Staff

You never know who you'll witness working in a bookstore: bakers, lawyers, wannabe diplomats. It's not just sitting around reading books in a social setting, offering up a favorite poet here and there. It's a lot of work to make even the smallest of engines run well and we love every minute of it. Here's the crew committed to creating a mitten-for-the-soul experience in a place that's neither your home nor your workplace:

 

Owner / Book Buyer / Bookend  Daiva Chesonis

Daiva is a Baltimore-born transplant since 1992 when she came to Telluride with the CTEC crew to build the Gondola and decided to stay put for a while. That "while" has included stints as owner/operator of Vision Design, Art Director at Telluride Magazine and Telluride Production Group, snowboard instructor, bookseller, and time served as board member for the Telluride Repertory Theatre Company, Horizon Program, and Mountainfilm. In 2005, she achieved her original academic goal by receiving a Masters Degree in Diplomacy and International Conflict Resolution. The daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, she grew up protesting in DC alongside her parents for the Baltic nation's freedom, an experience that shaped her resolve about the freedoms of language and the written word. When BTC came up for sale in 2010, there was no question that it was one of those "full circle" opportunities. When not reading, Daiva's favorite pastimes, aside from lots of tennis and snowboarding, include hiking and cross-country skiing with her daughter Olivija, often found in the kid's section gobbling up (and recommending) books.

Owner / Manager / Webmaster / Bookend  Bobbi T. Smith

From baker to bookseller, but first and foremost a skier, Bobbi T. Smith grew up in Denver, Colorado. Graduating with a B.A. in History from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, her passion for skiing led her to Telluride in 1985. Known for her kitchen prowess, she crafted baked goods for 22 years professionally. Being on the opposite end of a normal sleep schedule from most everyone else for over two decades meant it was ultimately time for a break. Coincidentally, at that very moment, Between the Covers was looking for a bookseller, so after baking for BTC’s cafe as “Bobbi’s Treats,” she joined the bookseller ranks in 2006, working her way up to manager. Being true to her connection to the community and her love of reading, she is proud to have become BTC’s co-owner in December of 2010 and is a continuing supporter of independent bookstores everywhere. You can check in with Bobbi on the slopes, the local airwaves of KOTO-fm (her biweekly show: Urban Sweets), or riding her unicycle, hiking, and enjoying time with her husband Chris.

 

Sidelines Buyer / Owner of High Alpine Coffee Bar  Hilary Douglass

 

How do we sum up Hilary in three words? Books, coffee, sidelines. Yep, that's Hilary. Born and raised in the Garden State, Hilary has been in Colorado since 2000. As the Sideline Buyer, she is always looking for something new and great for the store. When not ordering hilarious and poignant cards, receiving games and puzzles, or shelving bookstore goodies, you'll still find her here behind the coffee bar serving up espresso drinks as she and her husband Jon are the owners of High Alpine Coffee Bar which is conveniently tucked in the back of Between the Covers. Serving up organic, locally roasted coffee and espresso drinks and pastries to Telluride locals and visitors is a passion, in line with growing their toddler Elbe and designing wearable art collections.

 

Bookseller  Jennifer Fox

   

Jennifer has been a member of the BTC family since August, 2010. She arrived in Telluride with her little dog in late 2000 and hopes one day to be considered a "local." Jennifer has an A.B. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Denver. Working part-time in an independent bookstore like BTC is every attorney’s dream come true. When she’s not "living the dream" while working at BTC, Jennifer enjoys hiking in the surrounding San Juan mountains, reading and sleeping. Oh, and she is of the skier persuasion.

 

Bookseller / Blogger  Miriam Schaffer

    

Miriam is from New York State. She studied Philosophy at Bates College in Maine. If Miriam were a fruit she would most likely be a rambuton, spiny on the outside, sweet once you crack open the shell. She seeks out challenges like her lungs seek air. If no outdoor-based, physical challenge is available, she will engage herself with something cerebrally satisfying, such as a crossword puzzle or Ken-Ken. Cultural immersion is a passion she frequents with open eyes and voraciousness, looking around each perverbial bend in the road for the next adventure. The quest for knowledge being a staple in her diet.

 

Bookseller  Erin Hamilton   

Returning to Telluride after a ten year hiatus, Erin has spent the past years: living in a mining cabin in the woods, traveling around South America, getting a degree in English Literature, rambling around in a 1983 Toyota Dolphin motorhome, riding her bike, running a bustling small business in Fort Collins, and enjoying the gratitude, love, and learning that connects us all. Her most recent excursion took her around the Himalayas and to Everest Base Camp, a positively impressive and humbling place. Nonetheless, the sight of the Valley Floor and Ajax still make her heart flutter, even after all these years. And now: so happy to be home.