65 Degrees North - News and views from Oulu - Teenage Library Attack Means You Can’t Return Books After Closing Time

Teenage Library Attack Means You Can’t Return Books After Closing Time

By Virpi Hattukangas

Sunday, 13 April 2008

The Maikkula library fire in January has resulted in library after hours return boxes being closed in the Oulu suburbs. Only the main City library return box will stay open at night in the wake of the blaze, started by an Oulu teenager.

The fire was started by a 15-year-old boy who threw a firecracker into Maikkula library return box. The damage was extensive and the library still remains closed.

Pirkko Lindberg of the City library says that unfortunately the decision to close the after hours return facilities had to be taken as the City cannot afford to risk another similar incident in the future.

Damage in Maikkula library has cost the City tens of thousands of euros and according to Lindberg they can hardly afford another similar incident. As for the good news - Maikkula library has been undergoing renovations and is due to open in the next 3 to 4 weeks. Until then a library bus continues to service Maikkula residents on Fridays between 1.50pm and 2.20pm at Riimukivenkatu 6. (Kaleva)

Comments (2)

1. 14-04-2008 14:31

Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

terrible mistake

This is the biggest mistake! Instead of closing, I think they should go public with this news and make family responsible!
If it happens again... Well, an area will stay without library till the day there will be enough money to build a new facility. In each quarter inhabitants know the teenagers hanging around and they know their families, isn't it? Where were the parents? Why in so many areas of the city we have kids vandalizing the place? Where are their families? Because, please correct me is I'm wrong, it looks to me they're not really doing their work? The key is education! What's the city answer instead? We close places so they don't burn them down? Are we kidding or what? Why we don't start knocking to their parents home and present the bill? What's going to be the next step? Taking away bus stop boxes because teenagers keep on burning them? Putting less trash cans because a drunken stupid break them? Make them pay, not us normal behaving citizens, guilty only of having brainless neighbor.
Greetings,
A.

2. 22-04-2008 10:55

Written by Tuuli

terrible mistake

I also don't agree with this decision. In some libraries the have separate space for books that is not connected with the main library area. Places like that would be more safe if safe is what we need.

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