Vandalism reveals a lot about a community as a man attempts to systematically destroy the San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books. One immediately contemplates the virulent nature of the attack, and how disturbing it is to attempt to destroy a group's entire literary and cultural record.

Jim Van Buskirk, SFPL's program manager, recalls that the incident was "pretty nerve-racking" because he felt it was not "that big a leap from carving up books to carving up people."

Perhaps the most human part of the piece describes a book whose inscription on the title page ("To Richard with good warm wishes from Robert") was slashed through by the vandal.

What once represented hatred and intolerance became a site of joy and community outpouring as artists and San Francisco residents turned their loss into an artistic exhibit.

This piece is touching and personal, dark and disturbing, but in the end pure inspiration. It also reminds its audience that the library is inherently a political space.