The Atlantic Provinces Library Association adds its voice to the global outpouring of support for the people of Ukraine. As mentioned in the Canadian Federation of Library Associations’ (CFLA) statement, over 1.3 million Canadians have Ukrainian roots, and many within the Canadian library community have friends and family members still living in the region. The Atlantic Provinces are home to approximately 15,000 people with Ukrainian heritage.
The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has highlighted the unique contributions librarians offer societies. It has also underlined the dangers our professional colleagues are facing. These are illustrated in Ukrainian Library Association (ULA) President Oksana Brui’s letter to the world’s library community as well as the ULA’s appeal to the International Federation of Library Associations.
We join the CFLA and other associations, on a national and international level, in applauding our Ukrainian colleagues’ dedication to the vital roles that libraries, archives, and digital media play in ensuring information access, countering misinformation, providing social supports, and protecting intellectual freedom. We also join these associations in expressing our concern for the security and well-being of these same professional colleagues.
As a regional library association, we echo the CFLA’s position to assist in any way we can.