Teens Bodyslam, Destroy Little Library In Westfield

WESTFIELD, NJ — Sarah Liptack, a resident and teacher at Westfield High School, said her "heart is broken" after the Little Free Library located outside her house on East Broad Street was vandalized over the weekend.

Liptack told Patch that camera footage from the little library and her front porch showed that overnight on Saturday, a car pulled up near the house and three teenage boys got out and started body slamming into the structure, breaking the entire base.

Liptack said the Little Free Library is no longer structurally sound to hold books in it currently.

After seeing the footage, Liptack filed a report with Westfield Police who she said is investigating the incident.

She said her husband built the library eight years ago. Liptack said the purpose of the library is simply to serve the community by providing books and "inspiring a love of literature."

"It just felt very targeted," Liptack said. "They pulled up and then they were laughing as they did it."

Liptack said the teens drove away immediately after they broke the library. She said she is not planning to press charges but hopes the Police Department will have a word with them to teach them a lesson.

In response to the incident, Liptack said she has received an outpouring of support from the community. She decided to put out a cart full of books in front of her house where the now broken library stands to still give back to the community at this time.

She said her husband is already working on rebuilding the library.

You can check out the Little Free Library on Instagram and Facebook.

Have a news tip? Email remy.samuels@patch.com.