Information and Communication Activities of Ukrainian Libraries in the Conditions of War

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to comprehensively investigate the essence of information and communication activities of libraries in the conditions of the war between Russia and Ukraine and to determine the role of communication strategies in the implementation of their main tasks. The research methodology is based on systemic and value approaches, with the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalisation, and others) and special methods determined by the multidisciplinary informational, communicative and socio-cultural research paradigm, which made it possible to comprehensively consider the specified problem and obtain appropriate results. The scientific novelty consists in understanding the general features of the library industry in the conditions of war. Conclusions. Library activity is one of the most important aspects of the functioning of the information and communication sphere of Ukraine, which intensified its activities during the war in order to improve the interaction between libraries and users. It has been proven that libraries in the information and communication space in wartime have undergone a process of transformation from a traditional environment to a social platform capable of resisting informational, cultural, and psychological influences of the enemy. It is noted that one of the effective strategic directions of its information and communication activities is the expansion of access to information for the audience of users both in Ukraine and abroad, and those who are in the occupied territory. Mass events aimed at supporting young people and pensioners are held; cooperation with volunteer and public organisations; work aimed at helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine and internally displaced persons; provision of information support; participation in charity events. It is emphasised that the information and communication activity of Ukrainian libraries in war conditions acquires special importance and functions on the principle of humanity, which is applied during armed conflicts and is closely related to related fields of international law reflected in national legislation. It is obvious that in wartime, libraries are almost the only social platforms for the promotion of education, legal education and upbringing in territorial communities. The war also activated new forms and methods of educational and explanatory work, the popularisation of library services that reflect the specific requests of users and meet the needs of the local population and the requirements of today. All this is an important indicator of the effectiveness and attractiveness of libraries as an informational and communicative multidisciplinary social platform in wartime conditions. Keywords: library, librarian, reader, information and communication activities of libraries, communication strategies, information and communication centre, library services, war.