Libraries in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions have joined the Memory Maps project

The Ukrainian Library Association has selected four institutions from the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions to participate in the “Cartography of Memory” project. Public libraries in Kazanka, Voznesensk, Kherson, and Vysokopillia have joined the initiative.

This was reportedby the Ukrainian Library Association.

In total, based on the results of the competition, the organizers selected 14 institutions from seven frontline and war-affected regions of Ukraine. From the Mykolaiv region, the Kazanka Village Council Public Library and the Voznesensk City Library (part of the Voznesensk library network) were included on the list; from the Kherson region, the Kherson Centralized Library System and the Vysokopil Central Library were selected.

In addition to the southern regions, institutions from the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions joined the initiative.

Winners were selected based on five criteria: motivation, experience working with the community, the inclusivity of the space, technical readiness (including the availability of shelter), and the competence of the team.

As part of the project “Cartography of Memory: Libraries as Spaces for Trauma-Sensitive Memorialization,” experts will collect personal testimonies from residents about the war. The premises will feature physical map installations with memory cards detailing streets, schools, shelters, markets, and other places important to the communities. Citizens will be able to share their stories directly at the library or online, either anonymously or under their own names. Digital testimonies will also be collected on the “Svidok” platform.

Before beginning their work, the assigned staff members will undergo a five-day on-site training session and receive the necessary resources, methodological guidance, and advisory support.

Юлія Калабайда