We produce an atlas of homogeneously reduced and calibrated low resolution IRS spectra of the nuclear regions of nearby early-type galaxies (i.e. Es and S0s, ETGs), in order to build a reference sample in the mid-infrared window. From the Spitzer Heritage Archive we extract ETGs in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies having an IRS SL and/or LL spectrum. We recover 91 spectra out of 363 galaxies classified as ETGs in the catalog: 56 E (E0-E6), 8 mixed E/S0+S0/E, 27 S0 (both normal and barred - SB0) plus mixed types SB0/Sa+SB0/SBa. For each galaxy, we provide the fully reduced and calibrated spectrum, the intensity of nebular and molecular emission lines as well as of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) after a template spectrum of a passively evolving ETG has been subtracted. Spectra are classified into five mid-infrared classes, ranging from AGN (class-4) and star forming nuclei (class-3), transition class-2 (with PAHs) and class-1 (no-PAHs) to passively evolving nuclei (class-0). A demographic study of mid-infrared spectra shows that Es are significantly more passive than S0s:46⁺¹¹₋₁₀% of Es and 20⁺¹¹₋₇ % of S0s have a spectrum of class-0. Emission lines are revealed in 64⁺¹²₋₆ % of ETGs. The H₂S(1) line is found with similar rate in Es (34⁺¹⁰₋₈ %) and in S0s (51⁺¹⁵₋₁₂%). PAHs are detected in 47⁺⁸₋₇% of ETGs, but only 9⁺⁴₋₃% have PAHs ratios typical of star forming galaxies. Several indicators, such as peculiar morphologies and kinematics, dust–lane irregular shape, radio and X-ray properties, suggest that mid-infrared spectral classes are connected to phases of accretion/feedback phenomena occurring in the nuclei of ETGs.