An Arizona mother was devastated to discover her Little Free Library had been purposefully taken away. Under the username ScaleVivid, she shared a photo of the LFL on r/LittleFreeLibrary, explaining how it’d been funded by her personal income and shared by the community for around a year. However, someone had taken it away, even though it had the LFL placard; hundreds of other Redditors shared ScaleVivid’s heartbreak.
“My heart is just hurting. This was really important to me, and I really enjoyed it so much,” wrote ScaleVivid, who detailed how she had fought cancer and wanted to give back to the community. So, the Little Free Library became her medium for generosity, even on her tight budget.
People had been using it since May of last year, so she found it unthinkable that anyone would take this major source of happiness away from her. “This is actually unbelievable,” she remarked, saying how there was zero monetary value in the box or its contents. “I’m sad BECAUSE of all the joy it brought me.”
The comment section was filled with more than enough Redditors sharing their heartfelt condolences for ScaleVivid’s loss. “I’m saddened by this. Terrible news. People are awful,” wrote a user. “WHY are these being stolen?! I don’t understand,” exclaimed another.
Reddit Users Were Quick to Offer Suggestions, Resources, and Even Financial Aid for the Arizona Mom
Hundreds chimed in, offering advice on alternative resources, future theft prevention tips, and even pledges to donate money for ScaleVivid to get a new LFL. The mother responded with gratitude, saying her main reason for posting was to receive genuine encouragement since she knew the subreddit would understand how hurtful this situation is.
Reddit’s r/LittleFreeLibrary isn’t the only place that understands the impact of Little Free Libraries. In a r/unpopularopinion post attempting to argue that they are “often pointless and always performative,” thousands chimed in with comments and upvotes supporting and sharing their positive experiences with community-run LFLs.
Fortunately, ScaleVivid’s neighbors have been helpful, sharing security camera footage of the thief, who allegedly appears to be a truck owner living not too far away. She has also said she’ll contact the local police department to see if they can help get her LFL back.
