T
ucked away in the upper village of Montecito lies a pillar
of literary history called Tecolote Book Shop. Tecolote was
first documented around the earthquake of 1925, when the
shop resided in the Spanish alley of El Paseo. More than 35 years
later, after passing through hands of several owners, the Montecito
location emerged.
Between the walls lie the blood, sweat, and tears of great
writers, some of whom have called Santa Barbara home such as
Barnaby Conrad, Fannie Flagg, T.C. Boyle, and Sue Grafton.
Serving the community has been a priority since the beginning, and
when the book shop came on the market in 2007, Mary Sheldon,
who had been Tecolote’s manager since 1992, took the reins and
knew where to turn. Calling on a fellow book shop enthusiast and
billionaire, Herb Simon (along with two other investors), Tecolote
found new ownership and preservation.
“My favorite part is matching the person to the book,” Mary
explains, intuition she’s perfected through past occupations managing
other local institutions such as Chaucer’s Bookstore and the Santa
Barbara Botanical Garden book shop. “It’s wonderful when customers
come back and say, ‘I need another book just like the one you
recommended.’ It’s about enhancing people’s lives and making it fun.”
With absence of a website or social media presence, the book shop
keeps it traditional, relying solely on word-of-mouth. Mary, along with
Tecolote personnel Penny and Annie, have a range of knowledge,
surpassing what any discount Internet retailer can offer. Book readings
and signings are hosted and encouraged, especially for local authors
– another personal attribute unattainable on the Internet. What does
the future hold for Tecolote? “I’ve always felt I am just taking care of
the book shop,” Mary says. “My hope is when I leave for whatever
reason, someone else will take it over, love it as much as I do, and
have it available for people to enjoy for years to come.”
Tecolote Book Shop
1470 East Valley Rd #52, Montecito, CA 93108
|
(805) 969-4977
TECOLOTE
BY
MEGAN
WALDREP
100
summer
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fall
