Roads leading to the library - The experience of Ukraine in attracting freshmen to the university library
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Olena Skachenko
Roads leading to the library
The experience of Ukraine in attracting freshmen to the university library
T raditionally, university libraries are associated
among students as a place for reading, learning,
and research. However, when serving freshmen, it
Reading in Ukraine
The library of the Kyiv National University of Cul-
ture and Arts is an important information and cul-
is necessary to create an atmosphere of trust in the tural center of the university. Promotion of books,
library between librarians and students. “When the holding book exhibitions, and presentations of
library acts as a welcoming and lively host, engaging scientific publications of university teachers are im-
the community in discourse and the enjoyment of the portant tasks of the library. Meetings with modern
life of the mind, the com- writers within the library
munity perception of the book club, #GalaSlovo,
role of the library on cam- are important elements of
pus begins to change. The communication, excellent
library becomes a true cul- projects for students to
tural center and an agent in get acquainted with new
community building, and books, and receive emo-
library staff and programs tional communication
become engaged with the with their authors.
community in more and According to the study
different ways.”1 “Ukrainian Reading and
Various projects are Publishing Data 2018” in
developed by university the list of the most com-
libraries to establish con- mon types of leisure in
Halloween 2018, students are photographed in
tacts with undergraduate Ukraine reading books
the library. ©KNUCA Libraries
students. Often these are took fifth place.3 Only
held in the form of a game, competition, or other 11% of Ukrainians read daily and 20% read several
motivational event. times a month. Students read books most often, al-
The importance and necessity of creating spaces though 11% of them do not read books at all, and
in the academic library for communication, creative 20% read them only a few times a year. A 2019 study
meetings, and emotional rest for students are the found that only 43% of Ukrainians read books regu-
subject of active discussion. The library is often larly. The share of reading youth aged 18 to 30 was
considered to be an ideal third place for students to 51% of respondents. The average Ukrainian reader
interact outside of school.2 The purpose of this article reads about 9 books a year. In 2017, this figure was
is to describe the experience of the library of the Kyiv
National University of Culture and Arts (Ukraine)
in establishing communication with first-year stu- Olena Skachenko is head of the sector at the Scientific
dents. To do this, the library holds thematic events Library of the Kyiv National University of Culture and
Arts, Ukraine, email: skachenko.nana@gmail.com
that encourage students to visit the library space and
motivate them to read. © 2021 Olena Skachenko
C&RL News July/August 2021 334
7 books.4 In the first quarter of 2020, according to a for Halloween were a popular project to motivate
survey conducted by the research agency Info Sapiens, reading and visits to the library space. During the
at least one book was read by 73% of Ukrainians.5 The events, the library staff introduced students to the
most recognizable contemporary Ukrainian writers are library’s resources in a game format. The program for
Lina Kostenko, Serhiy Zhadan, and Oksana Zabuzhko. Halloween 2018 was dedicated to the promotion of
The library system of Ukraine has 190 university books from the horror genre. The slogan of the event
libraries, about 16,000 was Stephen King’s
school libraries, and phrase “When all else
15,000 public librar- fails, give up and go
ies.6 However, in 2018 to the library.”
“only a quarter (23%) First-year students
of the adult popula- of the Faculty of De-
tion of Ukraine vis- sign and Advertising
ited a library or book- and the Faculty of
store at least once.”7 Information Policy
Reading books taken and Cyber Security
from the library takes responded to this call.
only the third posi- Librarians decorated
tion (14.8%), after the library hall, book
purchase (35.2%) exhibitions, and photo
and free download Exhibition of one book: Stephen King It. Photographed areas with the attri-
(20.8%).8 These trends by Helen Skachenko. ©KNUCA Libraries butes of the holiday
lead to the search for (Jack’s lamps, ghosts,
creative ideas and offer readers new paths that will black cats). Mice ran through the bookshelves, spi-
lead them to the library. ders hid between the pages, a cat guarded the sweets.
During the event, first-year students learned about Student designers helped to design a photo location
the hours of the library, the location of departments “Flight of the Witch to the Library.” A special exhibi-
and reading rooms, viewed open access book exhibi- tion was dedicated to one book: Stephen King’s It.
tions, learned about the electronic library, the library’s During the event, first-year students learned about
website, and social media pages. To recommend and the hours of the library, the location of departments and
encourage reading, a list of horror books from the reading rooms, viewed open access book exhibitions,
library’s collection “Morphology of Horror” was learned about the electronic library, the library’s website,
posted on the library’s website. All books from the list and social media pages. To recommend and encourage
were accompanied by short annotations by the library reading, a list of horror books from the library’s collection
staff. Students liked this format to get acquainted with “Morphology of Horror” was posted on the library’s
the library space. website. All books from the list were accompanied by
In 2019, the library held a Halloween battle short annotations by the library staff. Students liked this
“Ghosts in the library.”9 The target audience of the format to get acquainted with the library space.
event was first and second-year students of the Faculty In 2019, the library held a Halloween battle
of Hotel and Restaurant Business and second-year “Ghosts in the library.” The target audience of the
students of the Faculty of Design. We asked students event was first and second-year students of the Faculty
to come to the meeting in clothing that was in line of Hotel and Restaurant Business and secondnd-year
with the traditions of Halloween. At the beginning of students of the Faculty of Design. We asked students
the event, students of the Faculty of Design performed to come to the meeting in clothing that was in line
a fashion show in costumes. with the traditions of Halloween. At the beginning of
the event, students of the Faculty of Design performed
Halloween as a form of library a fashion show in costumes.
advertising and encouragement to read The host of the event was the film hero Joker and
From 2018 to 2019, events organized in the library Ghosts, who were brawling in the library. To reassure
July/August 2021 335 C&RL News
the Joker, students performed various tasks related to College of Culture and Arts and Sumy Vocational
library work and Halloween traditions in different College of Arts and Culture. Eighteen students from
countries. Among the tasks proposed by the Ghosts two Ukrainian regions, the city of Sumy and the
were, for example: city of Kalush, competed online by answering quiz
Students participating in the event Halloween – 2019. Photographed by Helen Skachenko.
©KNUCA Libraries
• find Stephen King’s books in the electronic questions concerned the history and traditions of
library catalog, Halloween.11 Diplomas were sent to the winners of
• find an explanation of the word “horror” in the quiz by e-mail.
directories,
• name the last book read and recommend it Conclusion
for reading, and The activity of the book club, organization of book
• find the oldest book from the collection of rare exhibitions, and presentations of scientific publica-
editions of the library on the tions of university teachers is
shelves of a book exhibition, etc. an important task of the li-
Among the competitions brary. These are the roads that
that Joker offered students to lead new readers to the library
perform was the traditional of the Kyiv National University
game bobbing for apples. Stu- of Culture and Arts.
dents demonstrated a modern By holding thematic events
version of the game when it was for first-year students in the
necessary to bite an apple at- library, we are transforming the
tached to a highly raised string. library space into a place for
The players kept their hands implementing cultural initia-
behind their backs.10 tives and holding intellectual
In one task, students had to games and creative competi-
compose proverbs from indi- tions. After all, as Sam Demas
vidual words. For example, the emphasizes, “People continue
following: to come to libraries because
The way to God is difficult, they offer security, comfort, and
and to hell it is straightforward. Game task: students compose proverbs quiet; are free and commercial-
Only witches fly on a broom. from individual words. Photographed free; provide a place to be with
In a quiet swamp, devils by Helen Skachenko. ©KNUCA Libraries other people in a learning/
are found cultural environment; offer
For Halloween 2020, librarians celebrated with opportunities to learn, search, inquire, and recreate;
students remotely. With the digital tool Kahoot! we and afford opportunities for choice and serendipity.”12
prepared a quiz and invited students from two col- By developing a program of events, the library
leges of the culture of Ukraine: Kalush Vocational staff creates a free atmosphere for university students,
C&RL News July/August 2021 336
which contributes to the formation of a team of 5. 72% of Ukrainians read books—a new
like-minded people advertising the library as a study by Info Sapiens,” https://chytomo.com/v-
place of creative meetings and motivates students ukraini-riven-chytannia-zris-do-72-doslidzhennia-
to read the books offered at the book exhibition. info-sapiens/.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted 6. Oksana Khmelovskaya, “We predict the
all book promotion events online depriving future: Publishing houses, printing houses and
students, librarians, and book authors of the op- libraries after the pandemic,” https://chytomo.com
portunity to communicate directly. We hope that /prorokuiemo-majbutnie-vydavnytstva-drukarni
after the quarantine, various offline meetings and -j-biblioteky-pislia-pandemii/?fbclid=IwAR0juh
holiday presentations of books in the library will -borca8Wygy_Hu8pMnbH6HJGY1PM58vc3rk-
resume and become important channels for the GBAi7Jt9AYDUpdgdhQ (accessed November
promotion and reading of books. 21, 2020).
Participants of the online game Kahoot! and a podium of game-winners. Screenshot by Helen
Skachenko. ©KNUCA Libraries
We hope that the experience of the library at Kyiv 7. Katerina Churilova, “Most Ukrainians have
National University of Culture and Arts in helping not read a single book in a year and have not gone
students get acquainted with the library and motivat- to the theater or cinema,” https://zaxid.net/bilshist
ing them to read through our Halloween event will _ukrayintsiv_za_rik_ne_prochitali_zhodnoyi
be useful for other libraries. _knizhki_ta_ne_hodili_v_teatr_i_kino_
n1477719 (accessed November 21, 2020).
Notes 8. “Reading in Ukraine,” Ukrainian Reading and
1. Sam Demas, “From the ashes of Al- Publishing Data 2018, http://data.chytomo.com/
exandria: What’s happening in the college chytannya-v-ukrayini/ (accessed November 21, 2020).
library?” in Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, 9. KNUCA Library, “Halloween battle in the library,”
Rethinking Space (Washington, DC: Coun- http://lib.knukim.edu.ua/khellovin-batl-u-biblioteci/.
cil on Library and Information Resources, 10.Olena Skachenko, “Halloween_Library KNU-
2005): 25–40. CA” by Helena on Genially, https://view.genial.
2. Lisa Waxman, Stephanie Clemons, Jim ly/5f8d6e8dcc6b7a0d385d9e76/presentation-halloween-
Banning, and David McKelfresh, “The library as library-knuca (accessed November 21, 2020).
place: Providing opportunities for socialization, 11. KNUCA Library, “Meet video confer-
relaxation, and restoration,” New Library World, encing: Opportunities for libraries,” http://lib.knu-
108(9/10) (2007): 424-434. kim.edu.ua/videokonferencii-meet-mozhlivosti
3. “Reading in Ukraine,” Ukrainian Reading and -dlya-bi/ (accessed November 21, 2020).
Publishing Data 2018, http://data.chytomo.com/ 12. Sam Demas, “From the ashes of Alex-
chytannya-v-ukrayini/ (accessed November 21, 2020). andria: What’s happening in the college library?”
4. “Books in the past: More than half of in Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking
Ukrainians do not read literature,” http://phm. Space (Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and
gov.ua/?p=77898 (accessed November 21, 2020). Information Resources, 2005): 25–40.
July/August 2021 337 C&RL News
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