Joyce Meskis is owner and president of the Tattered Cover Book Stores. When she purchased the 3-year-old store in 1974, it was a small shop of 950 square feet on East Second Avenue in Cherry Creek. After many years in Cherry Creek, the store moved to East Colfax Avenue, in the historic Lowenstein Theater, in late June.

In 1994 a second store was added in the historic Lower Downtown area of Denver. This was followed by two coffee shops, and a year ago, a new bookstore and coffee shop in Highlands Ranch.

Meskis began her bookselling career in 1960 when she got a job at the university bookstore in her Midwestern college town. Subsequently, she worked in libraries and small independent bookshops before purchasing the Tattered Cover.

Meskis has long been active in the American Booksellers Association and was elected president from 1990-92. She has served on many community committees and boards. She also engaged, with her partners, in an historic redevelopment project in Lower Downtown Denver, which included community-based retail and low-income housing completed in 1996.

Meskis is active in the support of First Amendment rights and is a recipient of many intellectual Freedom Awards. They include awards from the Colorado Library Association and the William J. Brennan Jr. award from the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression.

She also is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of Denver and the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Achievement and Exceptional Service to the Denver Metropolitan Area from the University of Colorado.