Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq by Mark Alan Stamaty

From the back of the book:
Inspired by a true story, Alia's Mission is the dramatic account of Alia Muhammad Baker, the chief librarian of the Central Library in Basra, Iraq, who undertook a mission of epic proportions. It is 2004. As the war in Iraq draws closer and closer to Basra, Alia grows increasingly fearful that the irreplaceable treasures of her library are in grave danger. Her please to government officials go ignored, so Alia comes up with a plan of her own. Determined to preserve the history and culture f her people, Alia, with the help of her neighbours, who assist her at the risk of their own lives, smuggles over 30,000 previous volumes to safety.

This story has also inspired a picture book.