As much a part of a Central Otago summer as cherries and a good tan, the annual event draws people from all around the region to find books to tide them over the holidays and long afterwards.
Queues of people lined up to get their first look at tables laden with books, puzzles, magazines and board games.
Organiser Mark Willyams said there had been a last-minute rush of donations and people were dropping off books as they went into the sale room.
There would be no shortage of books to buy during the week and it would be worth revisiting the sale because stock was replenished as it was sorted and priced, he said.
The book sale had been running for nearly 40 years and took almost every Rotarian to run it.
Collection bins were put out about Labour Weekend and it was a constant task from then until the sale began to sort and organise the more than 30,000 books donated, he said.
Profits from the sale would all be donated back to the community.
