Small incidents of vandalism are common. Things like having a guest book stolen or a few books damaged are going to happen eventually. Bigger problems, like having your entire library damaged, are much less common. In our annual survey of Little Free Library stewards, more than 80% of stewards report never dealing with significant vandalism.
If you are anxious, put the library in a highly visible spot. Don’t put it in a public park where no one will see if someone vandalizes it. Rather, install it in the front yard of a home beneath a bright light. Consider installing the library on a mobile platform so that you can wheel it closer to your home or indoors at night. Have many people using it and looking out for it. If something does happen, alert the local authorities and tell all of your friends and neighbors what has happened. Ask for help. If you’re a registered steward, join the private Facebook group of your fellow stewards and ask for advice. Check out our blog for more information and examples of how stewards have handled vandalism.