Little Free Library in Livonia emptied multiple times by same woman

LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Little Free Library in Livonia is forced to close down because the owners say someone keeps coming and taking all the books. 

Nicole Mehelich and her husband live on Levan Road and have a Little Free Library in their front yard. 

They say that the same woman has come by at least three times, completely emptying out the library and driving off with all the books. 

"It's pretty well understood that you come and you take a book or two - it's actually written in the directions right on the library - and she comes and she just takes them all," Nicole told us. 

On Monday Nicole's husband confronted the woman - and says she told them she was doing this because these libraries are taking foot traffic away from public libraries. 

"She just kept taking books even though he was standing right there, and she gave him a lot of fooey about, 'There's inappropriate books in the library!' - which, there's not. And she said that, 'Those should be going to a public library,' and 'People like us with these Little Free Libraries are what's wrong with society,' which is ridiculous," Nicole told us. "And she said she was going to come back and take all of the books when we weren't watching."

So, for now, Nicole says they've closed down their library while they figure out what to do. Meanwhile, she says she talked to their city's library and was told they're in support of all the Little Free Libraries in the community.

Nicole says she wouldn't be surprised if the woman has done this elsewhere. 

"It's not okay. It's against common decency. It's a community resource, the kids in our neighborhood love it. Every time she comes to clear it and someone comes by and it's empty, they're sad."

Nicole says they have the woman's vehicle information and are considering filing a police report or pressing charges.