Analina Moy, 35, of Huntington Beach shops at the Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery in Santa Ana. The Latino-focus shop has hit tough economic times familiar to many independent bookstores and may be forced to close in three to six months. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
Rueben Martinez sits in a vintage steel-and-leather barbers chair, a gift from an admirer to remind Martinez of his 30 years of cutting hair before he opened Libreria Martinez. He has been paying rent from his personal savings and maintaining a hectic schedule of speaking engagements at colleges and universities, using the proceeds to sustain the stores in Santa Ana and Lynwood. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery started as a shelf in Martinezs barbershop in 1993 and has grown into a Santa Ana institution with an international draw, bringing in hundreds of authors, such as literary giants Isabel Allende, Julia Alvarez and Carlos Fuentes, and high-profile speakers, including Nobel Peace Prize-winning Costa Rica President Oscar Arias. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
