Saturday’s Supplication …

Today I go on a long awaited holiday; I say ‘holiday’ and for the most it is; but I also work.  Three or four times a year I go to Southern Spain where I work in a tiny academic library.  The library is in a small institute that teaches a BA course in Buddhist Studies.  The international students  throughout the year study remotely and come together at regular intervals to receive tutorials and examinations etc.

While the institute began about  decade ago; I have been the librarian for 6 years.  During this time the library has grown from about 1500 items to over 3000 and is still growing.
My tasks range from receiving and classifying the books; adding them to the database.  Then shelving, maintaining and caring for them.  To dealing with the students and academics who use the books constantly; especially the Tibetan and Sanskrit texts.
This explains why it is necessary for me to understand classical Tibetan and Sanskrit.  However my knowledge of language; dead or otherwise is miniscule compared with the students who attend the college.  They come from all corners of Europe, Scandinavia and beyond and even South America and can speak more languages than ‘I can shake a stick at’ and English!
I am a humble librarian who wishes that all the students and academics will find their way to Malaga safely and the next two weeks will benefit all.