Science and Libraries During the Great Patriotic War Based on Materials from a Russian-Belarusian Roundtable

This article presents an overview of the presentations from the roundtable discussion “Science and Libraries During the Great Patriotic War”, held on October 2, 2025, by the Russian State Library jointly with the Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The central theme of the event was the accumulation and systematization of knowledge and practical experience during the war in various scientific fields, including library science, bibliology, and bibliography. Emphasis was placed on documents—witnesses of the era, enabling contemporary scholars to see the historical situation through the eyes of their creators. Using striking examples, the speakers demonstrated the inexhaustible potential of libraries as repositories of unique factual material on social and scientific life during the war. Preserving the historical truth and memory of the Great Patriotic War is a special focus for libraries in Russia and Belarus.