IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — An Idaho Falls couple who live here only part of the year decided to go all in on supporting a town they’ve enjoyed calling their second home. They’ve learned that sometimes you just have to keep writing a new chapter and not give up when life knocks you down.
Richard and Linda Matheson compete in triathlons around the world. During one of her many runs around her neighborhood, she noticed a little free library in Reinhart Park. She was saddened to discover one day that it had been destroyed.
Richard remembers, “We thought, OK, it’s our turn to give back and put something there. We wanted to do something nice for the community.”
So, they built a replacement.
DAMAGED AGAIN
And it stood untouched for about three months.
Then someone smashed the window. They replaced it with Lexan, a stronger material. But the damage didn’t stop there. Soon, the entire library was destroyed again, leaving only a post behind.
“We were kind of hurt and frustrated that that had been knocked over,” Richard said. “I was kind of sad. Kids these days.”
COMMUNITY RALLYING TOGETHER
The Mathesons were contemplating giving up.
Then they posted about it on Facebook, and the community stepped in.
Someone had saved all the books, and another person offered them a little library his daughter had built for a senior project. Someone else offered to point a security camera at the library if the Mathesons put it back up.
BACK ON THE BOOKSHELF
So, they decided to give it another go.
Because they know the idea works.
Back when the library was stocked, books were taken, and different books showed up in their place.
Richard explains that was the goal all along.
“That’s what we want is just somewhere for kids that are interested in reading and might see a book that they haven’t seen before, and grab that and read it,” Richard said.
POSSIBLE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES
While the Mathesons never filed a police report, Jessica Clements with the Idaho Falls Police Department says that if they had filed one, there could have been charges for vandalism or malicious injury to property, which can be a misdemeanor or a felony.
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
Now the third little library is ready for borrowing books.
The Mathesons are hoping this one has a longer shelf life.
“I kind of feel like if we just keep putting it up, whoever’s knocking them down will get bored. The idea [is] that we’re not going to go away. We’ll keep putting one up,” Richard said.
