The store has been at its Newcastle West base for 50 years.

Owner Leigh Rice said his dad bought the shop in 1969.

"I've been there for about 48 years," Mr Rice, 62, said.

"I've been there full-time for 30 years - since the earthquake."

He first started working at the store on Saturday mornings at age 14.

"I was on about 75 cents an hour," he said.

The book store will be moved to Birdy's cafe in Maitland Road at Tighes Hill, where a Dick Smith store used to be.

"The cafe is run by a friend of mine who I used to go to high school with back in 1975," Mr Rice said.

"She has a cafe with an annex at the back. I'll take over that area."

He decided to move because his landlord engaged a structural engineer to examine the building's awning, which was sagging and needed replacing.

"While he was there, they got him to look at the building and it wasn't good. They're going to knock out walls and it will be shut for six months next year. I can't hang around doing nothing for six months," he said.

"I'm afraid I'm quite happy to get out of Hunter Street. It's just not much of a retail sector any more. Light rail was really the last nail in the coffin."

He said light rail was "a bypass for the west end".

"It takes people past the west end without them knowing it's even there."

He'll be moving out by November 30.

"I've got a lot of book shelves I don't need. They're good old hardwood. They're pretty good shelves," he said.

"I'd like to give them away to people if they want a piece of Hunter Street history."

Despite the digital revolution, Mr Rice said there was "still a living to be made" selling books.

"The strength is there's a lot of variety," he said.

He also sells records, comics, DVDs and CDs.

"The records and comics are a very strong staple of the shop. And books still sell. The popular fiction has probably waned a bit. There's just too many authors writing too many books."