Regional Competition of Local History Electronic Resources in Public Libraries, Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

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Created on Friday, 12 December 2025 11:52

Modern libraries have long since expanded beyond traditional book storage. To keep up with the times, they must adapt and increasingly engage in the digital space. One important step in this direction is the creation of libraries' own electronic resources, primarily those on local history.

In early 2025, the Vitebsk Regional Library announced a regional competition of local history electronic resources in public libraries dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The competition will be held in four categories: «Heritage», «Glorious Names of the Vitebsk Region», «Wealth of the Dvina Region», and «Pages of the War Years». The founders and organizers of the competition were the Department of Culture of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the Vitebsk Regional Organization of the Belarusian Trade Union of Culture, Information, Sports, and Tourism Workers, and the Vitebsk Regional Library named after V. Lenin.

The regional competition was held with the aim of strengthening civic and patriotic consciousness, popularizing local history knowledge, and creating conditions for self-realization and developing the creative potential of librarians in the Vitebsk region.

Libraries from 19 districts of the region participated in the competition. Some submitted their entries in multiple categories, which complied with the competition's terms and conditions. The Vitebsk District Library System was the only one to represent the work of rural libraries. A total of 24 entries were submitted — each a reflection of creativity, diligence, and a sincere love for their native land.

The vast majority of entries were dedicated to the memorable events of the Great Patriotic War, in line with the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in 2025. Virtual exhibitions and tours, interactive maps and projects, databases and audio guides, and game libraries dedicated to the history, culture, people, and traditions of the regions were also presented.

It is worth noting that all resources prepared for the competition are the result of systematic and painstaking work carried out in the region's libraries over many years.

The jury for the regional competition included competent specialists from the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Department of Culture, the regional library, the Vitebsk regional organization of the relevant trade union, the State Archives of the Vitebsk Region, and the regional museum of local history.

The competition results were announced at a meeting of the Board of Directors of Public Libraries of the Vitebsk Region, which took place on December 11 at the regional library. The winners, awarded first-degree diplomas, presented their papers.

The winners of the competition are:

1. In the «Heritage» category:

1st Prize: «What the Street Names Tell Us» electronic resource from the M. Gorky Central City Library of the Vitebsk City Centralized Library System;

2nd Prize: «Memorial Sites of the Tolochin Region» database of memorial sites and military burial sites from the Tolochin Central District Library of the Tolochin Centralized Library System;

3rd Prize: «Memory of the Past and Present» database from the Rossonskaya Centralized Library System.

2. In the «Glorious Names of the Vitebsk Region» category:

1st Prize: «Literary Beshenkovichi» electronic resource from the Beshenkovichi Central District Library of the Beshenkovichi Centralized Library System;

2nd Prize: Virtual project «Remembering Every Name...: Teachers and Students of the Olgovskaya School – Participants of the Great Patriotic War» by the Olgovskaya Rural Library branch of the Vitebsk Regional Centralized Library System;

3rd Prize: Database «Residents of Novopolotsk – Participants of the Great Patriotic War» by the V. Mayakovsky Central Library of the Novopolotsk Centralized Library System.

3. In the «Wealth of the Dvina Region» category:

1st Prize: Electronic resource «Liozno Region Known and Unknown» by the Liozno Centralized Library System;

2nd Prize: Virtual game library «Town in Questions: Intellectual Adventures» by the Gorodok Central District Library of the Gorodok Cultural and Educational Center and Network of Public Libraries;

3rd PRIZE: Electronic resource «Discover Glubokoye - and Love It!» from the Glubokoye Central District Library.

4. In the «Pages of the War Years» category:

1st PRIZE: Database «Victory Breakthrough. Breakthrough into Immortality» from the E. Los Ushachi District Library, Ushachi Centralized Library System;

2nd PRIZE: Database «Heroes of the Sacred War» from the Sharkivshchyna Centralized Library System;

3rd PRIZE: Electronic resource «Memory of the Fiery Years» from the Chashniki Regional Centralized Library System.