World Book and Copyright Day at our Taras Shevchenko Library in Kielce

Today, people around the world celebrate World Book and Copyright Day – a special holiday for all lovers of literature, authors, and readers.

This is a perfect opportunity to remind everyone about a special place that has been operating for two years at the headquarters of the Association Integration Europe-East in Kielce.

In our large hall there is the Taras Shevchenko Library – a modest yet extremely important space for meetings, education, and connection with Ukrainian culture. It all began with a collection of classic literature and older editions, but over time the library has grown thanks to many interesting modern books donated by supporters, readers, and even authors themselves.

Today, the collection includes around 500 publications in the Ukrainian language for different age groups. There are also books in Polish related to Ukraine, Polish-Ukrainian relations, as well as the Świętokrzyskie region and Poland.

The library is much more than books. It has already hosted 6 author meetings, while children and young people regularly take part in discussions about the history and culture of Ukraine. Together, we also play the popular educational game “Shevchenko Asks”, learning more about the homeland many participants were forced to leave.

Our library offers many books for children, as well as a collection of “Kryłati” magazines, helping young readers stay connected with their native language and Ukrainian culture. There are also books for teenagers and young adults, allowing them to discover contemporary Ukrainian literature and modern authors.

There is also a wide range of books for adults – from literary classics to modern bestsellers and valuable social or historical publications.

Using the library is completely free of charge. The only rule is to return borrowed books. Our library has no permanent funding and no full-time staff member – it exists thanks to trust, kindness, and the commitment of dedicated people. Some books disappear, but new ones appear in their place. This is how the library lives and continues to grow every day.

Thanks to the support of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, we also have publications about the war in Ukraine in English, expanding our offer for international readers.

On the occasion of today’s celebration, the library administrator Liudmyla Yurchenko added several more books from her private collection. We warmly invite all book lovers to visit our small but welcoming Ukrainian library in Kielce.

Do you have questions? Contact us

Support is provided by

Association Integration Europe-East

within the project
“INTEURO – integration of foreigners in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship”.

The project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Funds for Migration, Borders and Security.

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