Public library replenishment programme from the Ukrainian book institute: quantitative and qualitative dimensions

An overview of the Public Libraries Funds Replenishment Programme from the Ukrainian Book Institute has been provided between 2018–2021 amid reforms of governmental support of book publishing. An analysis of the key provisions of the procurement programme has been conducted as well as the main criteria for the examination of printed products, namely topics, types, publishing and printing, language and other characteristics. The programme presupposes the work of three expert councils: on the assessment of adult fiction editions, non-fiction for adults and editions for children and teenagers. The expert councils consist primarily of library workers, scholars or teachers, representatives of various book media and culture institutions.

The main assessment criteria of the editions are as follows: the quality of content and form and its correlation to the price, including but not limited to significance, promotion of the Ukrainian language and culture, presentation of the best samples of world literature, design, readability, relevance, technical specifications as well as awards and prizes received.

In the course of the programme, books from 139 publishing houses were added to the lists of recommended for procurement. More than 57 % of editions represent the following publishing houses: Ranok Publishing House, The Old Lion Publishing House, KM-Books, Ridna Mova Publishing House, Folio Publishing House, Vivat Publishing House, Family Leisure Book Club, Bohdan Publishing House, ABA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA Publishers, Knyholav, Nash Format Publishers, Shkola Publishing House. Most of them target both adult and children’s audiences.

Statistics show that on average publishers proposed 2,900 editions to the Ukrainian Book Institute annually, out of which only a quarter was procured. A fraction of editions (an average of 10 %) did not pass the technical selection and some 700 positions were included into library procurement lists. More than 60 % of the recommended lists is made of books for children and teenagers. Over the past two years the state has been procuring books for more than 600 selected libraries of Ukraine, which clearly cannot satisfy public demand for quality modern Ukrainian editions.

The overview of the programme not only draws attention to its faults and impossibility to achieve its objectives under limited funding but also uses qualitative and quantitative indices to highlight programme activities in 2018–2021 and its provisions that need revision.

Keywords: Ukrainian Book Institute, Public Library Replenishment Programme, expert council, print editions for children and adolescents, artist’s books, public libraries, publishing houses, public procurement.

doi: 10.32403/0554-4866-2021-2-82-167-186