In September 2024, Libraries Connected delivered a mobile library to Ukraine and announced the partnerships in a twinning scheme for Ukrainian and English libraries. Over 1,000 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since the start of the full-scale Russian engagement, including hundreds of libraries. This partnership with Library Country Ukraine Charitable Foundation allows the UK library community to provide practical support to libraries in Ukraine.
 

Mobile library sets off for Ukraine

On 22 September, we waved goodbye to our mobile library as it embarked on its journey to Ukraine.

The mobile library was purchased after a crowdfunding campaign which raised over £10,000 from 227 donors, whose messages of support have been printed into a book accompanying the mobile. It is also stocked with 500 books for babies and children, donated by BookTrust.

The mobile was driven across Europe by two volunteers, Jon Davis and Adrian Reffell, who work for Kirklees and Staffordshire library services. Jon also donated a kettle for Ukrainian librarians to use on the mobile!

The mobile is now at the Polish border and will be delivered to our partner, Library Country Ukraine, in the next few days, and they will deploy it to a city where libraries have been destroyed.

BookTrust CEO Diana Gerald MBE said: 

Every child deserves the chance to experience the benefits of reading. At BookTrust, we know that reading from the early years has countless benefits - not only does it positively impact educational milestones, mental health and bonding but reading can also be magical and a form of escapism. We hope the donated books provide moments of joy and hope during troubling and uncertain times.

English and Ukrainian library twinnings announced

Multiple library twinning have now been announced between UK and Ukrainian libraries. The scheme is inspired by the twinning of Liverpool and Odesa libraries, at an event in 2023 which was attended by the King and Queen, Ukrainian Ambassador and the Ukrainian First Lady.

The twinning schemes will allow the libraries to exchange skills, develop joint initiatives, connect audiences and celebrate UK and Ukrainian literature and culture. Libraries in Ukraine have rapidly adapted to wartime conditions – with a focus on supporting their communities’ mental health, countering misinformation and providing practical help such as first aid training and rest stations for combatants. We hope the twinning scheme will support mutual exchange and learning, as well as providing moral support to library staff working in incredibly challenging conditions.

Libraries Connected Chief Executive Isobel Hunter said:

These two projects are an important demonstration of the solidarity of the international library community. The initiatives will bring measurable benefits to Ukrainian libraries beleaguered by incessant conflict and the deliberate destruction of their nation’s cultural heritage. The twinning projects will also support UK libraries to learn from their Ukrainian partners about the innovation that they have demonstrated in the face of this enormous challenge.
 

Library Country Ukraine Executive Director Lyusyena Shum said:

Ukraine is now at a critical point in its development, when the neighbouring aggressor state of Russia is doing everything to destroy Ukraine as a state and to destroy its national and cultural identity. Millions of internally displaced Ukrainians need support and integration into new communities. Millions of Ukrainian refugees also need support abroad, especially children who should not forget their native Ukrainian language and read Ukrainian books in the cities that temporarily shelter them.

Libraries, like all other cultural institutions, are experiencing a crisis due to the war, economic and demographic problems.

But at the same time, libraries have acquired new roles in their work: psychological and administrative support for IDPs, preservation of cultural identity and moral support for Ukrainians. Libraries have become humanitarian and volunteer centres where they weave camouflage nets and make trench candles for the armed forces, and distribute humanitarian aid.

Therefore, support for Ukrainian libraries from colleagues in the UK is a valuable resource for resilience and support for Ukrainians.   We are sincerely grateful to everyone who helped to raise funds for the library bus. We hope that this will not be the last joint action for us.

We are also very pleased that we have managed to form multiple partnerships between Ukrainian and UK libraries. This is an opportunity for the development of cultural diplomacy between our countries, professional support and exchange of experience, and the formation of close ties for the future.

The following is a list of the paired libraries.

Ely / Cambridge and Sambir

Barbican / London and Desnyansk / Kyiv

Doncaster and Berdychiv

Kent and Kotsiubinsky / Chernihiv

Camden and Solomiansky / Kyiv

Greenwich and Kyiv Central Library for Children

Hackney and Obolon / Kyiv

Lewisham and Lviv Municipal

Manchester and Lviv Regional Youth Library

Marjon and Poltava and Balti

Medway and Sumy

Middlesborough and Dnipro

North Northamptonshire and Konotop

North Somerset and Kharkiv

North Yorkshire and Volodymyr Public Library

Hexham and Feodosia Community

Sprotbrough and Shatsk

St Helens and Zhytomyr

Staffordshire and Zvyagel

Warrington and Chortkiv

West Northamptonshire and Poltava