For someone seeking help with openings, I usually bring up Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014).
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
I believe that it is possible to see a fair portion of the beginning of Tamburro's book by going to the Mongoose Press site. Perhaps zBorris would also want to look at Discovering Chess Openings by GM Johm Emms (2006).
"If you find an opening here that appeals to you and you wish to find out more about it, the next step would be to obtain an introductory text devoted entirely to that subject." - GM John Emms in his 2006 introduction to basic opening principles, Discovering Chess Openings
"Throughout the book Emms uses excellently chosen examples to expand the readers understanding of both openings and chess in general. Thus equipped the student can carry this knowledge forward to study individual openings and build an opening repertoire. ... For beginning players, this book will offer an opportunity to start out on the right foot and really get a feel for what is happening on the board." - FM Carsten Hansen, reviewing the 2006 Emms book
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
"Each player should choose an opening that attracts him. Some players are looking for a gambit as White, others for Black gambits. Many players that are starting out (or have bad memories) want to avoid mainstream systems, others want dynamic openings, and others want calm positional pathways. It’s all about personal taste and personal need.
For example, if you feel you’re poor at tactics you can choose a quiet positional opening (trying to hide from your weakness and just play chess), or seek more dynamic openings that engender lots of tactics and sacrifices (this might lead to more losses but, over time, will improve your tactical skills and make you stronger)." - IM Jeremy Silman (January 28, 2016)
"... After each game look up your opening in a book (or database) and answer the question 'If I had to play this opening sequence again, where would I deviate?' In this way you slowly but surely learn opening lines and avoid all major traps. ... If you are eventually going to become a strong player you indeed will have to learn a lot of opening ideas and sequences. ..." - NM Dan Heisman in his 2010 book, A Guide to Chess Improvement
I think studying openings is very important at any level, but not in the way that a lot folks think about studying openings.
It's def NOT just about memorizing numerous lines.
It's all about understanding the purpose and plan of the opening setup you choose. THAT is what studying the opening is important for. You need to see enough quality games of the opening of choice so you see what the typical plans and strategies are.
This may sound more like middlegame study to some, and I'd grant them that. But for me, it's so intimately twined with the opening choice that I still consider it openings study.
I'd even go so far as to say that at the club level, it's pretty common for someone who has studied their openings of choice above, to gain a substantial advantage in the opening or early middlegame on a regular basis. Not all the time, but a good amount of time. You still have to win the game, but it's often a lot easier to play these positions with advantage and harder to blow yourself up.