Manuscript from Timbuktu © Robert Goldwater Library
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Most people naturally focus on survival when faced with an invasion or civil war, nary giving a thought to the preservation of knowledge. Luckily for humankind, librarians have that kind of foresight and many are willing to go to great lengths to protect irreplaceable documents and artifacts when they are under threat.
A case in point is Timbuktu in Mali, which has been overrun by militants for months. Though the city’s libraries are being attacked, and in one instance set on fire, the precious contents are safe because they have been evacuated and squirrelled away by brave librarians. They have a lot of practice, apparently. They have been doing this for centuries.
Find out more about this in The Toronto Star