The Finnish University Libraries’ Network (FUN) wants to express its support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people and to our Ukrainian colleagues after Russia’s brutal and continuing attack on Ukraine. It is heartbreaking to see all the destruction and the immeasurable suffering of the people of Ukraine.
The aggression of the Russian forces takes place on the Internet, too. In these times of crisis, we are reminded of the fact that libraries provide access to free and research-based information and act as the guardians of national memory and identity.
Ukraine has a great scientific community and a rich literary heritage and tradition. We are concerned about the fate of the Ukrainian collections of literature and of research infrastructures and independent research activities. It is vital that outcomes of research and creativity, which form the basis of human knowledge, are protected for future generations. We aim to provide as much help to our Ukrainian colleagues as possible.
We are living in the hope that the war will end and that the Ukrainian research infrastructures and cultural institutions will rise again and continue their existence in a free and independent Ukraine.