Libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina during and after the Bosnian War

The relevance of the study. In the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, examining the experience of countries that have endured war and undertaken post-war recovery becomes particularly relevant for Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to consider the state of librarianship in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War (1992–1995), to assess the extent of libraries and library resources losses, to study the activities for post-war library restoration, in particular, to analyze projects for the restoration of library collections and acquisition with new publications, implemented with international support to identify strategies applicable to Ukraine. The methodology is based on the general scientific principles of historicism, objectivity, systemic, interdisciplinary and informational approaches. The purpose was achieved using a system of general scientific and special methods: theoretical (analysis, synthesis, generalization), empirical (description, comparison, observation), historical-comparative, problem-chronological, identification and analysis of sources, and others. The results. It has been studied that the library and documentary heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered huge losses as a result of the Bosnian War. The library collections and buildings, public, school, and academic, were significantly devastated, many of them were destroyed. The National Library and the University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina were burned. During and after the war, a number of projects were implemented to restore the library sector, most of them were carried out with significant international support. The scientific novelty. In Ukrainian library and information science, the state of librarianship in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War and the experience of post-war restoration are studied for the first time. The practical significance. The successes and failures of complex strategies and individual projects for library restoration in Bosnia and Herzegovina require careful examination. This will allow avoiding mistakes in activities for the post-war restoration of librarianship in Ukraine. Conclusions. The experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed that the restoration of library collections and buildings, especially large ones and especially after large-scale destruction, is a task that is possible with multilateral international support. But even with strong international aid, the successful implementation of restoration projects requires coordination of the activities of participants, a clear specification of their roles and tasks, sound plans, tools and transparent operational reporting. Successful sustainable and long-term post-war restoration requires the development of a holistic comprehensive strategy.