On May 15, 2026, a scientific and practical seminar titled «Digital Transformation of Libraries as a Convenient Format of Communication with the Modern User» was held at the State Tax University to commemorate Science Day.
The event was organized by the Scientific University Library (SUL) of STU. The seminar brought together directors of higher education libraries from Kyiv to discuss current challenges and development prospects for modern libraries in the context of digitalization.
Ivan Ivanovych Shemelynets, Vice-Rector for Methodological and Educational Work, delivered the welcoming remarks, emphasizing the vital role of the library in university life. He highlighted the significance of electronic resources in supporting the educational process and shaping a modern information environment.
The speakers of the event were:
- Svitlana Tsymbaliuk, Director of the Scientific University Library of STU;
- Nataliia Yakunina, Head of a Department at the Mykhailo Maksymovych Scientific Library of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Svitlana Tsymbaliuk shared the experience of the STU library, detailing the process of digitalization, the operation of the institutional repository, and the capabilities of the UniLib automated library and information system. Serhii Nytsiuk, the developer of the UniLib system, joined the professional discussion online to provide a detailed presentation of the software's functionality and answer participants' questions.
Both presentations clearly outlined the main trend: a modern university library has long outgrown the limitations of a classic book repository.
Today, it is a high-tech digital hub – a dynamic space where technology works to enhance the scientific potential of every researcher, lecturer, and student.
During the discussion, seminar participants debated the current challenges facing the library sector. In particular, they raised the issue of declining student attendance in reading rooms, noting that in many foreign universities, despite the availability of electronic resources, libraries remain essential spaces for learning and communication.
A number of highly respected colleagues within the professional community took an active part in discussing these sharp and promising issues:
- Liudmyla Savenkova and Tetiana Berezna (Dragomanov Ukrainian State University);
- Nataliia Levchenko (National University of Food Technologies);
- Svitlana Petrunovska (H. I. Denysenko Scientific and Technical Library of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute);
- Tetiana Opryshko (Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University);
- Svitlana Kanevska (Mykhailo Maksymovych Scientific Library of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv).
A particularly emotional part of the event was the performance titled «Healed by Creativity» by the young poetess Polina Luchko and her theater «Zarevo». The poignant theme of the ongoing war deeply moved everyone in attendance.
Dariia Liubomyrivna Vitiuk, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Professional Development, thanked Polina for her creativity and emphasized the importance of engaging youth through art and cultural initiatives within the university walls. She stressed that art therapy, spiritual recovery, and supporting the psycho-emotional state of students through art are indispensable components of forming a harmonious personality and ensuring the successful professional development of future specialists.
This meeting became a vivid example of how art can serve as a powerful tool for communication, support, and inner healing. It organically complemented the seminar's theme, demonstrating that modern libraries and educational spaces can be more than just centers of knowledge – they can also serve as platforms for cultural dialogue and emotional interaction.
The seminar served as an excellent platform for professional dialogue, experience exchange, and finding new solutions for the development of academic libraries in the digital era. The collective conclusion of the professional community is definitive: the library is the foundation upon which quality education and progressive science are built; therefore, investments in the digital transformation of a library are direct investments in the competitiveness of the entire university.
The Scientific University Library of the State Tax University continues to actively implement digital solutions, contributing to the development of librarianship and the modernization of the educational process!
We sincerely thank our colleagues for a powerful exchange of experience, the generation of new ideas, and an inspiring atmosphere! Together, we are shaping the future of higher education.
More photos here
We also invite you to watch a video report about the event via the link below:
«Digital Transformation of Libraries as a Convenient Format of Communication with the Modern User»
