Caracas, Venezuela — Rómulo Castellanos, manager of La Gran Pulpería del Libro Venezolano, is trying to repair one of 42 bookshelves that fell to the floor in one of Caracas’ most iconic bookstores following devastating earthquakes last month. 

Over 100,000 books spilled off the shelves during the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes on June 24. Now, Castellanos, with the help of dedicated volunteers, is undergoing the painstaking task of reorganizing them all. 

Armed with hammers, drills, saws and other tools, the group attempts to rebuild this literary temple in the city. 

“I’m taking apart and putting together shelves,” said Castellanos inside the shop on July 16. His father, Rafael Castellanos, founded La Gran Pulpería del Libro in 1981. 

He pokes fun at his father’s craftsmanship, saying many of the shelves were cobbled together Frankenstein-style years ago and probably didn’t help their chances during the quakes. 

When the tremors struck, Castellanos explained, one of the shelves near the wall gave way, triggering a domino effect that caused the subsequent shelves to collapse in succession.

The hardest-hit sections were law, psychology, and esotericism, he said. He thought it ironic that the collapsed shelves reached just as far as the section on Simón Bolívar, Venezuela’s national hero.

Although he’s tired, Castellanos said he pushes on as he knows the role the bookstore has played for the city’s (and country’s) culture. 

“I’m still giving it my all. I’ve been here since Thursday [June] 25th, but I have no other choice,” he said. 

He also plans to give away some of the encyclopedias and books to students who need materials for their studies.

Image credit: Julio Blanca for Latin America Reports

Castellanos has not been alone in this effort; he has had the support of a large number of volunteers who have joined in to sort, inspect, and repair books in the wake of the disaster. 

At La Gran Pulpería del Libro, young people stand in front of piles of books, meticulously sorting them and placing them on restored shelves. 

“I worked here about five years ago, and it was like a second home to me,” said Manuel, one of the volunteers. “It’s a place that’s important to me, so I decided to come help out.” 

He explained that the young people are organizing themselves through a call for volunteers posted on social media; they fill out a form, and once selected, they follow a schedule that assigns people to different tasks.

According to the organizers, they’ve received hundreds of applications in a short time—a sign of how many people have wanted to pitch in and offer support to La Gran Pulpería del Libro.

All images courtesy of Julio Blanca for Latin America Reports.