The Shelburne Falls Raven is the culmination of 30 years of experience as a bookseller by the owner, John Petrovato.  In 1991 John and David Lovelace acquired the Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA, which they ran until 2000.  Located in a nineteenth century grist mill, The Bookmill is still open today and remains a popular western MA destination.

The first Raven Used Books was opened in 1993, by John Petrovato, David Lovelace and Betsy Frederick in Northampton, MA, followed by the second Raven in Amherst, MA a few years later. Both of these shops compiled strong selections of general, literary and scholarly titles. In 2005 the two stores became separate business entities, and John moved the Amherst shop to JFK Street in Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA.

The Harvard Square Raven Used Books was relocated to 23 Church Street in October 2015, where it continued to thrive, selling over 1400 books a week.  But John and his family felt drawn to return to Western Mass.  In 2023, John made the difficult decision to close the Harvard Square location, and re-opened Raven Used Books in the lovely village of Shelburne Falls where his family now lives.  The new location in a spacious renovated Mill allows John to provide a unique shopping experience with expansive sections in a stunning setting.