The bookstore will say goodbye to Cambridge this summer but move to a new location in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.
Harvard Square will lose one of its longtime businesses this summer.
After 18 years, Raven Used Books is shuttering its Cambridge shop and moving to a new location in Western Massachusetts, owner John Petrovato announced “with bittersweet emotion” Friday on Facebook.
“The years of business at this location has been amazing and I cherish all the strong relationships built and support of the community,” he wrote. “With my family’s relocation to southern Vermont, it is time to transition to a new adventure.”
The new location for Raven Used Books will be at 49 Conway St. in Shelburne Falls. Situated in a former mill, it will host indoor and outdoor events and feature a cafe.
Raven Used Books was originally started in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1995; Petrovato moved the business to Harvard Square in 2005, setting up shop, initially, at 52 JFK St., according to the business’ website. A second location was opened on Newbury Street in 2010, but a large rent increase resulted in the shop’s closure in 2015.
The Cambridge store moved to its current location at 23 Church St. in 2015.
Petrovato on Friday did not provide a closure date for the shop on Church Street, but said that all gift certificates and credit slips will continue to be honored at Cambridge shop until the doors close and then be accepted at the new location.
“I cannot thank enough all of the Raven staff and dedicated customers who made this store a vibrant part of Harvard Square for so many years,” he wrote.