The roundtable “Frontline and Displaced Libraries: Experience, Current Situation, and Prospects” brought together representatives of the library community and government authorities to discuss the pressing challenges facing libraries during wartime
Mariupol State University, in collaboration with the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library, initiated the roundtable “Frontline and Displaced Libraries: Experience, Present, and Prospects.” The event served as a platform for professional dialogue regarding the work of frontline and displaced libraries, their adaptation to new conditions, and their role in supporting communities. Participants in the discussion included Oleg Serbin, Director of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine; Lucienne Shum, founder of the “Library Country” Charitable Foundation , Alla Gordienko, Director General of the National Library of Ukraine for Children, and Oleksandra Koval, Director of the Ukrainian Book Institute, as well as representatives of the library sector from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
Representatives from the Donetsk region included officials from the regional administration’s Department of Culture and Tourism and local libraries, specifically the Donetsk Regional Children’s Library, the Mariupol Central City Public Library, the Mangush Public Library, and the Pokrovsk City Public Library.
During the event, participants discussed the state of the library network under martial law, the operational experience of displaced institutions, and their ability to ensure continuity of operations even under challenging security conditions. Particular attention was paid to the role of libraries as centers of support for internally displaced persons and for the development of local communities.
Based on the roundtable’s findings, participants concluded that libraries, despite all the challenges of wartime, continue to fulfill an important social function, serving as spaces for support, communication, and community building. At the same time, the need was identified for the further development of digital services, the expansion of partnerships, support for industry professionals, and the implementation of new working formats that meet current conditions and user needs.
The event marked an important step in consolidating the professional community and finding effective solutions for the development of the library sector in wartime conditions.