MATTAPOISETT _ After being vandalized during one of the darkest days of winter, spring has brought new life to The Little Free Diverse Library at Neds Point.

Representatives of Tri-Town Against Racism celebrated the return of the reconstructed library Wednesday, March 23.

“I feel very excited and grateful,’’ said Tangi Thomas, president of the organization. 

The Little Free Diverse Library is similar to most little free libraries, a popular concept featuring a small box filled with books to be used as small-scale, local book exchange.

But this library has a major difference: The inventory only features books that promote diversity.

That representation matters, Thomas noted.

“I grew up in the Tri-Town, and I never had a book that resembled or mirrored myself,’’ she said. “It’s important for my children to have books that mirror and resemble’’ their lives. 

With a diverse collection of diverse reading materials, which the organization has also donated to the schools, “my son can see books with people that look like him.’’

The books reflect diverse individuals and communities, including those in the LGBTQ community and those with disabilities.  “Representation matters,’’ said Alison Noyce, vice president of the organization. “People who see representation as not important have always been represented.’’

The library was installed in September. Three months later, a vandal or vandals, who have yet to be apprehended, badly damaged the box. 

The door had been ripped off its hinges and smashed, several books had been torn apart and the others had been strewn around on the ground to be destroyed by the rain.

The post that secures the library to the ground was loose, suggesting that the goal had been to remove it from the ground entirely.

Reaction to the vandalism was immediate and strong, Susan Pizzalato, who helps oversee the library’s book supply, said.

“The community was outraged,’’ she noted. 

Residents of the Tri-Town and beyond were also responsive, group members said. 

The organization received donations of books and money, with people traveling from as far as Franklin and Plainville to visit Thomas and hand her books to replace the damaged inventory.

The new library was built by Craig Collyer, who took steps to make the structure more secure. 

Hours after the library returned to Neds Point, the inventory had been taken, which Pizzalato sees as a sign that the library fills a need.

“I’m so excited to have the books back again,’’ she said. 

Marion is also home to a diverse little library, with another scheduled to be placed in Rochester. 

“We have a lot of people that get it,’’ Pizzalato said.

But the vandalism also shows, she noted, that “we also have a problem.’’