Prokopenko Liliia

UNESCO’s International Initiatives on Revival of Libraries after World War II

Abstract: The purpose of the article is to study the content of UNESCO’s international initiatives for the post-war revival of libraries, implemented after the World War II, to determine their contribution to the development of librarianship and support of society after the war. The research methods are based on the general scientific principles of historicism, integrity, objectivity, continuity, systemic, interdisciplinary and informational approaches. The purpose was achieved through system of general scientific and special methods: theoretical (analysis, synthesis, abstraction, explanation, generalization), empirical (description, comparison, observation), historical-comparative, problem-chronological, identification and analysis of sources and others. Scientific novelty. The contentand implementation of UNESCO’s international initiatives for the post-warrevival of libraries, implemented after the World War II, are studied, their contribution to the development of librarianship and support of society after the war is determined. Conclusions. After the World War II, which had enormous destructive consequences in many countries, most initiatives were aimed at the restoration of libraries in Europe and Asia. UNESCO’s international initiatives for post-war library reconstruction were focused on achieving the following key objectives: to remove restrictions on the free movement of publications and information across borders; to facilitate the global distribution of publications whose circulations had been significantly reduced during the war; and to create forums through which librarians could collaborate to promote culture and knowledge. The collective efforts of the world community to resist the destruction of cultural and intellectual heritage, embodied in UNESCO’s post-war initiatives, offer an object lesson for modern post-war disaster management and demonstrate how the rethinking, improvement, and expansion of pre-war systems created the conditions for the development of new ones, which libraries around the world still rely on.

Keywords: history of librarianship abroad, libraries and war, libraries after World War II, post-war library restoration, UNESCO’s Division of Libraries, international library cooperation.

  Full-text PDF    https://doi.org/10.15407/np.74.223     Citation

• Prokopenko Liliia (Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, Ukraine, Kyiv, [email protected]) ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0531-6111

Cite:
Prokopenko Liliia (2025). UNESCO’s International Initiatives on Revival of Libraries after World War II. Academic Papers of V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine, (74) 223-244. (In Ukrainan). doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/np.74.223

References:

1. Dmytro Sherenhovskyi: Vyklyky pisliavoiennoho vidnovlennia: shcho potribno vrakhuvaty Ukraini. Pozytsiina zapyska [Dmytro Sherenhovskyi: The challenges of the post-war reconstruction: what Ukraine has to consider. Position paper]. (2022, April 21). Tsentr Dnistrianskoho – Dnistrianskyi’s Center [in Ukrainian]. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
2. Onyshchenko, O. S. (2016). Bibliotechnyi fond Ukrainy v konteksti Druhoi svitovoi viiny ta yii naslidkiv [The Library collection of Ukraine in the context of World War II and Its consequences]. Derzhavna arkhivna sluzhba Ukrainy – State Archival Service of Ukraine [in Ukrainian]. (Last accessed: 10.01.2025).
3. Prokopenko, L. (2022). Zhyttiedaina syla osvity, kultury, inkliuzii ta informatsii: Manifest IFLA/IuNESKO pro publichnu biblioteku (1949, 1972, 1994, 2022) [A living force for education, culture, inclusion and information: IFLA/UNESCO public library manifestos (1949, 1972, 1994, 2022)]. Bibliotechnyi Visn – Library Journal, 3, 3-22 [in Ukrainian]. doi: https://doi.org/10/15407/bv2022.03.003
4. Carter, E. (1948). UNESCO’s Library Programs and Work. The Library Quarterly, 18 (4), 235-244.
5. Danilewich, M. (1945). The post‐war problems of continental libraries. Journal of Documentation, 1(2), 81-92. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026067
6. UNESCO. (2008). Evaluation of the UNESCO Coupons Programme. IOS/EVS/PI/95. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
7. Hassner, K. (1999). The Model Library Project – a way to implement the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto. IFLA Journal, 25(3), 143-147. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/034003529902500303
8. Hastings, M. (2023, December 12). It’s not just Ukraine and Gaza: War is on the rise everywhere. Bloomberg. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
9. Hoeven, H. van der, Albada, J. van. (1996). Memory of the world : lost memory: libraries and archives destroyed in the twentieth century. Paris, France. CII-96/WS/1. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
10. Hughes, T. A., Royde-Smith, J. G. World War II. Britannica. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
11. Intrator, M. (2019). Books across borders: UNESCO and the politics of postwar cultural reconstruction, 1945-1951. London, UK. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15816-3
12. Intrator, M. (2012). UNESCO in France, France in UNESCO, and the role of libraries and books in postwar cultural reconstruction, 1945-1951. Journal of the Western Society for French History, 40, 124-137. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
13. Intrator, M. (2016). UNESCO, reconstruction, and pursuing peace through a “library-minded” world, 1945-1950. In Duedahl P. (Ed.). A history of UNESCO: global actions and impacts (pp. 131-150). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-58120-4_7
14. Jabareen, Y. (2013). Conceptualizing “post-conflict reconstruction” and “ongoing conflict reconstruction” of failed states. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, 26(2), 107-125. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-012-9118-3
15. Leff , D. (1950). Tales of three cities in Normandy, Part I: Buried Treasure awaits discovery in abandoned library of bombed Valognes. Impetus: A monthly review of reconstruction in education, science and culture, IV(5), 17-19.
16. Maurel, Ch. (2010). Histoire de l’UNESCO: Les trente premières années, 1945-1974. Paris, France [in French].
17. McColvin, L. R. (1945). Plans in the Dominions. Library Association Record, 47(5), 87.
18. New book currency now in circulation. (1948-1949). UNESCO Courier, I(11-12), 6.
19. News and Information. (1948). UNESCO Bulletin for Libraries, II(1), 2.
20. Petersen, E. N. (1953). UNESCO and public libraries. Library Trends, 1(4), 531-542.
21. Poulain, M. (2008). Livres pillés, lectures surveillées: les bibliothéques françaises sous l’Occupation [Looted books, supervised reading: French libraries under the Occupation]. Paris, France [in French].
22. The Public library: a living force for popular education. (1949, May 16). Paris, France. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
23. UNESCO Bulletin for Libraries. (1947). UNESCO Bulletin for Libraries, I(1), 2.
24. UNESCO. (2001). UNESCO Coupons Programme (facility to assist Member States in acquiring the educational and scientific material necessary for technological development). Paris, France. 31 C/33+CORR. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
25. UNESCO’s Book Coupons. (1951). Physics Today, 4(3). P. 30.
26. UNESCO’s Library Field Missions and Fellowships. (1956). UNESCO Bulletin for Libraries, X(11-12). Pp. 279-284.
27. Uppsala Conflict Data Program. Department of Peace and Conflict Research. (2022). (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).
28. LBA. (1948, September 17). The Work of the Libraries Division of UNESCO, 1948: UNESCO/LBA International Summer School for Librarians, Manchester and London. Paris. LBA/CONF.2/6. (Last accessed: 10.02.2025).