Oksana Brui

President of the Ukrainian Library Association, Deputy Director General of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine

Oksana Brui is a Ukrainian librarian, public figure, Deputy Director General of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, President of the Ukrainian Library Association, PhD in Social Communications. Her professional interests primarily lie in strategic management, open science, knowledge management, and IT in libraries. She is the author of about 20 publications, more than 15 handbooks, and 2 Massive Open Online Courses for librarians. Oksana is a member of working groups and commissions at the ministries of Ukraine. She is one of the authors of the Strategy for the Development of Libraries of Ukraine for 2017-2025. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Oksana has been actively working with the international community to spread truthful information about the Russian-Ukrainian war. She also actively cooperates with government representatives and the leadership of Ukrainian libraries to develop Ukrainian libraries and address social challenges.

Change yourself. Change your library. Change your country. Change the world

The library has undergone significant transformation since its inception – from a simple book collection to a vibrant social hub. Today, libraries face continuous change, uncertainty, and crises, driven by rapid societal shifts and emerging challenges. They must respond flexibly, helping communities overcome these obstacles. Librarians must be adaptable and quick learners, constantly updating their skills and modifying their institutions to meet new demands. Ukrainian libraries, in particular, encounter unique challenges amid ongoing war and societal upheaval.

The Ukrainian library system faces chronic issues: underfunding, outdated infrastructure, preservation threats, declining personnel, and inadequate integration of IT. The war has exacerbated these problems, threatening the existence of many libraries as social institutions.

However, Ukrainian libraries demonstrate resilience and leadership in helping communities recover and rebuild despite these challenges.

Their capacity for adaptation and international support opens new partnerships and resource mobilisation opportunities. Looking ahead, the vision for Ukrainian libraries, developed by the Ukrainian Library Association and Yaroslav Mydryi National Library of Ukraine, raises the issues of post-war recovery, advancing human capital, and contributing to a strong, democratic, and economically prosperous Ukraine.

Date and time: 2025-12-02, 16:40-17:00 (20 min)

Hall: ALFA