EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (October 26, 2012) – Tyson’s Old & Rare Books, the oldest antiquarian bookshop in Rhode Island, announced today that it will close its retail shop at 178 Taunton Avenue following its final book sale from Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2012. The 88-year-old bookshop will continue its online business through AbeBooks.com (http://www.abebooks.com/home/tysonbks), an international online marketplace for used, rare, and out-of-print books, said owner Mariette P. Bedard.

Started in 1923 by James A. Tyson and purchased by Mrs. Bedard in 1970, Tyson’s Old & Rare Books was a fixture in downtown Providence until 2002, when it moved to its present location in East Providence. Today the shop offers a selection of culturally significant used and rare books, prints, ephemera, and maps with an emphasis on early New England Americana including Native American, American Revolution, Civil War, colonial and post-colonial history, literature, and nautical works.

“It was a difficult decision to close the shop,” said Mrs. Bedard. “The joy has been in getting to know customers who share my passion for rare books and early Americana and helping them build their collections. However, the antiquarian book business has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Today more than half of my business comes from online sales.

“I want to thank my old friends at the historical societies, museums, and libraries as well as the many collectors, scholars, and book lovers who have made this business so interesting. I will miss seeing them in the shop but intend to maintain contact as I transition to an online-only business,” she added.

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Store hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday to 4:00 p.m. Starting Nov. 7, sale hours will be 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday until the shop closes on Nov. 15. For more information, call 401.431.2111 or send an e-mail to tysonbks@aol.com.

About Tyson’s Old & Rare Books: A general antiquarian bookshop since 1923, Tyson’s Old & Rare Books offers a wide selection of used and rare books, prints, ephemera, and maps with an emphasis on early Americana including Native American, American Revolution, Civil War, colonial and post-colonial history, literature, nautical works (naval, whaling, sailing), New Englandiana, and Rhode Islandiana. Tyson’s Old & Rare Books is a member of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers (MARIAB) (http://www.mariab.org), an association of 125 antiquarian booksellers that offers member directories, book fair information, and links to member websites.