Odesa’s Libraries during the Martial Law of 2022

Abstract

The article analyses the work of Odesa’s libraries during the martial law of 2022. The author aimed to collect information about librarians’ reactions to the beginning of the war, the overall state of the city’s libraries, and the extent of collection losses, and to assess changes and trends in library work over half a year of martial law. The study is based on the oral-historical and historical-comparative methods and represents the first attempt to analyze the ongoing state of the library industry in Odesa. The author conducted a survey (in the form of a questionnaire) of employees of 21 libraries in the city. As part of the survey, librarians were asked to answer a number of questions regarding their situation, functions, and actions at the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine. On the basis of the received answers, the principal directions of library activities and innovation during the war of national defense of 2022 are outlined. The distinguishing features of the work of libraries in Odesa concern five aspects: reaction to the beginning of the war; security conditions; collection-related issues; innovation; and situation of employees. The author notes that the libraries of Odesa have suffered less damage than library institutions in many frontline cities of Ukraine. Martial law has created both a number of challenges, particularly in the areas of security, funding, and collection expansion, and some opportunities for innovation. Libraries fast-tracked the scanning of valuable collections and began to pay more attention to issues of security and to their role in the psychological health of the community. Success has been had with a number of volunteer initiatives. Libraries have been taking very active part in informational resistance against the Russian invasion and are demonstrating professionalism in preserving their collections and responding to various challenges.