Seven decades of service, thousands of books, hundreds of thousands of pages read, encounters, conversations and people’s stories – a significant anniversary for the municipal institution «Pokrovsk City Public Library», the T. H. Shevchenko Central City Library. To mark the occasion, representatives from the regional state administration’s Department of Culture and Tourism congratulated the library staff, recognised their professional work and presented them with awards from the Donetsk Regional State Administration.
Special words of gratitude were expressed for the team’s work amidst a full-scale war, their active cultural, educational and local history initiatives, and their efforts to preserve the community’s local identity and cultural memory.
Preserving the library’s collection has also been a vital part of this work. Thanks to the efforts of the library staff, over 11,000 volumes were successfully evacuated. Behind every book saved lies the librarians’ daily labour, their sense of responsibility and their understanding that a book is an important part of cultural memory and a legacy for future generations.
A welcome addition to the celebrations was the presentation of over 150 new books to the library. The donated books will enrich the collection and become available to readers.
Today, a library is not merely a place for storing books, but also a space for knowledge, communication and cultural development. It is a place where the memory of one’s native land is preserved, its history is explored and passed on to future generations.
Despite all the challenges, libraries continue to fulfil their important mission: to foster an interest in reading, preserve the Ukrainian language, safeguard the cultural heritage and local identity of communities, ensure people have access to books, and help preserve the memory of people and events.