Few places can weather a century’s worth of change quite like a neighborhood bookstore; all the more if it’s been through a pandemic, the online shopping boom, and even an earthquake.
Perhaps it’s the charm of the space, the simple pleasure of browsing the shelves and inhaling the crisp scent of fresh paper, that remains the driving force behind its success. Yet, when all is said and done, it’s not just the cozy shopping experience that deserves credit for its resilience; it’s the powerhouses behind the operation who refuse to let the lights go out.
In this case, it’s thanks to owner Mary Sheldon and her business partner Herb Simon that Tecolote Book Shop in Montecito is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year — a milestone shared by only a handful of Santa Barbara businesses and institutions.
A peek inside Tecolote Books | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
On a gloomy Monday morning in August, I stopped by the shop to chat with Sheldon, who’s usually there five days a week. The space is warm, not in temperature but in atmosphere — as every bookstore should be. Owl figurines (‘tecolotl’ is Nahuatl for owl) line the dark wood shelves, wrapping around the store — gifts from customers and friends.
The shop has quite a storied and complicated history, one that Sheldon admitted she can’t possibly recall in its entirety. Instead, she handed me a copy of a 1998 article by Charles N. Johnson, who wrote a detailed and in-depth examination of its history.
In short, the shop opened in 1925 in Santa Barbara’s historic El Paseo Courtyard, just months before June’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake. Initially, it was more of an antique shop that sold a few books, but over time, it evolved into a full-fledged bookstore.
After that, it switched storefronts a few times at El Paseo Courtyard and branched off into multiple locations. Over the years, ownership changed hands several times before settling at its current location, 1470 East Valley Road in Montecito, in the early 1960s.
The tale of how the store landed in Sheldon’s hands is much simpler. She actually started shopping at Tecolote’s original location in 1953, shortly after she moved to Santa Barbara with her mom and sister. After graduating from UCSB with a degree in environmental studies and an emphasis in botany, she started working at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Eventually, she moved into the book world and began working as a book seller at Chaucer’s Books.
In 1991, Peggy Dent, then owner of Tecolote, asked Sheldon to take over management of the shop. She agreed. In 2007, after 17 years at Tecolote, Dent decided to retire and sell the store. She asked Sheldon if she wanted to take it on.
Although she didn’t have the funds herself, she knew some good customers were interested. She approached one of them, Herb Simon, and together they purchased the bookstore. Mary was honest with Simon, joking with him, “Don’t quit your day job, Herb, because you’re not going to make any money on this.” Nevertheless, they decided to team up and take on the challenge.
Recognizing that the store needed some major TLC, Simon gave Sheldon full rein to refresh the space however she wanted — a gesture for which she is eternally grateful. “I will tell you I am an extremely fortunate person to have the business partner that I have,” Sheldon reflected.
Tecolote Book Shop is celebrating its 100th year in Montecito. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
It’s been a wild ride ever since. Tecolote has been through some rocky years, but nothing Sheldon can’t handle. When the COVID-19 lockdown commenced, she didn’t worry about possibly having to close the shop. “Well,” she admitted, “I don’t worry about things like that.”
It’s not that Sheldon was completely unfazed, but she didn’t see the point in stressing about something beyond her control. She took it one day at a time and operated under the mindset of, “We’ll manage.” And manage they did. During this time, she adapted by using the shop’s Dutch door to hand books to customers, allowing her to continue serving people safely.
The lockdown may be over, but in the age of online shopping, threats to the longevity of any local bookstore still loom large. Even so, Sheldon doesn’t worry about that. She’d rather live in the moment — and for her, that moment is usually spent at the shop reading or recommending books to customers.
The children’s section at Tecolote Book Shop | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
At first glance, that work may seem monotonous; however, the reality is quite the opposite. Every day at the store is a little different. While I was there, multiple customers stopped by to ask for Sheldon’s help in finding a book — it was fitting, seeing her in her natural element. One customer even popped in just to snag a copy of the latest Indy. “Mary, I’m grabbing the Independent,” she said before picking up the paper and heading out the door.
It’s these small but meaningful interactions that keep things interesting. About 30 minutes into our conversation, one visibly puzzled customer stomped through the door, brandishing a copy of A Little Life in her hand. “This book is horrible,” she declared, waving it in the air. She had driven to Tecolote just to tell Sheldon how much she hated it and to plead for a hint about whether it got any better, despite being almost finished. Sheldon, who hadn’t recommended the title to this particular customer, laughed and admitted she’d never read it.
Everyone — the customer included — shared a laugh over the misunderstanding, with the woman jokingly begging Sheldon to stop selling the book. As Sheldon and I continued to chuckle about the ordeal, she reminded me, “You see, we have fun.”
The moment was ironic, given that one of Sheldon’s favorite parts of the job is recommending books she knows her customers will love. She takes pride in matching a reader with the perfect story and is a firm believer in not wasting time on a book you don’t enjoy, which is why she promptly told that customer to stop reading the book if she didn’t like it. As Sheldon sees it, “You might as well read what you want to read, and what makes you happy.”
Throughout our conversation, Sheldon returned to one central idea: Do what you love, and don’t waste time on anything you don’t enjoy. For her, that truth took root early — she knew from a young age that she loved books. It so happens that her passion for books and reading naturally evolved into her profession, a rare opportunity that few are fortunate enough to experience.
For Sheldon, it’s simple: “I guess books are my life.”
Editor’s Note: Try as we may, we couldn’t coax Ms. Sheldon into having her photo taken. You’ll just have to visit her at Tecolote Book Shop, 1470 E. Valley Rd., tecolotebookshop.indiecommerce.com.
