Standing with Ukraine: Building Library Collections to Support New Ukrainian Communities

Libraries in occupied areas have become spaces of “Information Warfare” - where books are deliberately destroyed, particularly books about Ukrainian history. In occupied areas, Russians have repurposed libraries to disseminate propaganda. Today, over 80% of Ukraine's books are published in Kharkiv. The targeting of Ukrainian libraries and publishing houses is indicative of Russia's determination to destroy Ukrainian identity by targeting Ukraine's national treasure: its literature.

Libraries have become central to the war effort. Librarians and community members coordinate food packages for the military, make camouflage nets, and coordinate humanitarian aid. In Kyiv, libraries also coordinate the shipment of books to Poland and other areas where refugees are sheltering. Our presentation covers the history of Ukrainian book collections, information destruction in war, and the recovery efforts of today.

These photos show libraries in several eastern regions of Ukraine that have been heavily hit by Russian bombs and missiles. While the damage to the physical structures is evident, in many cases, library collections themselves have also been damaged. Some Ukrainian libraries have also experienced occupation by Russian troops who have looted equipment and removed Ukrainian materials.

Much of the information about Russia's attacks on Ukrainian libraries has come to us through Ulia Gosart, a librarian at San Jose State University and an advocate for Ukrainian libraries. Ulia highlights the role libraries in unoccupied areas play in welcoming internally displaced people: “In Ukraine, the public library has traditionally been at the heart of community, cultural, and intellectual life. Today, Ukrainian libraries are spaces that symbolize stability while also nourishing the community's spirit.”

While many libraries remain open, in some unoccupied areas, libraries have had to close due to a lack of funding and personnel. Libraries in occupied areas have become spaces of “Information Warfare” - where books are deliberately destroyed, particularly books about Ukrainian history. In occupied areas, Russians have repurposed libraries to disseminate propaganda.

These photos show a targeted missile attack on the Factor-Druk publishing house on May 27, 2024. The attack left seven employees dead and more than 20 wounded. Kharkiv has historically been the publishing center of Ukraine. Today, over 80% of Ukraine's books are published in Kharkiv. The targeting of Ukrainian libraries and publishing houses is indicative of Russia's determination to destroy Ukrainian identity by targeting Ukraine's national treasure: its literature.

These figures are from the 11th report by the Yaroslav Mudriy National Library of Ukraine, which periodically surveys libraries about the effects of the war. Public libraries are spaces of community and culture, and in smaller towns and villages, they often represent the one center where people can access free Internet. Ukrainians view libraries as central community spaces; this is also the very reason that Russia has placed Ukrainian libraries under attack.

In occupied territories, information is used as a tool for Russian propaganda. In an interview with Ulia Gosart, Tetiana Svatula, a librarian at the Kherson Regional Library, explains that the slogan “Russia is Here Forever” is used to undermine Ukrainian identity. Libraries are used to disseminate Russian propaganda, and large shipments of Russian books are delivered to replace Ukrainian works. Libraries are used by Russia as centers for indoctrination, which targets children, in particular. To resist Russian narratives, Ukrainian librarians in unoccupied territories have developed materials to help people recognize false information and identify propaganda.

Libraries are not only being damaged by shelling, but collections are deliberately destroyed using other means. During the occupation of the Kherson region, many strategies were used to undermine libraries, including burning books, urinating on books, and shooting out library windows from the inside. These tactics are used to attack morale through the systematic destruction of Ukraine's literary history and culture.

“The War in Ukraine: A Librarian's Perspective.” Published in Public Library Quarterly, 2024.

Libraries have become central to the war effort. Librarians and community members coordinate food packages for the military, make camouflage nets, and coordinate humanitarian aid. In Kyiv, libraries also coordinate the shipment of books to Poland and other areas where refugees are sheltering.

There are two spheres of advocacy for Ukrainian libraries and books: one sphere addresses the attacks on Ukrainian libraries, and the other addresses supporting Ukrainian readers sheltering abroad.

Ukrainian books represent an important connection to Ukrainian identity and language, while providing readers a chance to temporarily escape the realities of war. Daria Rybalchenko was 16 when Russia attacked her hometown, Stanytsia Luhanska, in eastern Ukraine. That summer, in 2014, she bought a copy of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the French adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas. She read the book by a solar-powered flashlight while sheltering from the shelling.

Daria's copy of the book is now in the War Memory Museum in Sarajevo - the only museum in the world that specifically examines how childhood is affected by war. The museum currently includes over 600 items from Ukrainian children, providing tangible evidence of their experiences.

The Ukrainian language has been subjected to a historical continuum of suppression and bans. Ukraine's most famous poet, Taras Shevchenko, published the first book of modern Ukrainian poetry, Kobzar. He was such a formidable force that his poems were published even in Russia; however, Russian and Soviet editions of his poetry were redacted or changed to eliminate Ukrainian identity and nationhood. While this timeline covers up until 1972, today, linguistic oppression of Ukrainians is again occurring under Putin.

It is important to note that the Yale Center for Human Rights has documented at least 19,500 cases of Ukrainian children who have been abducted and taken to Russia. These children are put in filtration camps and re-educated as Russian children, or adopted into Russian families. Russia seeks to erase its identity and language.

Throughout the tsarist and soviet periods, the diaspora has played an important role in upholding the language and culture; this continues today as the Ukrainian diaspora engages in advocacy to support the maintenance of the Ukrainian language among refugees who have fled the war. This poem by Virlana Tkacz highlights her experience as a Ukrainian learner in the diaspora during the Soviet period, underscoring the freedom to speak and learn Ukrainian in the US, while it was suppressed in her homeland. The diaspora has a great desire to uphold the values of their language by ensuring that Ukrainian children have access to the Ukrainian language and reading materials. These materials also provide comfort and support to the community, including, in particular, to children and the elderly.

In June 2022, the Portland-based Ukrainian American magazine Kanon published a profile on community member Kristine Mushkevych's efforts in advocating for Ukrainian language books. The article described the importance of Ukrainian language collections to the community and provides advice on methods to work with and engage local libraries. Mushkevych also shares tips and talking points to guide advocacy, and a sample materials request letter. This article speaks to the efforts of the Ukrainian community in their desire to work with libraries and to help Ukrainian readers access books in their language.

When Ukrainian community members in King County were still finding a path to work with their local libraries, they set up their own book exchange system using QR codes to “check out” books. Tabling at community events, they promoted the program and developed their own community-driven library.

Examples from social media groups where the Ukrainian community shares information about recent library acquisitions and encourages one another to advocate for Ukrainian books.

Community member Lyuba Uzik started her own book club and uses the platform to share information about Ukrainian book acquisitions in communities around Seattle.

Translations:

Are there some Ukrainian books and resources for children and young adults in libraries?

Tacoma Public Library has a World Language Collection with 156 print and electronic materials in Ukrainian.

The Seattle Public Library has 920 print, audio, and electronic books, films, and materials on DVD and CD.

The Mount Vernon Library Commons has also increased its holdings of books and educational materials in the Ukrainian language. At the present time, there are more than 45 books available.

King County Library System: Ukrainian books are present on the shelves at the following locations: Algona-Pacific, Bellevue, Federal Way, Federal Way 320th, Kenmore, Kent, Outreach, Redmond, and Renton.

Ukrainian publishing remains robust, despite the dangerous conditions that publishers operate under. Ukrainian bookstores have increased in number as interest in Ukrainian books has soared. This slide shows the rebuilt Factor Druk Publishing House. Included is also a sample page from the Ranok catalog that provides English descriptions in an effort to provide selection tools for English speakers.

The Ukrainian community has developed successful collaborative partnerships with libraries, such as the Camas Public Library and the King County Library System. Ukrainian community members are eager to share information about the war and its effects on libraries, writers, and publishers. The Lost Horse Press dual-language Ukrainian poetry series also offers opportunities for bilingual programming in Ukrainian and English.

Ukrainian-owned online bookstore, Sokolya.com, was founded by Oksana Hluska in response to community requests for Ukrainian language materials. Sokolya regularly receives a broad range of new books by best-selling authors from a variety of Ukrainian publishers. The vendor can also select titles based on a library's selection profile.

Libraries are sometimes hesitant to collect materials in languages that they have not collected in previously. Some libraries are also hesitant to develop smaller collections and prefer long-term commitments to sustainable, large collections in a given language area. However, every language collection starts somewhere. Even a small collection can speak volumes to a language community and demonstrate that their language is valued within the broader context of the library and its services. The map visualization can be useful for identifying other libraries that have established collections of Ukrainian books that may be able to provide guidance and advice.