Appeal of the Ukrainian Library Association  to the Governing Board and members  of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to suspend the membership of the Russian Library Association  from IFLA 

September 30, 2025

The Ukrainian Library Association,

Based on the fact that IFLA is an international network of library associations and institutions from the library and information field that work for the benefit of all,

Supporting Core Values declared by IFLA, in particular, the endorsement of the principles of freedom of access to information, ideas and works of imagination and freedom of expression embodied in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the commitment to promote and value diversity and inclusion, notably as regards citizenship, ethnicity, geographical location, language, political philosophy, and actively pursue relevant policies and practices,

Reaffirming commitment to principles of IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers, and recognising Librarianship as, in its very essence, an ethical activity embodying a value-rich approach to professional work with information,

Emphasizing the social responsibility of librarians, since the core of librarianship is information services in the interests of the social, cultural, and economic well-being of society,

Deeply appreciating IFLA's efforts to promote the library business, strengthen the social image of libraries and librarians, deepen public trust in library services, and direct librarians to help strengthen the capacity of communities and realize the goals of sustainable development,

Expressing deep concern over the destruction caused by Russia's war in Ukraine's library system, damage and destruction of libraries, which has the characteristics of cultural genocide, and its grave impact on the civilian population,

calls IFLA to stop cooperation with Russian libraries and librarians and suspend membership of the Russian Library Association from IFLA.

Violation of IFLA’s Core Values

IFLA is founded on principles enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — freedom of expression, access to information, cultural diversity, and professional neutrality. It is committed to upholding ethical librarianship, inclusivity, and the pursuit of peace and social development through knowledge.

However, the Russian Library Association and many of its members are in clear violation of these principles. Their actions are not neutral nor passive; they actively support and propagate the ideology of war, imperial aggression, and state-driven disinformation.

Documented Support for Russian Military Actions

There is ample and alarming evidence of Russian libraries engaging in state propaganda and militarized cultural campaigns:

Official publications and statements from RBA leaders, including President Vadim Duda and Vice-President Nadezhda Rozhkova, openly endorse the Russian government's “special military operation” in Ukraine.
RBA’s Information Bulletin No. 101 calls on libraries to support Russian soldiers through material aid and propaganda projects such as “Memory Z” and “Heroes of Operation Z.”
RBA-affiliated institutions — including the Russian National Library, Presidential Library, and various regional libraries — organize events promoting narratives aligned with the Kremlin’s militarist agenda.
Public events, exhibitions, and publications glorify Russian soldiers in Ukraine while disseminating falsehoods about Ukrainian history, identity, and sovereignty.
These activities are not isolated; they are systemic, institutionally encouraged, and widely documented.

Libraries as Instruments of Propaganda

Libraries have a social responsibility to support peace, truth, and informed discourse. Instead, many Russian libraries are instrumentalizing their platforms to normalize aggression and historical revisionism. They contribute to the construction of a dangerous ideological narrative in which Ukraine is portrayed as inherently Russian, and the West as an enemy.

This is not only a betrayal of professional ethics but also an active contribution to a cultural and humanitarian crisis. The destruction of libraries in Ukraine — targeted, looted, or bombed — constitutes cultural violence. To ignore the role of Russian libraries in justifying Russia’s military actions is to undermine the credibility of IFLA itself.

A Moral and Professional Imperative

The IFLA Code of Ethics clearly states that librarians must act with integrity, maintain neutrality, and resist censorship and propaganda. The Russian Library Association has willfully abandoned these principles.

We firmly believe that continued engagement with such institutions damages IFLA’s moral authority and betrays its commitment to justice, truth, and human dignity.

The IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers states that “information service in the interest of social, cultural and economic well-being is at the heart of librarianship and therefore librarians have social responsibility”. At the same time, we see clearly that the participation of libraries of Russia in propaganda, information manipulation, and support of Russia's military actions in Ukraine ultimately lead to continued humanitarian, cultural, and economic losses, working to the detriment of both the people of Ukraine and the peoples of Russia and other countries of the world.

Therefore, the actions and position of the Russian library community, in particular members of the RLA and even representatives of its management, contradict the principles of the IFLA Code of Ethics, the high social mission of the librarian. Supporting the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the RLA went against IFLA's position on condemnation of the “conflict as contrary to the values and work of libraries”. The clear evidence that Russian libraries and the Russian Library Association have knowingly and by choice failed to follow IFLA’s values raises questions about the relevance of the RLA's continued membership in IFLA and the ability of the international library community to protect the proclaimed values.

Call to Action

We respectfully call upon the IFLA Board to:

• Suspend the IFLA membership of the Russian Library Association (RBA)
• Cease institutional collaboration with Russian libraries that promote war narratives
• Publicly reaffirm IFLA’s ethical stance against the use of libraries for state propaganda and war support

We respectfully call upon IFLA members to:

• Support the Ukrainian Library Association’s Appeal by signing it on the petition and/or send a supportive letter to the IFLA Board
• Cease institutional collaboration with Russian libraries and representatives of Russian library community who promote and support war narratives and Russian military actions in Ukraine

This is not a call for cultural isolation, but for ethical accountability. Libraries are not merely neutral spaces — they are moral agents. In a time of war, silence is complicity.

We believe in the power of libraries to be peacebuilders, educators, and protectors of truth. To uphold that vision, IFLA must take a clear and principled stand.

Sincerely,

on behalf of the ULA Presidium,

Oksana Brui, ULA President