Community Library Bookshelf Destroyed In Washington Heights

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — At some point between Wednesday and Thursday morning, the small community bookshelf near the 190th Street A train station in Washington Heights was destroyed.

While it is unclear if the destruction of the bookshelf was purposeful, or if it was caused by weather, Cinder Petrichor, who routinely walks by the little library and donates books from time to time, told Patch — "it looks like it was smashed up."

There are multiple community bookshelves on the streets in Washington Heights throughout the neighborhood.

The one on 190th Street has gone through many iterations over the years with shelves getting worn out, at one point it was just a simple cardboard box, but someone in the community always helped mend it.

Here's what the bookshelf looked like in recent years before it was destroyed.

"Not mad, just disappointed. Just... Why? What would prompt someone to destroy something as uncontroversial as a community library," Petrichor told Patch. "Someone always replaces it eventually; maybe it'll be me this time."

Petrichor posted the photos Thursday of the destroyed bookshelf in a popular Upper Manhattan Facebook group, which spurred many surprised and angry reactions.