Rómulo Castellanos, manager of La Gran Pulpería del Libro Venezolano, is leading the repair of a collapsed bookshelf after the powerful earthquakes that struck Caracas last month.
The 7.2‑ and 7.5‑magnitude tremors on June 24 caused more than 100,000 books to tumble from the store’s shelves, creating a massive cleanup challenge.
Castellanos and a team of volunteers are using hammers, drills, saws and other tools to reconstruct the damaged shelving and restore the store’s interior.
“I’m taking apart and putting together shelves,” Castellanos said on July 16, recalling that his father founded the bookstore in 1981.
He noted that many of the original shelves were assembled in a makeshift fashion, which contributed to their failure when a wall‑adjacent unit gave way and triggered a domino effect.
The law, psychology and esotericism sections suffered the most damage, and the collapse reached the area dedicated to national hero Simón Bolívar.
Despite fatigue, Castellanos continues the work, emphasizing the bookstore’s cultural significance and planning to donate surplus encyclopedias and textbooks to students in need.
Volunteer Manuel, who previously worked at the shop, described the effort as a personal commitment, saying the store feels like a second home.
Organizers have coordinated volunteers through a sign‑up system, receiving hundreds of applications within days, reflecting strong community support for the restoration.
