THE Hart’s Mill Little Free Library has been recovered from the depths of the Port River.

After it vanished a fortnight ago, custodian Sarah Forrest sought the assistance of a diver – through last week’s Portside Weekly – to search the water.

Diver Mick Sedlmayer answered our call.

He discovered the wooden mini-library on the floor of the river near the site of its disappearance.

It was retrieved in a two-hour operation over the weekend.

media_camera Hart's Mill Little Free Library in Port Adelaide in the river

media_camera Hart's Mill Little Free Library after being pulled out of the river.

Ms Forrest has now launched a crowd-funding campaign to help with the cost of repairs so it can be restored to its rightful home by the Hart’s Mill playground.

“I’m so happy – I just knew it was in the river,” Ms Forrest said.

“Now it’s out and it needs quite a lot of repairs.”

The sliding door had been forcefully bent inward and the wooden casing blackened from being underwater.

Designed as a community book exchange, it’s now in the hands of its creator, local artist Trevor Wren for restoration.

He estimates the damage bill at about $1000.

Reading eggs with Rebecca Judd Reading eggs with Rebecca Judd

Sarah Forrest, an English teacher, had the small bookshelf installed — in partnership with Uniting Care Wesley and Renewal SA — near the playground at Hart’s Mill in September to encourage early literacy.

It cost about $2000 to build and install.

Mr Wren crafted the bookcase out of wood and steel so it would be weatherproof and in keeping with the heritage nature of the precinct.

Ms Forrest said the library had been asset to the community and she hoped to have it reinstalled – more securely – before Christmas.