Authors

Juergen Warmbrunn¹;  ¹ Herder-Institut Forschungsbibliothek, Germany

Discussion

In May 2022 ABDOS, the association of libraries on East, East Central and South Eastern Europe in the German-speaking countries, was asked by a representative of one of its member libraries to issue a statement on whether libraries – and especially academic research libraries – should continue acquiring Russian and Belorussian publications for their libraries and thus making them accessible for academics, students and the interested public after the unprovoked and unjustified Russian attack against Ukraine. After due consultation and deliberation the requested statement was issued and it was a affirmative one, drawing attention, however, to the need of restricting certain highly ideological publications to in-library use and thus favouring a restriction of interlibrary loan. The fact that such a statement was deemed necessary thirty-three years after the fall of Communism and the democratic changes in Eastern Europe highlights the fact that the 24th February 2022 has not only been a dramatic turning-point in political, military and economic relations between Russia and the West. It has also led to a deterioration in the possibilities of academic research, academic exchange and the provision of media and other sources necessary for research and teaching in Russian and East European studies. The proposed paper will discuss these changes as far as library and information services are concerned, comparing the today’s situation with the scenario prevalent during the Cold War.