One small book club in Rocky Point has shown an outsized dedication to the community, helping to plant a new Little Free Library in only three months from conception to post in the ground.

The box is open to all residents in the local area, who are encouraged to take or share a book.

“We just want to promote a love of literacy in the community.”

— Lisa Dwyer

The 10-member Rocky Point/Sound Beach Women’s Book Club, headed by Rocky Point resident Lisa Dwyer, spearheaded the project with the help of Jeff Davis, the owner of the Rocky Point Funeral Home, who donated front lawn space of his funeral home for the little, box-sized library. 

Dwyer originally had the idea of a free lending library, one she presented to the Rocky Point Civic Association. Earlier this year, she came across the Little Free Library through Facebook.

“I saw it online and loved the idea, so I presented it to our group,” Dwyer said. “They loved the idea as well.”

The box has been up since July 1, starting with a small collection of 30 books, including several small children’s books. So far, Dwyer said she is impressed with just how many local residents have already become interested. She has even enlisted a number of local kids who just happened to come by on their bikes as “guardians of the books.” The library #82854 already has over 130 followers on Facebook.

“These kinds of things can be vandalized, so it’s good to have that kind of positive reinforcement,” she said.

Davis paid for the box part of the Little Free Library. The book club purchased the post and sign. The book club leader estimated it cost approximately $500 overall. 

These Little Free Libraries have been popping up all across the North Shore and well beyond. There are now library boxes in places such as Rocketship Park in Port Jefferson, Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, in front of the William Miller House in Miller Place and at The Terryville Union. 

Now that the project is complete, Dwyer said she and her small book club are currently bent on reading “The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton. The book club, along with the Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce, will host a ribbon cutting for the new Little Free Library July 25.

“We just want to promote a love of literacy in the community,” she said.