After over a decade of waiting for a new bookstore to come to Wareham, book lovers held onto their patience one last time on the morning of Wednesday, June 14.

Dozens of people stood in a line stretching down the sidewalk of Wareham Crossing storefronts in anticipation of the opening of a new Barnes & Noble location at 2421 Cranberry Highway.

Barbara Meehan, one of the first customers waiting outside the store, said that she “thought [she] died and went to heaven” when she first heard about the opening.

Meehan said she typically drives to Middletown, Rhode Island for her books, and this new bookstore will save her time and gas.

The aptly-named Jamie Read, another customer waiting outside the store, said the Wareham community is excited to have a new bookstore after the closing of Borders in 2011. 

She said she made a list of books she will look for, and hopes she isn’t tempted to buy any more.

Store Manager Lynn Tinker joined the crowd outside at 10 a.m. along with the store’s staff and a mascot of children’s book character Pete the Cat. Tinker announced the building’s official opening, which was marked with a ribbon cutting by South Dartmouth author Erin McHugh. 

McHugh also met with customers inside the store to sign her book “Pickleball Is Life: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Obsession.”

McHugh said she is a “happy ex-employee” of Barnes & Noble, and a competitive pickleball player.

After playing for the first time five years ago, McHugh said she became obsessed. Just recently, at 70 years old, she won her first gold medal at a tournament of 1,200 people in New York City.

She said it is a joy to spread the word about the sport’s benefits to physical, mental and social health.

Tinker said she and her team spent the last two weeks preparing the store for its opening. 

“Everybody put in 100% effort,” she said, “and it just feels so good to see it all pay off.”

While this Barnes & Noble does not have a café like some other locations, Cape Cod Coffee is nearby.

Cape Cod Coffee Marketing and Events Coordinator Laura Saucier gave free coffee to staff members and customers.

“We're really excited about Barnes & Noble being here,” Saucier said, “and hopefully we can work together on future events.”

Hailey Berdos and her son Emerson explored the children’s literature section. Berdos said her son loves to read at home, especially superhero books.

However, on this occasion, a Pete the Cat book caught Emerson’s eye.

Celeste and Tony Robinson went to the store to pick up some books about Martha’s Vineyard. The couple planned to leave for the island a few hours later, and wanted to do some last-minute preparation for their travels.

“I think it's so cool that it's finally here,” said Sarah Lutsic. “I've been reading on my Kindle for a lot of my time this summer, so it's nice to have a place where I can go for physical books, too.”