By their very nature, libraries are institutions that value freedom — they protect freedom of thought, ensure equal access to information and teach critical skills, including how to find credible information. These are tools of democracy, and without them, manipulation and disinformation can thrive.

Free, nationwide access to libraries is not just a convenience — it is a strategic resource, even in crises. We've seen this in Estonia, where Ukrainian war refugees have used libraries to learn Estonian, explore the culture and gain new job skills — all to integrate into local society and find their place in our economy and our communities.

Recently, I've noticed libraries increasingly adopting self-service technology — patrons in at least some locations can now check out and return items on their own. On one hand, this presents a great opportunity: staff gain more time to help or counsel patrons, or to engage in community work. On the other, we need to be careful. Introducing more machines may push human contact out of libraries, and it should never be used as an excuse to lay off qualified staff to save money.

Machines may be convenient for checkouts and returns, but they won't notice a patron in distress, suggest books that could broaden their views or help with understanding complex topics.

If machines become a reason to reduce library staff, we risk losing something irreplaceable — the knowledge that someone is truly listening and can help guide you, and the human presence that can help in crises. Self-service machines in libraries only function thanks to the staff who run them.

Community libraries as a matter of life and death

A recent study¹ underscores the situation in Ukraine, where a community library can literally be a matter of life and death. Since February 2022, nearly 700 library buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed², yet the slogan "Unbreakable Libraries" endures.

In wartime, libraries there have become dual-use civil defense sites: they protect people as well as help preserve culture. Basement-level reading areas have been adapted as shelters — even round-the-clock ones — where those in need can stay warm, access info and the internet and even get some rest.

Ukrainian libraries also serve as volunteer hubs: staff and volunteers weave camouflage nets for the army, make trench candles from empty food tins or package aid supplies. Even as the war continues, library staff have continued teaching media literacy, while so-called "fortress libraries" protect rare materials with sandbags or work to scan them using battery-powered devices — to preserve them for future generations.

Supporting children's and youth mental health is also part of the work. Bibliotherapy³, or reading therapy, corners and libraries on wheels help reach kids whose schools have been destroyed.

A Ukrainian Ministry of Health study confirms that psychologist-led reading sessions help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Perhaps most striking, libraries in liberated towns and villages reopen within weeks of being cleared of mines — essentially as soon as it's safe to do so. Libraries play that crucial a role.

It's worth keeping in mind that every euro invested in libraries strengthens shelter capacity, community resilience, digital inclusion and cultural resistance — in other words, broad-ranging civil defense.

Libraries are not a "nice extra" in a cultural budget — they are a vital element of civil defense, and it's regrettable that this has to be explained through the example of war with a neighboring country.

Ukraine demonstrates the clear role libraries can play in crises and civil defense. It also shows why it's necessary to prepare at the individual, community and institutional levels, including libraries themselves — because in a military crisis, no sector remains untouched.

Marcus Ehasoo: Libraries are part of our trust infrastructure
director of advocacy, Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations (EMSL)

For many, the library may not seem like an obvious place to turn in a crisis. This was particularly evident in discussions about middle-aged men's low engagement with libraries.

If we want libraries to be reliable safe havens in a crisis, we must intentionally invest in making people aware of and familiar with them. This approach has already been proven in Ukraine, and in Nordic countries, work is already underway to boost libraries' role as part of community networks, including for crisis preparedness.

This approach has been proven in Ukraine, and in Nordic countries, work is already underway to strengthen libraries' role as part of community networks, including for crisis preparedness.

In Estonia, libraries have already fulfilled several crisis-related roles. A good example is the reception and support of Ukrainian war refugees: libraries became first-line info and support centers, offering both aid and a space for people to contribute. And this has been the right step, as the Ukrainian experience demonstrates even more sharply libraries' true potential as a natural part of crisis response — serving as support centers, shelters and information hubs where people turn automatically.

Many Estonian libraries also provide training and educational programs, including for schools, aimed at building youth media literacy. This is a crucial "vaccine" against information overload.

Yet in Estonia, the situation remains unclear: although libraries fulfill broad civil defense roles in crises, they still aren't formally included in the country's crisis network.

Crisis management often acts in isolation, and the value libraries provide has not been systematically recognized. The state should be taking their role into account, including in terms of funding — but to achieve this, libraries themselves have to make themselves more visible and demonstrate what would be missing if they are not taken seriously.

During a crisis, people need calm, trustworthy and accessible spaces — many of which libraries already provide. The next step is to ensure libraries aren't ad hoc responders but integral elements of broader civil defense — whether the crisis is an information war, humanitarian disaster or military conflict.

References

1. Lopatovska, I., Pickering, G., & Coan, C. (2025). Ukrainian public libraries during the Russia-Ukraine war: Supporting individuals, communities, and the nation. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

2. Anonymous. (2025). Project description. PEN. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

3. Aksjonova, N. (2024). Bibliotherapy as a Direction of Library Activity under the Russian-Ukrainian War. Academic Papers of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, 64, 107–119. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

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