Public Libraries as "Institutions of Trust" in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian Information War

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of public libraries in Ukraine into institutions of trust in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian information war and the era of post-truth. The research methodology is based on a combination of theoretical and empirical methods, which is determined by the interdisciplinary nature of the problem. System analysis was used to consider the library as a social institution in the context of global information challenges. The comparative-historical method was applied to study the evolution of library functions from an archive of knowledge to a center of trust. The conceptualization method allowed for the formulation of a three-level model of trust (epistemic, social, institutional). Case study analysis became the main method for studying the Ukrainian experience, allowing for the systematization of library practices in wartime based on published reports, presentations, and media information. The scientific novelty lies in the integrative understanding of the Ukrainian wartime experience of public libraries' activities within the global discourse on information resilience and trust. Conclusions. The Russian-Ukrainian hybrid war has become a catalyst for the qualitative transformation of public libraries in Ukraine, which have evolved from cultural institutions into multi-level institutions of trust and critical social infrastructure. This transformation is realized through the formation of epistemic (in facts), social (in the community), and institutional (in the institution) trust. The Ukrainian experience demonstrates the ability of libraries to accelerate adaptation and engage in proactive activities under extreme conditions, combining the functions of a physical protection center, a humanitarian hub, a memory archive, a media literacy platform, and a space for social integration. This hybridity is a response to the complex nature of modern threats. In the process of adaptation, Ukrainian libraries have developed a number of unique contextually generated mechanisms for building trust, such as localized real-time documentation, a "vertical of trust" through social media, personalized fact-checking, and the creation of "intentional calm" spaces.