On the eve of the 4th International Scientific and Practical Conference, Library Development Strategies: From Idea to Implementation, held on June 17–19, 2026, at the shelter of the Denysenko Scientific and Technical Library of Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, participants gathered for an open discussion titled "Leadership in an Era of Defined Uncertainty."
The speakers were Anatolii Melnychenko, Rector of Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, and Olha Viieru, Director of the National Center of Business and Cultural Cooperation "Ukrainian House" As the conference brought together library directors and leading professionals from libraries, information, educational, and socio-cultural institutions, the topic was especially relevant to the audience.
According to the moderator, Oksana Brui, President of the Ukrainian Library Association and Deputy Director General of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, the organizers sought to introduce participants to the perspectives of leaders in education and culture on how to make thoughtful strategic decisions during the challenging conditions of wartime. The discussion focused on what it means to lead teams in an era of defined uncertainty—not by reacting with panic to the absence of reliable forecasts, but by consciously guiding organizations through constant change, adapting strategies, and maintaining the mission and effectiveness of educational and cultural institutions regardless of the circumstances in which they operate.
"Leadership," Anatolii Melnychenko explained, "should be understood as the effective use of a manager's influence to motivate employees to achieve organizational goals, implement strategies, and fulfill the institution's mission." The ability to identify practical solutions to objective challenges where others see only obstacles—especially in unpredictable circumstances—is a defining quality of today's leaders. As the speakers emphasized, a leader is someone who earns the respect and trust of the people they work with. But what does leadership mean in education and culture? Drawing on both his remarks during the discussion with Olha Viieru and his co-authorship of the textbook Leadership and Crisis Management (S. Voitko A. Melnychenko, Kyiv - 2021), Anatolii Melnychenko described it as the ability to unite people, assign roles, and direct a team's efforts toward a common goal. It also involves building productive relationships with partners and stakeholders, fostering cooperation between departments, effectively managing interpersonal relations, and establishing meaningful communication not only with academic staff but also with students. At the same time, overcoming crises through sound organizational management, crisis leadership, and social responsibility—particularly during wartime—is an exceptionally demanding task. At Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, for example, restoring campus infrastructure damaged by enemy attacks, maintaining daily operations, and ensuring the continuity of teaching in classrooms, laboratories, and online all require new approaches to leadership and personnel management.
Olha Viieru shared this perspective. With more than 20 years of experience in cultural management, she has worked at Mystetskyi Arsenal and the National Center of Business and Cultural Cooperation "Ukrainian House." Her work with the Mystetskyi Arsenal Charitable Foundation not only contributed to the successful operation of this major cultural institution but also helped transform it into an accessible and safe space, including for people with disabilities. After being appointed Director of the National Center "Ukrainian House," Olha Viieru and her team focused on developing what she describes as an "embassy of Ukraine within Ukraine," creating a vibrant and welcoming cultural space. According to her, this required bringing together people with energy, inspiration, and a willingness to share both with others. In her current role, she also considers it essential to work alongside her team, as well as architects, urban planners, and cultural professionals, on a comprehensive restoration project for the Ukrainian House to preserve and revive the building's architectural heritage.
The discussion also addressed the importance of transparency in professional relationships and communication within teams, as well as the value of giving experts greater autonomy while ensuring that leaders provide a clear strategic direction and enable specialists to make decisions that support shared goals. These and other aspects of leadership as a social phenomenon, leadership styles, and the role of values in leadership were explored further through presentations and discussions during the conference Library Development Strategies: From Idea to Implementation. Participants examined topics such as AI-powered library assistants, mobile libraries serving the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, the development of open science at the Denysenko Scientific and Technical Library of Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, and student involvement in the digitization of rare early printed books. Online presentations by international colleagues also introduced participants to the experiences of libraries in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Denmark. Throughout the conference, speakers reflected on the challenges of operating in an era of "defined uncertainty," noting that despite persistent shortages of resources and qualified personnel, the enthusiasm and dedication of library professionals continue to be the driving force behind the development of modern libraries.
In an interview with a Kyiv Polytechnic correspondent, Svitlana Barabash, Academic Secretary of the Denysenko Scientific and Technical Library, expressed the library administration's gratitude to the speakers, participants, sponsors, and institutional partners—everyone who shared their ideas, experience, and inspiration throughout the three-day event. "As librarians at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, we are part of the university community committed to building a resilient, safe, intellectually rich, and technologically advanced environment where knowledge, people, and technology come together to advance education and culture," she emphasized. When asked to summarize these values, she replied: "In telegraphic style, they are resilience, support, safety, respect and responsibility, trust and integrity, continuity within the profession, preservation of living traditions, partnership and openness, accessibility, inclusiveness, high-quality services, infrastructure development and innovation, leadership, and proactivity." She added that upholding these values and introducing innovation into library services requires strategic leadership and careful planning focused on three key priorities: resources, academic resilience, and effective team development.