Residents will soon be able to listen to the 79-year-old spin some yarns as part of a new ``Living Library'' program launched in late October.

Library services manager Kathryn Baget-Juleff said Mrs Marasco had lived an extraordinary life.

``Alba can teach and share with people her experience of growing up in Italy, starting out in a new country and her life in Camden,'' she said.

``She has so many stories to tell.''

Mrs Marasco, who moved to Woolloomooloo in 1951, warmed up her vocal cords last week speaking to the St Clare's Over 55s at Narellan.

She'll be ``borrowed'' next year, starting February.

``I'm looking forward to it because it will be interesting and because then I can also ask them questions,'' the former Carramar shop-owner, who has five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, said.

Mrs Marasco, a published author after releasing her 102-page Memories of Two Nations in 2007, said: ``I'm very grateful for Australia''.

Ms Baget-Juleff explained: ``A Living Library works like any other library books are borrowed, returned once read and then another book can be borrowed.

``The difference with this program is the books are people and, rather than borrowing a book, the community can borrow a person.''

Sixteen ``books'' are in the collection so far and the ``conversations'' will take place at Camden and Narellan libraries.