„Library for All. Different. Equal. Important.” is an innovative socio-educational project enabling children and adolescents, both from Ukraine and Poland, to learn, play, build relationships with one another and regain a sense of security in a difficult reality. Children and their parents and guardians from both countries can participate in innovative classes and courses, learn each other’s languages and culture. The project is implemented by the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI) in partnership with Save the Children International (SCI).
What libraries do within this project
From the beginning of the project to the end of February 2023, more than 3,800 classes, attended by 32,000 people, were held in libraries. One can find classes for children, teenagers and adults, as well as Digital Education Centers (CCE), where groups of children and adolescents regularly meet to use equipment, the Internet and educational materials, and the Ukrainian-speaking teachers’ support. In addition to helping with school curriculum, libraries offer workshops, courses, knowledge clubs, language classes and meetings for children, teenagers and adults.
Check out what was happening at participating libraries in winter 2022-2023.
Winter in the library
Winter in the project has been very intense. In December 2022, through an open competition, we selected 30 libraries that joined the program in the second edition. Digital Education Centers (CCE) have become an important element of supporting the education of pupils who came to Poland from Ukraine. Almost 4,000 hours of such supporting classes have already been conducted, and were regularly attended by several hundred children affected by the tragedy of war. In January, dozens of new distance learning points (CCE) were launched.
The vast majority of participants rate their satisfaction with participation in the project highly. As much as 96% of the opinions were positive. Libraries received so far 290 Laptops, 490 tablets, 160 Photon robots, 120 ScottieGo! educational games, 70 Culture Crossover tolerance games and 50 sets for movement and music classes, as well as financial support. We also conducted qualitative research, to create a diagnosis of the needs of pupils from Ukraine staying in Poland. The report was published in Polish, and is available here.
The tremendous work and commitment that librarians put into the project can be seen not only in the expressed opinions, but above all on the faces of the participants.
Maria Paulina Orsetti Public Library in Chełm
City Public Library in Gdynia – Cisowa Library Branch
City Public Library in Gdynia – City Centre Library Branch
Public Library in Gołdap
Municipal Public Library in Grodzisk Mazowiecki
Adam Asnyk Municipal Public Library in Kalisz
Zofia Urbanowska Municipal Public Library in Konin
Regional Public Library in Cracow
City Public Library in Lodz
City Public Library in Lodz – Open Library Branch
Fot. Biblioteka Miejska w Łodzi
Municipal Public Library in Piaseczno
Municipal Public Library in Piaseczno – Kosciuszko St. Library Branch
Regional Public Library and Centre for Cultural Animation in Poznań
Municipal and County Public Library in Słupca
Cultural Centre in Sztum
Nicolaus Copernicus Regional Public Library in Toruń
Mariusz Zaruski Municipal Public Library in Ustka
Public Library in the Wola District of the city of Warsaw
The Book of Henryków Municipal Urban-Rural Public Library in Ząbkowice Śląskie
Municipal Public Library in Zgorzelec
Autumn in the library
City Public Library in Lodz – Four Cultures Library Branch
Photos: City Public Library in Lodz – Four Cultures Library Branch. Digital Learning Centre, yoga for kids and classes on coding offline.
City Public Library in Lodz – Open Library Branch
Photos: City Public Library in Lodz – Open Library Branch. STEAM activities (simple scientific experiments), coding with Photon robots.
City Public Library in Gdynia – City Centre Library Branch
Photo: City Public Library in Gdynia – City Centre Library Branch. Classes on coding with Photon robots.
Public Library in Kokoszkowy
Photo: Public Library in Kokoszkowy. Classes on augmented reality for kids.
Zofia Urbanowska Municipal Public Library in Konin
Photos: Zofia Urbanowska Municipal Public Library in Konin. Movement-based activities, classes for teenagers, coding with Photon robots.
Regional Public Library in Cracow
Photo: Regional Public Library in Cracow. Polish-Ukrainian Book Discussion Club, meetings on Ukrainian language and culture.
Józef A. and Andrzej S. Załuski Municipal Public Library in Radom
Photo: Józef A. and Andrzej S. Załuski Municipal Public Library in Radom. Afternoon in the library.
W. J. Grabski Public Library in the Ursus District of the City of Warsaw
Photo: W. J. Grabski Public Library in the Ursus District of the City of Warsaw. Course of Polish as a foreign language.
Thanks to the great motivation and commitment of librarians, animators and the participants themselves, it was possible to overcome language and cultural barriers. Friendships emerged and began to go beyond the walls of libraries. Ties that give hope for the future. Little communities were born in several places. They can effectively support and provide strength to their members. For many children and adolescents, libraries became a safe place where they can always come, find care, peace and conditions needed for development.
Training on movement based Team Up methodology for librarians.
Several interesting activities also took place online. During the webinars, we talked about programming, the use of the ScottieGo! game for educational purposes, offline coding, Polish and Ukrainian cultural customs and respect for diversity, or tools such as the Culture Crossover game. The webinars were attended by more than 670 librarians. Recordings of the webinars are available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgflkxASsi1xC3sauQlngOfDYIcjcapJd
In November, in an open competition, 31 libraries were selected that will join the pilot 20. Complete list of libraries participating in the project “Library for All. Equal. Different. Important.” is available here: https://bibliotekidlaukrainy.org.pl/biblioteki-w-projekcie/
Summer in the library
During the summer holidays (in July and August), as part of the ‘Summer in the Library’ initiative, the libraries participating in the projekct ran a variety of educational, integrative, creative and general development activities. Children learned by playing (e.g. programming with robots), tinkered, performed simple scientific experiments and took part in engaging art, music and movement activities. Examples of the libraries’ activities are presented below.
Maria Paulina Orsetti Public Library in Chełm
Children learned about the history of space rockets and built their own rockets using everyday objects and materials. These were the so called STEAM activities, i.e. included elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, and resulted in working prototypes of ‘rockets’.
Photos: Maria Paulina Orsetti Public Library in Chełm https://www.facebook.com/chbpchelm/posts/pfbid02NLnDpvBq5dADo9239M5v2zsVngusCwMEmQNrtFAV1VPRtwWxmwGjZACQuWtvRczil
In cooperation with the Castorama shop, the library hosted creative activities during which children made their own toys, built a house for the library gnomes and created useful objects, such as a scratching post for the cat.
Photos: Maria Paulina Orsetti Public Library in Chełm: https://www.facebook.com/chbpchelm/posts/pfbid02wXPgjUSV6Zz6EAndSJwCpNNbgJPqqLNypEtxtTPDcYa1hVb8tr8No5NRACoG7sNKl
More information about the ‘Summer in the Library’ initiative in Chełm can be found on the Chełm library’s website.
Municipal Public Library in Jarocin
The library in Jarocin invited children from Poland and Ukraine to a music and movement integration activity, using elements of the original Team Up method. Team Up is a movement-based activity conducted in a relaxed, safe and friendly atmosphere, using music, choreography, group games and accessories such as an rainbow play parachute, rope, balls or hula-hoops. Participating children (usually aged between 6 and 11) learn to express emotions while working with their bodies, establish relationships with their peers and develop basic social skills.
Photos: Municipal Public Library in Jarocin: https://www.facebook.com/JokJarocin/posts/pfbid0LSV5KW7vn1UpsNJFAAB16fvMj9sj8wUd6FeKATKg64TBVN66LFGRpjQE4cb55M2Fl
Public Library in Kokoszkowy
The library held an outdoor activity for children with Boomwhackers – sets of simple instruments for musical and rhythmic exercises.
Photos: Public Library in Kokoszkowy
https://www.facebook.com/bibliotekakokoszkowy/posts/pfbid0tr6oe69Ed4wxMczTAXmmAEfKNEhrYn5wC7wRTgReAxfxjen9rU68YXNWLhN2GCZbl
Zofia Urbanowska Municipal Public Library in Konin
The library in Konin invited children to a comic book workshop entitled “Friendship has many colours – drawing a comic book together”. The children devised the plot of the comic strip and drew the comic together.
Photos: Zofia Urbanowska Municipal Public Library in Konin
https://www.facebook.com/mbp.konin/posts/pfbid08HkFRdVx6Eb5Nw7kLJhe6TVQ3TFYVdSLVhmZuJA3NrZu5f3BEesy73xJdhDy6x4Bl
The library hosted an activity to introduce the children to robotics. The children watched a film about robots and then made their own robots out of sponge and designed robotic hands.
Photos: Zofia Urbanowska Municipal Public Library in Konin https://www.facebook.com/mbp.konin/posts/pfbid02LSvQFZX4jbMTkJ84p86KU79oknth6AiHF1tst8Xt7tcZhTPkPBsHsjJp25zYnquCl
City Public Library in Lodz – Four Cultures Library Branch
The libraries in Lodz offer children a variety of integration, movement based and art activities, using both their own ideas and the original Team Up method.
Photos: City Public Library in Lodz – Four Cultures Library Branch
- https://www.facebook.com/bibliotekaczterechkultur/posts/pfbid022C7sX41e3S6jNBxUNymevAqx8aS64c3y5d74iYy7kWutNrCyPJbvLVEcRUcQE1dVl
- https://www.facebook.com/bibliotekaczterechkultur/posts/pfbid0kBjXJairHUUaXGpiYa1dDhCQqSRKWbLTcP4vQJTEXu8hKArUuxTZZh3fPd9af7LWl
- https://www.facebook.com/bibliotekaczterechkultur/posts/768275111175121
Mariusz Zaruski Municipal Public Library in Ustka
At the library in Ustka, children took part in activities where they performed simple and engaging scientific experiments, combining knowledge and play.
Photos: Mariusz Zaruski Municipal Public Library in Ustka https://www.facebook.com/BMUstka/posts/pfbid0HjemDUSrN1TERrX8SFS7rWBymLQaHRnFhaVLPPJdZaENMPt3RAxKMYaK7fwSiGf9l
Stefan Żeromski Municipal Public Library in Zakopane
A rich and diverse programme of holiday activities for Polish and Ukrainian children was also offered by the library in Zakopane. The children learned about 3D design and 3D printing, weaving, the Polish mountains, the work and culture of highlanders and the rules of behaviour when hiking in the Tatra mountains.
Photos: Stefan Żeromski Municipal Public Library in Zakopane
https://www.biblioteka.zakopane.eu/aktualnosci/konkursy-warsztaty/1202-lato-w-bibliotece-4.html
