Are independent bookstores the wave of the future?

Between the pressure from uber-retailers like Wal-Mart that undercut prices and the rise in electronic books on Amazon and Apple's iBookstore, Barnes and Noble, once the nation’s bookstore superpower, has decided to put itself up for sale. The winner in the loss of B&N? It very well might be independent bookstores. Just like the local record stores with loyal followings that continued to thrive after the demise of mega-music retailers like Tower and Virgin when music went digital, the neighborhood book shop might have the staying power to withstand economic change. Read more about the strengths of the small book business at Portfolio:

As small businesses, [independent bookstores] are generally better at responding quickly to economic trends than their larger brothers. They've also been used to competing with players who might have more pricing power than they do, thanks, ironically, to the longstanding presence of the chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble.

And there are intangibles, Landon said.

Is the time of the independent bookstore—that almost mythical place that caters to a niche not easily found elsewhere, or deals in used books, and is run by, yes, book lovers for book lovers—likely to be the last bookstore standing?

Case in point? A look at New York's indie bookstores.