Children of Santiago Rodríguez, in Burgos, founded in 1850, is the oldest bookstore in Spain and the fifth oldest in Europe. Its owner, Lucía Alonso, a sixth-generation bookseller, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise 60,000 euros. The goal is to cover urgent debts and maintain jobs at a location that has survived a civil war, the post-war period, and a pandemic.
Crowdfunding as a digital patch for an analog problem 📚
The crowdfunding campaign is Lucía Alonso's technological bet to save the business. In the midst of the 21st century, a bookstore that sold school manuals with the goddess Minerva as its logo turns to online platforms to raise funds. The system allows donations from 5 euros, but the goal of 60,000 euros requires a viral reach that competes with social media algorithms and users' scattered attention. Without an aggressive SEO or digital marketing strategy, the store's survival depends on nostalgia and local loyalty.
The goddess Minerva asks for a loan on GoFundMe 💸
Meanwhile, the competition sells ebooks for 2.99 euros, and Amazon Prime delivers a Kindle in 24 hours. But here we are, asking for 60,000 bucks so that a bookstore with a 19th-century motto School redeems and civilizes doesn't close. If the goddess Minerva were to raise her head, she would ask for sponsorship from an audiobook app. Or at least a discount on the store's rent, which is still more expensive than a master's degree in digital storytelling.