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Adios, Libros Closing The Book On A Cultural Oasis

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By CLOE CABRERA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2007

TAMPA For 27 years, Daniel Diaz has been a regular customer at the Spanish-language bookstore Tampa Libros.

He rarely leaves empty-handed.

"I was a political prisoner in Cuba," says Diaz, 68, in Spanish, holding up four new finds. "You can't find these books in any other bookstore in Tampa. No matter what Cuban [book] or author you are looking for, it's always here. If it's not, she will get it for you."

"She" is Oceania Gonzalez, owner and operator of the Bay area's only Spanish bookstore.

For nearly 33 years, Tampa Libros has served as a cultural oasis in the city — a warm, ever-present glow in the heart of West Tampa, where Latinos can find camaraderie as well as a rare copy of "La Charca" by Zeno Gandia, Rhonda Byrne's best seller "El Secreto" or vintage music from Beny Moré.

On Friday, Tampa Libros will close its doors for the very last time.

It may seem that the mighty hand of the megabookstores has dealt another blow, this time to those who speak and read in Español. Gonzalez admits her shop has seen revenues slip slightly in the changing marketplace, mostly because of Internet sales.

But, at 68, she says she's retiring because she wants to spend time traveling and working with an orphanage she helped start in the Dominican Republic.

"My clientele never left me," she says. "The books I sell are the books you can't find at the big chains. This is a minority bookstore that has survived so long because of this community. They have been so good to me."

Jose Hernandez, director of diversity and human relations for the University of South Florida, says he was "saddened, but not surprised" by the closure.

"It's a great loss to not have a bookstore that meets the needs of people who read in Spanish," says Hernandez, who wasn't aware until last week that the bookstore was closing. "But this is happening more and more to those niche type of stores. People are utilizing Amazon.com and the megastores, including myself. It's really hard for the smaller bookstores to compete. It's hard to believe this was the only Spanish bookstore in this community, and now it's closing."

Saying goodbye won't be easy for those who have come to view Gonzalez as family.

"I am truly saddened about the closing," says Jose Mijares, a local author and frequent visitor to the bookstore. Gonzales "doesn't just run a bookstore. She's so warm and genuinely caring. Every time I went to her store or attended some event with her there, I felt right at home.

"She knows more about literature than anyone I've ever met. You can tell she truly loves books. Her bookstore hasn't changed since she opened."

It's true. Gonzalez still operates without a computer or a cash register. There is no espresso machine or music wafting through strategically placed speakers. There isn't even a comfy couch or chairs where patrons can linger while they read — just a wooden work desk and a couple of folding chairs.

"I guess you could say I stayed in the Stone Age," says Gonzalez, a petite woman who speaks with a soft voice. "I had a computer once, but I gave it away."

Reading, Writing At Age 3

Growing up in Las Villas, Cuba, the daughter of a teacher father and a seamstress mother, Gonzalez learned to read as a toddler.

"My father says I was 3 when I learned to read and write in complete sentences," she says.

Gonzalez was a chemistry major at a Cuban university when Fidel Castro took power. The family came to Tampa in 1969, and she worked at her brother's grocery store.

When Gonzalez wanted to read a novel, history book or biography in Spanish, she drove to Miami.

"I knew if I had trouble finding Spanish books here [in Tampa], other Hispanics did," she recalls. "I saw the need, so I decided I would fill it."

She went to the public library and checked out a book on how to open your own business. In 1975, she opened Tampa Libros in a small storefront on Hillsborough Avenue. Two years later, she relocated to Armenia Avenue.

The first years weren't easy. The market was new, and there were no Spanish book houses. She ordered books from Mexico and Spain. But slowly, business began to grow. Professors at the University of South Florida began ordering Spanish-language books. She also sold to other universities, private schools and jails.

Gonzalez began hosting intellectual gatherings at the bookstore and got involved with the local Enrique Jose Varona Literary Prize — named for the Cuban essayist, educator and politician.

The store quickly developed a reputation for hosting important Latino events and keeping a diverse range of Hispanic authors and hard to find books on its shelves. Gonzales championed local and emerging Hispanic authors.

Singer Vikki Carr once stopped in for books. So did actor Ricardo Montalban and poet Angel Cuadra.

Built On Customer Service

Gonzalez has never advertised and does not sell online. Instead, she built a reputation on her encyclopedic knowledge and ability to track down virtually any Spanish title, with a focus on customer service.

"When I came to Tampa from Cuba in 1980, everyone told me to come see her," says Daniel Diaz, 53. "I love the old standards of Spanish music, and I find them here. She knows me and my tastes so well that if a CD comes in she thinks I will like, she holds it for me. I always end up buying it."

In 2005, Gonzalez was honored by the University of South Florida for her "efforts to promote Spanish and keep the Spanish-speaking community supplied with books."

Tampa Libros is small by today's standards, about the size of the self-help section at any of today's book superstores.

You can find racks with magazines and periodicals such as People en Español, Vanidades and Hoy. Children's books including "Las Cronicas de Narnia: El Leon, La Bruja Y El Ropero" ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe") and the classic "Bella Durmiente" ("Sleeping Beauty").

She stocks best sellers such as"El Codigo de Da Vinci" as well as the classics; Shakespearean plays; biographies; books on philosophy, astrology, history and the arts; cookbooks; and crossword puzzle books.

J.R.R. Tolkein's "El Senor de los Anillos" (the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy) is there; so is Zig Ziglar's "Mas Alla De La Cumbre" ("Beyond the Summit").

There are books about medieval heraldry, church music and 18th century poetry and military history.

There's Music, Too

Music and video selections are also varied. Artists range from popular Mexican comedian Cantinflas to Brazilian singer Nelson Ned. Classic albums by Spain's Rocio Jurado are shelved with the latest releases from Shakira, Alejandro Fernandez and Marc Anthony.

Patrons say Gonzalez is familiar with virtually every book in her store.

"She's an extremely intelligent woman, but not in an intimidating way," says Amelia Soto, 79, who stops by every Tuesday to buy magazines and the latest paperbacks. "She's an avid reader, and she passes her enthusiasm on to her customers. This [bookstore] has been my second home for the past 10 years. We've become such good friends, chatting about everyday life and our families each time I come by. I feel like I'm losing a member of my family."

Gonzalez plans to make a large donation of books and music to the USF Linguistics Department and Hillsborough County jail.

The rest of her inventory will be discounted until the last day.

She's thankful to customers who have stayed faithful over the decades and hopes she has inspired Latinos to read more.

"Books are for everyone," she says. "I lament people who don't read. Books form you and stay with you forever. I'm really going to miss the customers and working around all of these books."

Tampa Libros, 3608 N. Armenia Ave., will close permanently at 5:30 p.m Friday; call (813) 876-1534.

Reporter Cloe Cabrera can be reached at (813) 259-7656 or ccabrera@tampatrib.com.

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