Northern Asia holds more than just breathtaking landscapes. It cradles a tapestry of cultures and languages dating back millennia, offering important clues to the region’s deep past. Preserving the vanishing voices of indigenous communities has never seemed more urgent.

Everyone makes mistakes. Few would disagree with this statement, yet many still shy away from discussing what went wrong and why – especially in a professional setting such as a library. To challenge this stigma, four interviewees reflect on their own professional blunders and why it’s more sensible to acknowledge them than to deny their existence.