Libraries in the Donetsk region continue to demonstrate resilience, professionalism and the ability to operate in wartime conditions. This year, representatives from six communities – Velykonovosilka, Hrodivka, Druzhkivka, Myrne, Pokrovsk and Toretsk – took part in the 14th Interregional Fair of Library Innovations, ‘Bibliocre@tive-2026’.
Participation in the event was the result of joint preparation and teamwork. Coordination and methodological support were provided by the Donetsk Regional Children’s Library, which brought together the communities’ initiatives into a substantive and dignified presentation of the region at an interregional level.
- The fair showcased projects aimed at promoting reading, popularising the Ukrainian language, and preserving cultural heritage and national identity.
- The online linguistic portal ‘Language Secrets’ (Granitne Village Library, Myrne Community) – a digital resource for promoting the Ukrainian language among users of all ages.
- The interactive gastronomic map ‘Tasty Page’ (Public Library of the Velykonovosilky Settlement Council) – a creative literary project combining books and gastronomy, helping readers discover literary works through an exploration of culinary imagery.
- When Photographs Come to Life’ – an interactive exhibition project, ‘Gallery of the Region’s Creative Personalities’ (T. H. Shevchenko Central City Library, Pokrovsk), which combines a traditional book exhibition with digital technologies, allowing the exhibition’s characters to literally ‘come to life’ and tell readers their own stories.
- Online project – the animated series ‘Laughter Reading: Adventures Without Worry’ (Lesia Ukrainka Druzhkivka Central Municipal Library) – an original series featuring its own library character, created to promote reading and provide psychological support for children.
- Reading Marathon: The Book That Unites’ (Novohrodivska Community Library, Novohrodivka) – an initiative that brings readers together around books, both within the library and online.
Voices and Images of the East: Virtual Museum of the Lost Home’ (Toretsk City Central Library) – a digital resource that preserves residents’ memories through audio and photographic materials, capturing a living record of their native land.
The fair served as a platform for professional dialogue and the exchange of best practices. Representatives from the Donetsk region presented their own initiatives and had the opportunity to learn from the successful experiences of their colleagues from the Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions. Some of these initiatives will be adapted to the needs of communities in the Donetsk region and implemented in the work of local libraries.
It is worth noting that over the past two years, libraries in the Donetsk region have been winners of the ‘Choice of the Year’ award. The results of this year’s vote will be announced in a month’s time. Therefore, libraries in the Donetsk region have every reason to expect a commendable result this year as well.
Participation in ‘Bibliocre@tive – 2026’ has once again confirmed that libraries in the Donetsk region not only respond to the challenges of the present but also create new opportunities for community development, the promotion of reading and the preservation of cultural memory.