In the past few decades, the publishing industry has gone through drastic changes: large chain bookstores have pushed out independent bookstores, and now digital book retailers and ebooks have pushed out the chains.

But Josh Spencer is turning back the clock. A former online book seller, Spencer now owns a 10,000-square-foot used bookstore in downtown Los Angeles, aptly named The Last Bookstore.

On the corner of 5th and Spring streets, The Last Bookstore is a book-lover's paradise with a large cavernous space, a hushed atmosphere, comfy couches, and, of course, rows and rows of books. Formerly a bank that opened in 1915, the building boasts tall columns and antique furnishings that give the space a nostalgic air, while murals and sculptures - one made completely of books suspended on wires - add a more modern feel. The store also features a section of used records and a small coffee bar.

Spencer, who sold books online for the last 12 years, said he was approached in 2006 about creating a physical bookstore in downtown LA. Three years later, Spencer opened a small store on Main St. and soon had more books than the few shelves would hold. Spencer and his employees found the current space and opened the store in June.

Since then, the bookstore has seen 10 times as many customers as the Main St. store because of its visible location and increased foot traffic.

"It was at the right place at the right time," Spencer said. "People were hungry for that downtown."

On a Friday afternoon, a young father perused the $1 book section while pushing a stroller. Richard Carradine found the bookstore after walking past it one day and has come back several times. "I like used bookstores because I find books I wouldn't otherwise discover. It has more of range of unusual books, and the prices are much better," he said.

While The Last Bookstore has few competitors in terms of other used bookstores in the area, they do compete with online book retailers like Amazon which are often cheaper and more convenient than going to an actual bookstore. Spencer admits it is a challenge to keep up with the changing culture without joining it.

"We're not interested in carrying e-books or e-readers," Spencer said. "We feel like our motto is to provide a better alternative." This means thinking outside the box and providing what digital bookstores can't - a community space.

In the evenings, The Last Bookstore hosts a variety of events including concerts, theater productions, dance performances, and poetry readings on the stage in the middle of the store. It also hosts community panels on different issues and offers a Skillshare series, where people come to teach others about their craft.

"We try different things to get the community involved, to create a space to hang out, talk, and learn. We try to create events they can't find anywhere else," Spencer said.

This Sunday they will host the LA Zine fest - a large gathering of underground magazines - and hope to have several thousand people attend.

While The Last Bookstore is still working to pay off its debts, it helps that many people are selling their books to the store, Spencer said. Some people have inherited entire libraries or need to get rid of books when they move, while others just need the extra money to pay rent. With the increase of books and customers, Spencer plans to expand the store to an upper mezzanine that would double its display space.

"Books have been around for thousands of years, they won't fade away with new technology. Whether people read books or put them on the shelf, people just love their books," Spencer said.

He notes that his customer base doesn't just represent the older generation, but an eclectic group of people including hipsters, homeless people, middle-class Americans, and celebrities come through his door each day.

In the classics section, 24-year-old Biko Haffar wears a beanie and skinny jeans as he thumbs through the books on the shelf.

"Local bookstores are nice, and having a bookstore in downtown LA adds to the culture - it's a whole experience," Haffar said, "I don't work far from here and with bookstores closing and the library open limited hours...where else do I go?"