Ukrainian public libraries during the Russia-Ukraine war: Supporting individuals, communities, and the nation

The study presented here was motivated by the desire to understand the current state of Ukrainian public libraries and share their stories with the broader international professional community. Twelve heads of different types of public libraries in several regions of Ukraine were asked to describe how the Russia-Ukraine war has affected their libraries. Participants’ stories largely confirm and extend previous reports of the Ukrainian libraries’ emerging functions as humanitarian aid and learning hubs, shelters, and emotional support centers. Expanding earlier accounts, participants also discussed initiatives focused on media literacy, decolonization of their collections, and strengthening of Ukrainian national identity. Based on the findings and the reviewed sources, we propose a theoretical framework of library user needs that are addressed by the war-affected public libraries in Ukraine. We argue that these needs, ranging from basic psychological, physical, safety, and informational to the need to be part of a community and a nation, are not unique to Ukraine and can explain the functions and value of public libraries in other countries.