Berry residents have filled the shelves of a new library with donated books, and now the broader community can access a wealth of literature without having to travel.
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The town of 2000 people has 10 active book groups, but for years there has been no public library, aside from the council library truck that visits town.
Avid readers have praised the new service that opened on Wednesday.
“We’ll just love it,” Berry resident Patricia Fitzpatrick said.
“The truck is hard to get into, and then there’s not much room inside, so you feel like you’re holding people up.”
“And the Nowra Library is a long walk from the car park,” her friend Jill Healy added.
Shona Gibson, Julie Watts and Janet Bretnell, the brains behind the idea, were proud to open the library room on Wednesday.
“Most importantly we have people with limited mobility or those not able to get to a large council library coming in because this place is available and allows them to move around without fear of slowing or interrupting others,” Mrs Gibson said.
“Before the end of the year we plan to extend our opening ours, and offer some administrative services such as computer help for people who’d like to shop online, but don’t know how to, people applying for jobs who may need a hand with a resume.
“The three of us have had to manage estates after the death of a family member – we see there is a huge and immediate need for professionals to give advice in these matters.”
The Berry Pop Up Community Library, in a room at the Berry Uniting Church, will be open Tuesday mornings, Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings, and volunteers are willing to extend opening hours depending on demand.
Retired publisher and Berry resident Mary Cunnane offered her blessings at the grand opening on Wednesday.
“I’m overwhelmed by how many people are here,” she said.