Anger as community book project in Fife village destroyed

A ‘wee library’, created by CLEAR volunteers, was put in College Street park just a few weeks ago, aiming to encourage people to read more. The small wooden box had been filled with books, with people free to pick one up and read.

However, the box was set on fire and destroyed on Sunday, prompting a frustrated response from the community.

Tanja Franz, volunteer and outreach manager, who first came up with the idea for the project, said she found out about the fire on Facebook.

“It looks like the fire started on the inside and then the doors were closed,” she told the Mail.

“I don’t know if it’s boredom or just vandalism. It’s an open space so I didn’t expect it to happen.

“I’m disappointed. The one in the Bird scheme – I was happy and proud that it lasted so long. It’s such a shame because this was for the public.

“Someone had put in a lot of kids books just the day before. Now they are all burned. People have been using it a lot.

“If someone has seen anything, please do get in touch.”

Despite the setback, Tanja is still pushing ahead with plans to open other ‘wee libraries’ around Buckhaven and said a replacement will be put in the park.

“Never give up,” she said, vowing to keep a closer eye on the replacement.

Funds for the scheme came from the CLIMB project, which gave locals the chance to vote for projects which they wanted to see receive money.

This is just the latest act of vandalism which has spoiled community projects in Buckhaven. Earlier this year, three garden troughs were stolen at the entrance to the town, while decorative lights were ripped from a tree.