HELENA — Vandalization on Friday has left a neighborhood without a little free library, a graffitied play structure, and more questions than answers.
“Yeah, it feels like an assault, just because it is the library is personal to us and because it was installed in memory of our son,” says Little Free Library steward, Jude Oberst.
Jude and George Oberst moved to the neighborhood near Selma Held Park in 2019.
Having worked in libraries for much of her life, Jude thought a Little Free Library might be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. The Obersts dedicated the little free library to their son, Ethan, who passed away in 2000 from a terminal disease.
“So, this was something that we thought would both honor our son and be a positive addition to the park,” says Little Free Library steward, George Oberst.
“Yeah, I mean, it's a really sort of a close neighborhood. You, we live in a place where we can see a lot of what happens in the park. And that's the enjoyable part is watching kids and why we decided that a Little Free Library that we could put children's books in would be really a good addition,” says Jude.
But this past Saturday morning, the Obersts woke up to damaged trees, spray-painted playground equipment, and a broken library.
“And there was plex’ all over the ground and there were some books scattered on the sidewalk and I was just like, stunned,” says Jude.
After filing a report with the police, the Obersts were left to deal with the mess. Most of the books were stolen, with only a few remaining strewn on the ground and on the shelves.
“Yeah, it's just upsetting that people would do that because it's a library and it's a park. But children enjoy it and everybody enjoys it,” says Jude.
Thankfully, the generosity and support of Helena were swift and plentiful. Neighbors offered hands to help, replacement books, and money for repairs. The Obersts tell MTN that with the addition of a replaced plexiglass door, the little free library will be reopened on Tuesday.
As for the snapped trees and graffiti, the city will most likely have to replace and clean those.
Jude also wanted to convey that she didn’t reach out to MTN News about this story. And that the Little Free Library is a project of the heart and about getting books in front of kids.
If you have any information on the vandalization of the park and/or the library case, please contact the Helana Police Department.
