Standing with Ukrainian libraries

As the world is changing, here is a brief update about European libraries’ responses to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. (Click on the links below for more detail and up to date news.)

In an email dated March 10, on Ukrainian theological libraries, from Dr. Kelly Campbell at Columbia Theological Seminary in the USA:

We have been in contact with our  Ukrainian colleagues who have attended Bibliotheques Europeennes de Theologie, (BETH) conferences in the past. They are all currently healthy and safe. We have most contacts in Lviv, where it is still relatively quiet. Our colleague,  R–,  had to leave Kiev and now stays in the west of the country. Please remember them and show your sympathy where possible. 

The BETH board  has posted a statement on their website and on social media in line with what other European library associations have done. Feel free to spread this statement further as well.

*We, European theological librarians look on in dismay at was is happening in Ukraine. We hope that the Russian Government will soon come to realise that war, and this war in particular, has only losers. Our sympathy goes to the Ukrainian people and to our colleagues. We hope that they will be able to continue their work. After all, is not the core task of a librarian – to provide complete and impartial information – more necessary than ever? Let us therefore not forget our colleagues but encourage them to persevere.*

Other European library associations are issuing similar statements. LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche – Association of European Research Libraries) is the voice of Europe’s research library community.

LIBER is concerned and follows with sadness the development of the events taking place in Ukraine. We express our solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and colleagues of the Ukrainian scientific, academic and student communities.

As a research library community, LIBER emphasises the right to research and knowledge for all during this conflict and fully supports the international library and university community in mobilising accurate information about the situation in Ukraine, in order to preserve democracy and freedom of expression as well as to protect the lives and careers of Ukrainian citizens, academics, students, researchers and civil society actors.

This war will have serious consequences for research and education in Ukraine. We will monitor the situation closely and are determined to do all we can to help researchers and students in higher education institutions in this country.

The European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations is an independent umbrella association of library, information, documentation and archive associations and institutions in Europe has also made a statement:

Throughout Europe, public libraries have a proud tradition of welcoming everyone.

We …call upon this tradition of libraries to give a warm welcome, a safe place to Ukrainian refugees during this difficult time. Provide them with whatever support they can offer, books and other media as well as access to information and education.

Around the world, librarians are finding ways to become involved. If you can and would like to help in saving Ukrainian cultural heritage online, there is an alliance that has been recently formed called Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) which welcomes cultural heritage professionals – librarians, archivists, researchers, programmers – to join in saving Ukrainian cultural heritage online Details at https://www.sucho.org/