like to read?