In 1999 Dr. Nancy Dunn came to the Amazon rainforest from the United States to start a novel concept in the jungle—-a library! This was unheard of in the rainforest, and, even in the city of Iquitos and Perú in general, the idea of a free lending library is not common. With time and great effort, the children and adults near the CCC Amazon Jungle Library (Centro de Conocimiento Compartido or Center for Shared Knowledge) have come to benefit greatly from the library. Reading programs, games, computer lessons, classes in music, language, and sewing, spelling bees, and student scholarships have been offered to enrich the lives of area residents and have expanded their understanding of the world around them. The library is located near the Yanamono stream on the Amazon River and serves 12 surrounding river communities. There is also a smaller branch library in the community of Sapo Playa.

This year Dr. Dunn retired from the library. She made a gift of the library building and all the books to CONAPAC to oversee and manage. It seemed a difficult task to replace Dr. Dunn with someone who would be able to keep the library functioning at its current level of programming and financial support from donors abroad. However, just when Nancy announced her departure, Megan Thomas, who was in Iquitos volunteering for CONAPAC, stepped up to fill Nancy's shoes. Megan is the director of both libraries and spends the majority of her time living and working in the jungle. (You can learn more about Megan in Current News February 2011. )

CONAPAC's commitment to the rainforest continues with this newest acquisition. Thank you, Nancy, for your wonderful gift and the incredible legacy that CONAPAC is committed to keep alive.