Market Models and The Middle Layer

I am glad that we are going to be discussing Pawley’s article, “Beyond Market Models and Resistance: Organizations as a Middle Layer in the History of Reading,” because I am not sure I fully understand it.  I understand the distinction between the two models and what each is suggesting… but I feel there is a disconnect between the first descriptions of the models and the rest of the article.  Which is why I purpose -- I don’t understand it.  I think I am missing the relation between the two models and the “organization” that Pawley describes as a middle layer.  Is the “organization” the library?  Pawley discusses that we want to bridge the gap between individual and society… but what is the “organization” that is bridging it?  Then, I think I understand the final section concerning reading, writing, and control.  Many of these topics seem to be ones we have discussed through previous articles.  Somewhere in the midsection of the article, I feel like I lose focus of what Pawley is describing.  As I was reading the last section, I couldn’t help but wonder… do we still have literary elite?  Is there a group that feels they are better than other literate people that decide what constitutes quality literature? I guess some could argue that the literary elite would be educated individuals- perhaps at the collegiate level… but I don’t really know. 

        Another area of slight confusion for me was the metaphor of the “reader as a poacher.”  Is this metaphor suggesting that readers are stealing the ideas of others who wrote them (writers) and filling their heads with this information, opposed to creating their own?  If so, then why would a writer ever write anything down?  Isn’t the point of writing to share your ideas with others?  If that is seen as “poaching,” then I suppose I don’t see why anyone would publish anything.  Again… am I missing the metaphor?  I will be interested to hear others opinions on these issues in hopes of understanding them a little better.