ISSN 2518-7600 e-ISSN 2524-1060 UDC 90,92,93/94
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Society. Document. Communication

Article

Role of libraries and bibliography in preserving cultural memory in Ukraine and Japan in the digital age

Iryna Berezanska, Oksana Pluzhnyk
Retrieved from Volume 11, No. 1, 2026 Pages 22–37
Received
28.08.2025
Revised
02.01.2026
Accepted
29.01.2026
Published
09.04.2026
Views
344

Abstract

The study aimed to comprehensively examine the institutional and technological foundations of cultural memory preservation in Ukraine and Japan in the context of the digital transformation of library and bibliographic practices. The study was theoretical and applied in nature and was based on an analysis of normative acts, official reports, and digital collections of Ukraine and Japan using content analysis, bibliometric, and statistical methods. The results demonstrated that 45% of the Ukrainian corpus consisted of regulatory acts and government documents, while 30% of the Japanese corpus consisted of such documents. Institutional reports accounted for 40% of the Japanese segment, compared to 25% of the Ukrainian segment. In 2021-2024, the share of digitised collections in Ukraine increased from 18 to 36%, and in Japan from 25 to 35%. The number of visits increased in Ukraine from 120,000 to 245,000, and in Japan from 200,000 to 290,000; downloads of digital materials increased from 60,000 to 145,000 and from 90,000 to 160,000. The number of unique users doubled in Ukraine (from 45,000 to 100,000) and increased by 40% in Japan (from 70,000 to 110,000). Ukraine’s bibliographic infrastructure demonstrated partial integration with international files, while Japanese services ensured compatibility with the global WorldCat and Virtual International Authority File catalogues. Network analysis revealed the leading clusters of cultural memory: in Ukraine, the Holodomor (680 units, 410 connections) and the legacy of Mykhailo Hrushevsky (520 units, 320 connections); in Japan – Manyōshū (750 units, 500 links) and the chronicles of the Heian period (620 units, 450 links). Statistical tests confirmed a higher level of data openness in Japan (p = 0.031) and accelerated growth of digitisation in Ukraine after 2021 (p = 0.042). The results obtained can be used to improve national digitisation programmes, develop bibliographic services and increase integration into global information networks

Keywords

interoperability; metadata; digitisation; user activity; international initiatives

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Suggested citation

Berezanska, I., & Pluzhnyk, O. (2026). Role of libraries and bibliography in preserving cultural memory in Ukraine and Japan in the digital age. Society. Document. Communication, 11(1), 22-37. https://doi.org/10.69587/sdc/1.2026.22