In the mid-1990s, teachers from Chicacao, a small town in Guatemala's Pacific foothills, banded together and founded a library.

Led by the dynamic Flor de Maria, the library committee built a collection book-by-book. By 2003, the library had a space in

Chicacao's municipal building, with wood furniture, computers, and a decent collection.

On May 5, 2003, the muncipal building, the fire station, and the mayor's house were burned to the ground in political violence.

Five months later, we made our first trip to Chicacao on the recommendation of Rigoberto Zamora of PROBIGUA.