September 30 is celebrated in Ukraine as National Library Day. The holiday was established by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 471/98 of May 14, 1998, in recognition of libraries’ contribution to the development of education, science, and culture, and the need to enhance their role in society.
Libraries in Ukraine serve a much broader purpose than simply storing and lending books. They provide access to information, support education and self-education, promote reading, host cultural and educational events, and help communities preserve local history and cultural memory.
In the digital age, the role of libraries has not disappeared—it has evolved. A modern library combines traditional book collections with digital resources, educational opportunities, cultural events, and online communication with readers. This transformation has become particularly noticeable during the current war, as libraries have begun to seek new ways to remain accessible to people even without their own physical spaces.
In the context of the war, libraries have also become places of support and a means of maintaining connections between people for many communities. Here, people can access information, participate in educational or cultural events, socialize, find a Ukrainian book, or simply maintain the habit of reading—even when the community’s normal life has been disrupted.
For the Donetsk region, the role of libraries as custodians of local memory is particularly important. Books, local history publications, periodicals, photographs, documents, and other materials preserve information about towns and villages, their people, traditions, and events. Part of this heritage is now under threat due to hostilities and occupation, so its preservation takes on not only cultural but also social significance.
Libraries help preserve what is easily lost during war—a person’s connection to their place and their history. For residents of the Donetsk region, this is particularly poignant: even while far from their hometowns, people can read books about their region, listen to its stories, participate in library projects, and pass this knowledge on to their children.
All-Ukrainian Library Day is an opportunity to talk about more than just books and library shelves. It is a day about access to knowledge, the right to one’s own history, and the place where that history is preserved.