In January-February 2025, we held survey for librarians ‘Reading in Time of War’, which involved 160 libraries, most of them in Poltava, Dnipro and Kharkiv regions.
The results track changes in reading habits, demand for literature, and the bibliotherapeutic effect of reading during the war. In particular:
- 60% of respondents noted that people are reading more.
- 73% of respondents noticed a positive impact of books on the emotional state of readers. The main effects include reduced anxiety, inspiration, and emotional stability.
There is a growing interest in historical, psychological literature and books about the war. Military personnel and veterans are more likely to choose fiction, while non-fiction books are more likely to be about history and psychology. IDPs request fiction the most. Military family members are interested in books on psychology and Ukrainian contemporary literature.
Interesting facts: among the books that readers do not return for a long time or even steal during the war: ‘I See You Are Interested in Darkness by Illarion Pavliuk, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, 1984 by George Orwell, The Age of Jacob by Volodymyr Lis, Troscha by Vasyl Shklyar, The Criminal Case of Vasyl Stus by Vakhtang Kipiani, Man in Search of True Meaning by Viktor Frankl, and The Soul of Nicole by Svetlana Talan.
Детальний аналіз опитування дивіться за посиланням.
