Only a Quarter of School Libraries Have Enough Books: What is Most Lacking

A large-scale study conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has revealed serious problems with providing educational institutions with literature. According to the findings, only a quarter of the country's school libraries have a sufficient number of textbooks and fiction for a full-fledged educational process. Meanwhile, less than two percent of survey participants reported full and flawless inventory completion.

Scale of Deficit and Fund Structure

The survey covered more than 10,000 educational institutions, accounting for over 84% of all schools in the country. Despite the fact that Ukrainian-language publications dominate libraries, averaging about 96% of the total volume, the qualitative content leaves much to be desired. Educational institutions are catastrophically short of modern Ukrainian literature, non-fiction publications, and foreign fiction classics. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in most schools, collections have not been updated for years, and the process of writing off old literature is far from complete everywhere.

Personnel Shortages and Infrastructure Losses

In addition to the shortage of books themselves, Ukrainian schools face an acute deficit of qualified personnel. A full-time librarian position is available in only about 38% of educational institutions, while the rest have to make do with part-time employees or concurrent workers. The situation in the sector is exacerbated by ongoing hostilities: as a result of Russian shelling and attacks on publishing infrastructure in recent years, millions of copies of books and textbooks have been destroyed, dealing a colossal blow to logistics.

Contradictory Data

Analyzing official reports and ministry statistics, experts note certain discrepancies in assessing the relevance of the book stock. On the one hand, the relevant department emphasizes that a solid book age does not automatically mean it is unfit for reading. On the other hand, the same official survey figures unequivocally indicate a catastrophic shortage of modern authors and relevant manuals. Such discrepancies force relevant committees to look for emergency solutions, including reprinting print runs.

Prospects and Solutions

Despite systematic destruction of warehouses, printing houses, and logistics centers, the state, together with volunteers and international partners, is trying to quickly close gaps in the educational process. Thus, despite all logistical difficulties, the supply of key textbooks by the beginning of the academic year was fulfilled for the vast majority. However, the expert community agrees that the full restoration of school libraries will require a large-scale state support program.