Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna believes that libraries should become more functional, multidisciplinary spaces.
"There are currently about 11,000 libraries in Ukraine; prior to the full-scale invasion, there were around 15,000. These are spaces that should actually play far more roles and hold much greater significance than merely providing Ukrainians with reading infrastructure. A library can become a space that transforms a person from a recipient of cultural services into an active participant in community life. Our grand vision is to turn libraries into multidisciplinary, highly functional spaces that go far beyond the traditional library model," Berezhna said in at the event dubbed "Unity in action: accessible cultural spaces as a foundation for community development" in Kyiv on Thursday
She noted that the government views libraries as places capable of uniting not only local residents but also those temporarily residing in the community, particularly veterans.
"We realize this is a very challenging task, as there are a great many libraries in Ukraine that require reimagining and transformation. Therefore, as a government, we acknowledge that we cannot handle this alone using state resources—we are open about this," the Deputy Prime Minister stated.
She recalled that the draft budget for the coming year includes "unprecedented" funding for the book sector. Specifically, for the first time in a long while, funds have been allocated for purchasing books for both public and school libraries.
Berezhna also confirmed that a support program for the book publishing sector would be implemented next year as part of the Thousand Springs(Tysiachovesna) initiative, which supports cultural products.
"We hope that members of parliament will support increasing the budget for books and book publishing," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
Among other things, Berezhna announced the presentation of a concept for what libraries in Ukraine should look like, using two libraries—in Rohatyn (Ivano-Frankivsk region) and Bilohiria (Khmelnytsky region)—as examples under the Libraries for All donor-funded pilot initiative.
As earlier reported, the draft state budget for 2027 allocates UAH 100 million for replenishing library collections.
The reading strategy outlines plans for 2026–2028 to ensure access to books in communities lacking libraries or bookstores by developing mobile library services, such as bookmobiles.
In May 2023, Oleksandra Koval, head of the Ukrainian Book Institute (UBI), stated that there are 12,000 public libraries in Ukraine, of which only 3,000 to 4,000 are actively functioning. She also noted that libraries hold 160 million books, 52% of which were published before 1991.
