Maria’s expands access to words in the Four Corners
Maria’s Bookshop has been serving the local community for four decades. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always able to serve everyone in the community.
“Maria’s Bookshop is there for people who could spend money on books,” said Nina Lundstrom, Executive Director of Maria’s Literary Foundation. “We wanted to expand that community and improve access to books in the Four Corners region.”
Thus, Maria’s Literary Foundation began in September 2024, the brainchild of bookstore owner Evan Schertz. It is now a full-fledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation has three main programs: book donations, literary programming, and a community space.
To date, Maria’s has donated more than 4,000 books to readers at community organizations, including correctional facilities, Title I schools, and fellow nonprofits. Making this initiative even more special are the golden bookmarks that let readers select their own books from the store at no cost.
“There’s a special thing about going to a bookshop and finding the book that speaks to you,” Lundstrom said.
The second program consists of community events. The program brings authors into local schools and gives students copies of their books.
“Sometimes, meeting the right author at the right time can get you excited about reading,” Lundstrom said.
Besides author events, Maria’s also facilitates open mics, pop-up book clubs, and other programming that wasn’t always feasible through the bookstore alone. The idea behind every event is to bring people together with books and words at the center. And it’s working: more than 1,000 people attended and participated in events in 2025.
Finally, the Foundation established The Reading Room, a youth-focused gathering space on College Drive in Durango that hosted more than 250 people in the last year. It’s a safe, no-cost place where young people can just hang out—though it’s also stocked with typewriters, journals, and free books that kids can take home and keep forever.
The Literary Foundation is eyeing up new programs in the coming year—all to continue connecting more of our community.
“We all know the power of a really good book to bring us together,” Lundstrom said. “So, more books is the goal.”
