#OdbudowujemyBiblioteki – an aid campaign of the Powszechnego Czytania Foundation to support regions and communities affected by the flood
In the face of the natural disaster, the flood that hit southern Poland in September 2024, the Universal Reading Foundation has launched a fundraiser to support the victims and places affected by recent events. #OdbudowujemyBiblioteki – under this slogan FPC conducts activities aimed at rebuilding destroyed book collections and supporting local communities. This is another edition of the aid campaign #KsiążkaProtects.
Flooding in southern Poland destroyed homes and infrastructure, and with them shared cultural and educational centers. Home libraries were lost, but so were public collections. Many libraries, schools, kindergartens and community centers were flooded, and thousands of books and teaching materials were destroyed. Rebuilding institutions, houses, apartments, when many people have lost all their belongings, takes time and appropriate resources. Among the lost items are also private and public collections of books, access to which should be provided to everyone. This is a matter of education, which students must continue today, but also culture - the carrier of which are books. This is one of the key elements building a community, its history and identity.
Books are not only a source of knowledge, but also an escape from everyday stress. In times of crisis, when emotions are at their breaking point, reading can be one of the few ways to break away from the harsh reality for a while. Now, more than ever, we need tools that help us find inner peace and a sense of community. That is why the Universal Reading Foundation is asking everyone for help.
Our goal in this crisis situation is to offer affected communities the opportunity to continue their children's education, which is also a psychologically proven method of preventing trauma. Research confirms that books help cope with difficult situations, family reading stabilizes emotions, and regular reading builds a sense of security. This applies to children and adults. Books build united, conscious, and active communities. – says Maria Deskur, president of the Universal Reading Foundation.
Supporting places where books are accessible to everyone is especially important today. These places often gather local communities, offer support, and create communities. Today, such institutions – school and public libraries, cultural centers, community centers, social welfare centers – require reconstruction. Organizing book resources is very important, but it is also important that books return to safe, renovated and rebuilt spaces. This process is just beginning, which is why the Universal Reading Foundation is collecting funds and preparing for long-term and systemic assistance within the Book Protects project. In this process, it is important to properly distribute funds, the acquisition of which will allow for planning further activities.
We all see that the scale of destruction caused by this year's flood in our country is terrifying - losses are already estimated at a minimum of PLN 3.5 billion, and they occurred in just a few days. Experience from almost 30 years ago shows that reconstruction takes time, which is why it is important to think long-term. After ensuring safety and first aid, further strategically thought-out support is important. This is precisely what the current activities within the #KsiążkaProtect campaign are devoted to. – says Katarzyna Konopka, member of the FPC board.
Every zloty brings us closer to rebuilding libraries and book collections, which are so important, especially for children and young people, but also for adults in the regions affected by the disaster. Joint actions will allow us to restore access to books and rebuild spaces that connect people and allow them to develop and be supported in these difficult moments. Every gesture matters – it helps rebuild the hope of those affected for a faster return to normality.
The Universal Reading Foundation encourages reporting needs and information about the state of local libraries. Within the framework of the funds obtained, it will distribute funds depending on the possibilities and needs of specific facilities.
#BookProtects is a project of the Universal Reading Foundation, whose main goal is to help and reach those most in need with books. So far, these activities have focused on supporting excluded people - children with refugee experience, residents of orphanages and social welfare centers. Aid campaigns also included supporting Ukrainian publishers in the face of the ongoing war. The Universal Reading Foundation thus works to equalize opportunities
LINK to the campaign on ZRZUTKA.PL: https://zrzutka.pl/z/odbudowujemybibliotekipopowodzie of the youngest and increasing the availability of books.
