The organizers named it the “Victor Martinez People’s Library” in honor of the late Latino author. In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Jaime Silva (one of the organizers) explained that the building had been abandoned for a few years and its darkness “sucks the life out of the community.”

Here’s more from The Huffington Post: “Dozens of activists, many associated with the Occupy movement, entered the unlocked building, which alternately served as a library, school and social services center until the city closed it in 2010, and immediately went to work replacing the results of years of neglect. Trash, discarded mattresses and graffiti were removed to make room for the makeshift lending library of books donated by the community. By the afternoon, visitors had begun wandering in, and organizers were gearing up for an evening potluck dinner and poetry reading.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.