Ulia Gosart, San Jose State School of Information assistant professor, has been trying to preserve Ukrainian books by creating digital copies that are set to be put in a digital library in the near future.
She said she is trying to develop the Nation Digital Library of Ukraine, the first Ukrainian digital library.
Gosart said she prioritized her childhood library in Cherkasy, Ukraine and wanted to recover their collection by digitizing copies, which would otherwise be lost forever.
She also said she hopes her project would assist in cultural preservation in Ukraine.
“Libraries need books in all areas – children books, English language books – my colleagues and I hope to get books and money donations for Ukraine,” Gosart said.
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, causing thousands of lives lost and about $97 billion of damage, according to a Sept. 11, 2022 New York Times article.
“Just learning about the damage was really revealing, actually helped me personally to realize how significant libraries actually are for society,” Gosart said. “During wartime they might become targeted entities to be destroyed because of their role to support citizenry during the war.”
Gosart said it is difficult for regions in Ukraine to get the resources and technology to create a digital library.
“This is the future of the library field,” she said. “There are also some really specific questions – the regional catalog and organizing information for a digital library . . . it has to be uniform and it’s going to cost a lot to get everyone on the same page.”
Anthony Chow, professor and director of SJSU’s School of Information, organized a GoFundMe page on behalf of Gosart.
“My first priority as director is to ensure our tenure track faculty are flourishing and are successful,” Chow said. “This means supporting projects that are important to them.”
He said he is committed to fighting for the common good and honoring the privilege of his role.
“I feel that the iSchool has the responsibility to lead and to [be a] role model for all of our students and future Library and Information Sciences professionals,” Chow said. “I felt personally and professionally motivated to do more to help.”
The money from the fundraiser has been used to purchase a scanner to help a library in Cherkasy.
Librarians in Cherkasy have used the scanner to preserve some of their rarest books and to scan the records of displaced Ukranians, according to the GoFundMe.
Susan Alman, school of Information faculty advisor,said she decided to help Gosart with the project after attending the SJSU iSchool-sponsored webinar on Ukrainian Libraries, during the ongoing war.
Alman said, as a college student, she visited the city of Kyiv, where she was charmed by the people and the rich cultural history.
She said she wanted to support the Ukrainian community in the best way, by having a strong library and resources for children and adults.
“We cannot stand by when it is in our power to mobilize support for our Ukrainian colleagues,” Alman said. “Sadly, this is a teachable moment that we must use to compel others to participate in this global crisis.”
Chow said one of the primary roles of libraries is to preserve the history, rare books and the cultural artifacts of any community.
He said libraries are the place to go for current and future generations to learn about their own history and culture.
“Original works that are not digitally preserved are likely gone forever,” Chow said. “This is a huge issue for humankind but, first and foremost, it is a significant loss for the Ukrainian communities and people that libraries serve – regardless of whether it is a small village or a large, urban city.”
The GoFundMe has raised $6,678 of their $25,000 goal, as of Wednesday night .
“It’s been incredibly wonderful to see the support of the SJSU colleagues and students,” Gosart said. “It’s been heartwarming to see that people care – people want to support – and it was also wonderful to see other people join the initiative.”
Chow said the best type of leadership is to be the first follower – that supporting someone else's vision, in this case, Gosart– accomplishes something important for her and all of us.
“I will always remember that if I feel strongly enough about something that I, in fact, will try to help no matter how small that may be,” Chow said. “Often, this just means supporting and helping others do good in our world.”
