Vandals damaged a Little Free Library and several of its books by setting it on fire in Andover over the weekend.
“Terrible act of vandalism,” Elizabeth Covino said in a Twitter post on Sunday. In a follow-up email, Covino said her son-in-law had built it for her as a Christmas gift in 2019.
“I’m going to clean it up and replace the burned shelf,” she said “The library has been a labor of love and I expect to keep it going.”
The library located on the corner of Webster and Off Webster Streets is part of a world-wide program aimed at increasing literacy. People can take books from the libraries and share books they no longer need. There are more than a dozen, privately-maintained Little Free Libraries in Andover.
Covino said her three-year-old granddaughter (top photo) loves visiting the library. Covino said Andover Fire Rescue and police were “so kind” when responding. A detective filed a report and called fire when books were still smoldering.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Covino.