Librarians for Ukrainian
Peace & Independence
Librarians for Ukrainian Peace & Independence (LUPAI) is a global initiative to bring awareness to the war destruction of libraries and cultural heritage in Ukraine. LUPAI assists in the development of library collections (fundraisers and book drives); raises awareness about the impact of war on civilians curating a traveling exhibit of children's war art and organizing symposia and guest talks; and documents the destruction of Ukrainian libraries. The resilience of Ukrainian people, and our colleagues inspire and guide our efforts.
Our Efforts
Since 2022, this initiative has built a secure digital archive documenting the destruction of over 230 Ukrainian libraries, preserving cultural evidence and supporting truth in the face of war.
Since the war began, Ukrainian libraries and San José State University have supported children through art and poetry programs, generating hundreds of works preserved digitally and showcased in virtual and international exhibitions.
LUPAI supports Ukrainian libraries through targeted fundraisers and international book drives, helping rebuild collections, restore critical resources, and expand children’s access to books across affected regions.
Archiving Ukraine Library Destruction
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to the complete destruction of over 230 libraries, and that number continues to grow. Of the libraries that are open, some offer residents employment assistance, literacy workshops, humanitarian aid and clothing; some have been converted to bomb shelters. Librarians help community members find accurate information as well as recognize propaganda and fake news. The information component of the Russia-Ukraine war has turned the work of librarians into a critical defense mission.
This archive project commenced in 2022 with the intent to document destroyed Ukrainian libraries by collecting evidence of crimes against libraries under the leadership of the Ukrainian Library Association (ULA). In 2023, 14 images and supportive information was shared with our team, who then developed a digital platform to archive these materials. We use Omeka, an open-source platform that functions well in Ukraine, to curate the digital collection.
Images and descriptions continue to be sent to us from Ukraine colleagues. Our team is working to organize this information in English and Ukrainian. We organize its metadata using Dublin Core Standards. This information is gathered on Omeka and displayed by geographic region, both as individual records and as part of narrative displays that show the states of each destroyed and damaged library, as well as the cultural heritage collections they housed. The archive is not open to the public for security reasons, but can be accessed by invitation for librarians who wish to help or volunteer.
Traveling Exhibit:
“Children Draw War, Not Flowers”
Since the start of the war, the Taras Shevchenko Regional Universal Scientific Library of Cherkasy has been working with the San Jose State University to support children traumatized by war. Working with forty regional libraries, the entities held the art competition Children Draw War, Not Flowers for Ukrainian artists aged 6-16. This was followed by the poetry competition, Voices of War, for poets under age 18. 450 artworks were created, and a scanner was purchased to digitize the works on the Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) website. Additionally, 45 pieces were chosen to be a part of the Virtual Reality Exhibit Children Draw War, Not Flowers. Out of the physical works, around seventy were sent to America as a traveling exhibition.
Book Fundraisers & Drives
LUPAI hosts several fundraisers to assist Ukrainian librarians in rebuilding lost collections due to the ongoing war. From working to restore the lost Braille book collection of Kherson Regional Universal Scientific Library and supporting village libraries In Ukraine, to raising funds to help build handcrafted book houses and collections of children books, our fundraisers are created in partnership and directly benefit the Ukrainian Library Association (ULA).
Additionally, after two successful book drives in 2024 and 2025, LUPAI, in partnership with students from San Jose State University’s School of Information, will host a book drive at the 2026 ALA conference. All books collected will be sent to the Cherkasy region of Ukraine to populate custom Little Free Libraries, providing safe access to literacy.
Symposia
Since the summer of 2022 we have hosted an ongoing series of symposia focused on the conditions, needs and services of Ukrainian public libraries, in partnership with the San Jose State University School of Information. This initiative exchanges the expertise of Ukrainian library professionals and scholars with a global audience towards a collaborative development of recommendations and solutions to the problems Ukrainian librarians face.
