Digital Projects in the Library Field of Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to identify their features, effectiveness, and problems of implementation based on a study of digital projects in the library sector of Ukraine in the early 20s of the twenty-first century. Research methods. The general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, and information methods were applied, which made it possible to achieve the goal. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is a comprehensive study of digital projects in the library sector of Ukraine; clarification of the peculiarities of digitalisation of Ukrainian libraries in times of war; clarification of the main categories, such as digital, electronic and virtual library; introduction of information about projects from online sources into scientific circulation. Conclusions. In the current conditions of rapid development of information technologies, the principles of library space organisation, methods of library and information activities, and resource support for library collections are being rethought; libraries are striving to use all the possibilities of digitalisation in their activities. This is facilitated by digital library projects focused primarily on the digitisation of documentary heritage, the digitalisation of user service processes, and the creation of new types of libraries: digital, electronic, virtual, etc. Libraries are becoming new modern information hubs and digital education centres for users. Library projects have become especially important and widespread since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and full-scale Russian aggression. The article focuses on the joint projects of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Library Association in the development of digital literacy within the framework of the national project “Diia. Digital Education”, the projects “Digitalisation of Libraries” and “Capacity Building of Libraries – Digital Education Hubs”, etc. However, in the process of implementing the projects, there are difficulties and problems related to the digital divide, the lack of computers and special digitisation devices in a number of libraries, and the lack of qualified staff capable of working with virtual users in the new conditions of digitalisation of society, which requires the organisation of training and retraining courses. The problems of digitalisation of Ukrainian libraries of various types in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war require further research.