They were built with the help of community donations and meant to be a place where the community can exchange books, but some little free libraries in the Salmon Arm area aren’t operating because of repeated vandalism.
A local literacy non-profit called the Literacy Alliance of the Shuswap Society has installed half a dozen of the little free libraries around the Shuswap.
However, two of those libraries, installed in August, aren’t operating right now because of repeated vandalism. One incident saw books removed and set on fire.
“It was just damage for damage’s sake,” said Darcy Calkins literacy outreach coordinator for the Literacy Alliance of the Shuswap Society.
“There is nothing productive in that experience. It just makes everyone a little depressed.”
One located on the beach in Canoe is currently sitting empty, its doors broken.
Another damaged library is now sitting in the back of Salmon Arm’s public works yard after vandals left it hanging off its post near the Little Mountain Fieldhouse in late September.
The city of Salmon Arm said summertime surges in vandalism can cost taxpayers an estimated $10,000 to $20,000 annually and it appears the little free libraries were caught up in that.
“It is very disheartening,” said Robert Niewenhuizen, Salmon Arm’s director of public works.
“They are meant to be a public service and when you see that happen it is very sad.”
Especially disheartening for the literacy non-profit because the libraries cost hundreds of dollars to put in place and were built with the help of donations.
They are going to try to find the funds to fix the libraries but cannot afford to continue repairing them if the vandalism continues.
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