[tzs]

The city is not objecting to the book sharing. They are objecting to the container used to hold the books.

The reporter or the blogger could have turned this into an interesting story by investigating WHY outbuildings are not allowed by the city's building code. My guess is that there is a sound reason for this in the case of things like like 100 sq ft storage sheds [1], and so then the question would arise as to whether or not this makes sense for small buildings. Do they prohibit dog houses? Bird houses?

Another interesting question would be, if the code as written does indeed prohibit this structure, is whether or not that was intentional, or was the code too broadly drafted?

But no, they just go for the cheap "mean city bullies book sharing kid" approach.

[1] for instance! small detached buildings might be unusually dangerous in high winds, blowing apart and turning into shrapnel. This story is from a state known for tornados, so I'd be surprised if wind concerns were not a major factor in their building codes.