Boon for bookworms at Rotary shop

THERE’S some good news for readers and book lovers in general, with the Eaglehawk Rotary Club Book Shop set to open for a trial week of extended hours later this month.

And if the arrangement is a success and enough volunteers can be found to staff it, the opening times could become permanent.

The former O’Brien’s Pharmacy building at 30 High Street, Eaglehawk, is stocked with thousands of pre-owned paperback, hard cover, fiction and non-fiction books and opens from 10am to 1pm Wednesdays, and from 10am to 12pm Saturdays.

But from Wednesday 21 August to Saturday 24 August, it will be open daily from 10am to 3pm.

The building’s owner, Rotarian Rita O’Brien, said there had been suggestions that the shop should open full time because the existing hours did not always suit people.

“But it’s more to work out what are the best days for the shop,” Mrs O’Brien said. “We thought we’d extend the hours as a trial more than anything.”

Mrs O’Brien said the extended hours could possibly become permanent, depending on the results of the trial and the availability of workers.

“Volunteers aren’t that easy to come by,” she said.

The historic building had long been occupied by her husband Bill’s pharmacy (Mr O’Brien was a charter member of the Eaglehawk club in 1966) but was vacant for some time after his death.

“We had the books in storage. It’s my expensive hobby, as I tell the kids,” Mrs O’Brien said. “My family are quite supportive of me keeping the building.”

The bookstore has existed for about a decade and up until about six months ago when the Wednesday slot was added, it was open only on Saturdays.

Mrs O’Brien said the extra hours had already proven popular.

It is staffed by a core group of four Rotarian volunteers, with stock sourced from donations, and sales proceeds used for local club projects.