Libraries Connected has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to purchase and transport a mobile library to Ukraine, aiming to gather £10,000. This vehicle, a decommissioned yet fully operational mobile library from an English council, will be delivered to Ukrainian communities devastated by the ongoing conflict.
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Since the large-scale invasion by Russian forces in February 2022, over 600 public libraries and 2,000 school libraries have suffered damages or complete destruction. Many areas now lack any library access. This mobile unit will enable local librarians to continue providing vital services amidst ruin and danger.
“This may be a relatively small gesture but it will make a big difference to our partners in Ukraine and the communities they serve.”
Isobel Hunter, Libraries Connected CEO
The project is a collaboration with Library Country Ukraine, a local charity that has been pivotal in orchestrating this initiative. “When our Ukrainian colleagues asked if we could help source them a mobile library, we were only too happy to help,” said Isobel Hunter MBE, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected. “We’ve heard such heartbreaking stories from Ukraine—of libraries destroyed, collections burned, and library workers killed. This may be a relatively small gesture but it will make a big difference to our partners in Ukraine and the communities they serve.”
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The mobile library is planned to be driven across Europe and handed over at the Ukraine border, likely operating in regions such as Donetsk, Kherson, or Zaporizhzhia.
“It would be a wonderful message of solidarity from Britain and a way to keep Ukrainian cultural heritage alive.”
Lyusyena Shum, Library Country Ukraine
Lyusyena Shum, Executive Director of Library Country Ukraine, stressed the profound impact this project could have: “It is our dream to have a mobile library. It would allow Ukrainian librarians to provide moral support to local people who have lived through occupation while giving them access to education, culture and of course, books. It would be a wonderful message of solidarity from Britain and a way to keep Ukrainian cultural heritage alive.”
The crowdfunding appeal will run for eight weeks, concluding on June 5, 2024. Donations can be made through their dedicated page.