Independent Libraries in Cuba Defy Government's Lock on Information

By MARION LLOYD

The movement faces poverty and repression as it collects books from the outside world

The smattering of Catholic journals, poetry books, and yellowed Newsweeks that make up Valentin Almiral's provincial library seem an unlikely catalyst for revolution.

But in a country where the government wields nearly absolute control over information, the former biology teacher's private collection represents a significant challenge to state authority.

Mr. Almiral's Love, Peace,