Paying Tribute to Debi Echlin

Debi Echlin, owner of A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland, California, died in her sleep on Thanksgiving Day. She was 52 years old. Echlin was a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA).

"Debi's passing is an extraordinary loss for the bookselling community as a whole, not just her friends, family, and her store," said NCIBA Executive Director Hut Landon. "She was a bookseller unlike any I personally have ever met and seen in action. Her connection to her customers was truly astonishing. Going into her store was a little like walking in on a party at someone's house with good friends standing around talking about the great books they were reading."

Landon continued, "Debi also brought a keen business acumen and great sense of humor to the board of NCIBA, and she single-handedly created our Books by the Bay literacy grants program."

The staff at A Great Good Place for Books -- Kathleen Caldwell, Elene Lee, Aidan O'Flynn, Marianna Sheehan, and Cindy Snow -- posted the following tribute to Echlin on the store's website, www.ggpbooks.com: "Debi was a vibrant force in our community, a loving boss, and an incredible friend. We will miss her terribly.

"In her memory, we plan on continuing Debi's legacy and vision of the bookstore for our community to the best of our ability. The next time you have a drink raise your glass in a toast to Debi. She would have loved it!"