Cultural and educational activities of public libraries of the south of Ukraine: ecological format

Abstract

Introduction. The complication of environmental problems in the modern world requires the search for innovative approaches to environmental education of the population through the activities of various social institutions, in particular public libraries. The study of the issues of education of ecological culture and the role of libraries in the ecological education of the population was carried out by national theorists and practitioners of the library business: N. Asharenkova, T .Dolbenko, N. Demeshkant, V. Luchanska, I. Romanchenko,
N. Rakytianska, V. Chyka; by foreign theorists and practitioners: V. Leshchynska, L. Osadchuk, T. Petrova, O. Suhotina, I. Feoktystova and others.
Topicality. The study of the ecological format of cultural and educational activities of public libraries of the 21st century promotes understanding of the opportunities, role and place of a public library in the system of environmental information and education. The
purpose of the article is to study the activities of public libraries in the South of Ukraine on ecological education.
Methodological basis of the research is the socio-communicative approach, the general-theoretical methods, which allowed to study the peculiarities of the activities of public libraries in the South of Ukraine on environmental education.
Results. The author defines the main directions of activities of public libraries on ecological education: creation of an ecological portrait of the region, city or village; presence in the library of ecological education system; the library acts as an information ecological center; creation of a reference and bibliographic service on environmental issues; involvement of young people in participation in moves to protect nature conservation. The main forms of work of libraries are the creation of centers of environmental information, universities of environmental knowledge; video reports, virtual exhibitions, theatrical quizzes, photo contests, flash mobs, actions, environmental conferences, ecological quests, presentations of «Green Resources» of the Internet, game-trainings, ecological chronicles of cities, villages; social and environmental library programs and projects.
Conclusions. Public libraries in the South of Ukraine become centers of environmental initiatives, defining ecological education as one of the main directions of their activities. Using the experience of public libraries in the southern region of Ukraine will improve
cultural and educational work in the direction of ecological education in other regions of Ukraine. Awareness of the importance of this experience will enhance the role and place of the public library in the social communication system of society.