Just a few steps off from the chaos of Thayer Street sits Rodney’s Bookstore, with shelves stacked from floor to ceiling with used books. The store, located at the corner of Thayer and Meeting streets, opened on August 28 and occupies the vacancy left by Berk’s Shoes & Clothing Store in early 2025.
Rodney’s Bookstore first opened in 1995 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, store founder and owner Shaw Taylor told The Herald. Taylor’s love for books began at an early age. His father collected books and much of the store owner’s childhood was spent passing hours away in bookstores. When Taylor started his store, he named it after his dog, Rodney, who passed away about a year and a half after the shop opened.
Taylor was forced to close his Cambridge bookstore location in early 2020 due to a planned rent increase. But after nearly three years without a store, he reopened Rodney’s Bookstore in a new location in Cambridge.
Taylor took on Edward Bordas as a business partner around the time the new Cambridge store opened. He said that “a small little store really didn’t make enough for two people,” adding that “it was always in the plan to look for another spot” for the store.
But finding a second home for Rodney’s Bookstore was no easy task. “A bookstore needs to be in an area where people are walking by at a constant rate,” he said, among other factors.
Taylor remembers seeing a realtor sign for what would become his new Thayer Street location. “I just liked the space from the window,” he said. “It’s busy because of Brown, (and) also because Providence needed another bookstore.”
When he pursued the open spot, he learned that the University owned the building. At first, “Brown said that they didn’t want a bookstore,” Taylor said.
When seeking retail tenants, “Brown looks for new and distinct concepts that complement both the campus and the broader local community,” wrote John Luipold, Vice President of Business Affairs, Auxiliary Services and Real Estate, in an email to The Herald.
Taylor said he was able to secure a lease after explaining that his store does not sell new books and has minimal overlap with the Brown Bookstore.
The store has received a warm welcome from both Brown and the broader Providence community.
“I only buy my books used,” said Raihanna Shamsudin ’30, adding that “it’s wasteful to…spend all that money buying new books.” “It’s a good opportunity to be mindful of our resources,” she said, also mentioning the environmental benefit of buying used books.
“I love that this is a used bookstore, and so we can keep these books in circulation,” said Ben DiBella ’29. DiBella, who visited the store because he has been trying to read more, described the vibe as “very cozy” and “a little rustic.”
Of the books in the store, “a vast majority come from house buys,” Taylor said, but he also sources from auctions, estate sales and donations brought into the store. The extra books that he acquires through house buys help to stock the store’s wall of 93-cent books, Taylor added.
Massachusetts resident Aidan Kindopp found the bookstore while visiting Providence for the weekend. Rodney’s Bookstore has “one of the best collections of used books I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s very well-organized and everything is in really good condition,” Kindopp said, adding that “the prices are more than fair.”
At Rodney’s, books are priced based on their condition, rarity and original cost. “I have to compete with the Internet” when pricing books, Taylor said. There are “very few books in (the store) that will be priced for more than what they sold for originally,” he added.
For Pawtucket resident Wilson Hood, Rodney’s Bookstore has the “sense of discovery” that he feels is shared by many used bookstores. “I love that stuff is kind of all over the place,” he said, adding that “you just never really know what you’re going to find, which is fun,” he said.
Despite the prevalence of e-books and audiobooks, “sometimes the (paper) book is more convenient,” Taylor said. Since there are “millions and millions of used books out there, I’m always going to have a supply,” he added.
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience John Hernandez appreciated the “wide variety” of books displayed in the store and called Rodney’s Bookstore “an awesome asset to Thayer Street.”
“It’s important for people to remember that you don’t have to just listen to books,” he told The Herald. “Having a book in your hand is great,” he said, adding that from a neuroscience perspective, “it’s great for your brain.”
Since the store opened in late August, it has seen customers from many demographics, from little kids to customers in their 80s. “Brown will be a big part of my business … but it’s not going to be the only thing,” Taylor said.
“It’s good to see so many people here,” Hood said. “I think this street has needed a good used bookstore for quite some time.”
Pavani Durbhakula is a Metro editor. She is a junior from DC and is studying IAPA and Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading and searching for new coffee shops.
