Latest answers

Question Reads Rating Answered Open Answer
Are there violins to practice or barrow in any of the metro region libraries? 4 13.3.2024 Unfortunately, no libraries in this area have violins in their collections.
How to book sewing machine place? 9 4.3.2024 In Espoo, you can reserve a sewing machine at varaamo.espoo.fi You can also use the booking office in English You can log in with your library card and its pincode number. You can search with the word sewing machine and limit your search to, for example, the Tapiola library. When you click on the picture of the sewing machine, a window opens with a calendar at the bottom. You can choose the day and time you want. 
We have a lot of children's books in Chinese language. When our kid grow up, I would like to ask if it's possible to donate to the library if they are in good… 9 29.2.2024 Libraries accept donations but there are library-specific policies. You should contact the library where you want to donate books.
I need any book about the emotional intelligence of kids (in arabic language). Is it available in Helmet? 13 5.2.2024 Hi, Helmet-libraries have two books about the emotional intelligence of kids in arabic language. You can find them here: https://helmet.finna.fi/Search/Results?limit=0&lookfor=tunnetaidot&type…
I was wondering if there are public kitchen facilities except Oodi. How can I reach that information? 14 30.1.2024 Yes there are. You will find them at https://varaamo.hel.fi/ in Helsinki and at https://varaamo.espoo.fi/search in Espoo. Just use keyword kitchen.
I would like to get information about school libraries in Findlandia. If their function is performed by the public library I would like to know how this… 14 24.1.2024 School libraries in Finland are not regulated by the law. School libraries are often very small and most of the services provided to schools by libraries are delivered by the public libraries. Due to the decline in literacy, schools have been offered money, for example by The Finnish Cultural Foundation, to develop school libraries and purchase books. For further reading (in finnish):https://www.oph.fi/fi/uutiset/2017/lukuklaani-hanke-elvyttamaan-lasten-lukuharrastusta see also:Sinko, Pirjo. School libraries in Finland : The heart of school seldom beats Scandinavian library quarterly 2013 : 1, s. 16-17  
Where can i find the location that shows all available playstation and switch games? 14 22.1.2024 You can search console games in Helmet catalogue https://www.helmet.fi/en-US. Use Advanced search and as keyword * and select as format console game. In the result list selection At the library shows You games which are at the moment available in some Helmet-library. By logging in with Your library card number and pin code You can make reservations to get games into Your nearest library.
What steps should I take if a book I loaned out is now damaged and cannot be returned? 15 3.1.2024 Hi! Contact a Helmet library directly to discuss how to proceed. If the book is damaged and no longer viable for returning, it must be compensated with the purchase price. Usually it's also possible to arrange compensation with a new copy of the book.  You can find instructions in the Helmet Troubleshooting FAQ.
Do libraries charge patrons for overdue materials? 24 20.12.2023 Public libraries in Finland do charge patrons for overdue materials. The fee is not the same in every library, for example in Turku it is 30 cents/loan/day and in Helsinki it is 20 cents/loan/day. Also, at least in these two libraries, you don't need to pay overdue fees for childrens' books. There is also a maximum overdue fee per loan (in Turku 9 € and in Helsinki 6 €) so even if your loan is overdue for a longer time you don't have to pay more than that. If you can't return the loan at all, you'll have to compensate for the item (how much depends usually on how expensive the item was and if it was very new or old and worn).
What does it mean, "Laitoskirjastoja"? Is it a central library or it is a small library service point? Or something else? 29 11.12.2023 It is a small library service point. The link is an article translated into Russian from the Finnish Wikipedia about institutional libraries, that is laitoskirjastoista. The Helsinki City Library has a few institutional libraries, the books of which are mainly intended for use by the institution's customers, but others can also borrow from them. The second link tells about two institutional libraries in Helsinki. https://tinyurl.com/laitoskirjastohttps://tinyurl.com/potilaskirjastot
I'd like to know about the budget of Oddi Library. I am a student studying library and information science in Korea. I'd like to know about the budget of Oddy… 26 11.12.2023 It seems there is no public access to the budgets of individual libraries but they are easily revealed by asking the right person. Library Director of Oodi Anna-Maria Soininvaara told that they are using approximately 3 600 000 euros to the staff this year. For books, however, there is no separate budget because in Helsinki we have a so called floating collection. It means the whole collection is shared between all libraries and therefore there is a common budget for all material, except for magazines and newspapers. For those Oodi's budget is about 40 000 euros. It is possible to check Finnish libraries' budgets by a city level but not by a single library unit on the site Finnish Public Libraries Statistics . Those statistics only reveal…
Onko P. Mustapäällä runoa nimeltä Muisto? Vai kenen se mahtaa olla? 14 1.12.2023 Hei, P. Mustapäällä on runo nimeltä Muisto. Se ilmestyi kokoelmassa Linnustaja (1952). Runo löytyy myös Kootut runot -teoksesta.
I loved doing the 2022 & 2023 reading challenges and was hoping to see 2024 released soon, do you have a release date? Thanks for providing it in English! 39 29.11.2023 If you are asking about Helmet Reading Challenge, we don't have an exact release date yet, but it is most likely between Christmas and New Year (Dec 27th to Dec 29th).
I can only see one book on my "Reading History" list in my Helmet account. However, I have definitely borrowed more than one book from the Helmet libraries in… 21 20.11.2023 The Helmet library reading history can list only those items that you borrow after you activate the reading history. Unfortunately items that had been borrowed before the activation cannot be recovered.
I have a library card. I wanted to know, if the library of Helsinki also offers snowshoes and how I can find them in the catalogue? 37 17.11.2023 You find the snowshoes in Helmet catalogue if You make a search with the Finnish word "lumikengät". Then You refine the search result with "object" and You find that there are snowshoes available in several libraries. Lumikengät Snow shoes in Helmet Libraries
Can I become library member to borrow online book? I am Indonesian citizenship. I would like to expand knowledge by reading and My son also like to read math ,… 19 15.11.2023 You need a libray card in order to borrow ebooks.  You can get a library card if You live in Finland. Or at least You need to have an address in Finland. You do not need to be citizen of Finland. For example, if you do not have a Finnish personal identity number and you live in Helsinki metropolitan area, your Helmet-library card is valid for twelve months at a time. It is not possible to get a library card without visiting a library.  You will get the library card when you state your address and present a valid ID card with a photograph  in a library. Library card in Fnland is free.
Onko "keala" sama kuin "kiela" jollakin saamen kielistä? 32 10.11.2023 Kiela (sarvikiela) on suopungin osa, perinteisesti poronsarvesta tehty kahdeksikonmuotoinen silmukka. Pohjoissaameksi se on (čoarve)giella. Sana giella voi tarkoittaa myös ansalankaa tai erityisesti riekonansaa.Saamelaiskielten etymologisesta tietokannasta voi etsiä saamen kielen sanoille vastineita eri kielissä. Esimerkiksi inarinsaamesta löytyy kielâ ja eteläsaamesta giële. Uumajan- ja piitimensaamesta ei tietokannan mukaan löydy sanalle vastineita. Ainakaan Álgu-tietokannasta keala-sanaa ei löydy. On toki mahdollista, että kyseessä on jonkin vanhan, käytöstä poistetun oikeinkirjoituksen mukainen kirjoitusasu. Pohjoissaamen kielestä löytyy vielä gealli/geala, joka tarkoittaa kelaa tai vintturia. Se on kuitenkin todennäköisesti lainattu…
How do I register for self service libraries? 25 6.11.2023 "How to register  Bring your library card and a photo ID with you. On the identity cards webpage, you can check which identity cards are accepted.  The staff asks you to read the self-service library rules. By signing the rules, you accept them. You can take the signed rules home with you.   The library employee enters your name in the library database.   Read the emergency instructions of the library you use. They are available at the library.  You can now start using the self-service library. " https://www.helmet.fi/en-US/Libraries_and_services/Selfservice_libraries If there is no staff at the local library you use, contact the nearest regional library. e.g. Tapiolan or Omena.
Are there any laws and regulations to set the rules and purposes of school libraries in Finland? 22 30.10.2023 School libraries in Finland are usually small, and they are not regulated by the law. Most of the services provided to schools by libraries are delivered by the public libraries and school libraries often have only a small collection of books that can be read and borrowed. Public libraries are regulated by the law, https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2016/20161492 (text only in Finnish and Swedish).
I plan to visit Helsinki for a couple of weeks and I'd like to use the Oodi library then. But I don't have an address in Finland and I'll be staying at a Hotel… 21 27.10.2023 According to the Helmet website you need to have an address in Finland to get a library card. If you want you can ask for more information directly from Oodi (contact-information). Even if you don’t get a library card, you can visit Oodi and use the facilities (some facilities are bookable, you can get more information from the website). There are also customer computers on the first and second floor that you can use without booking. I hope this answered your question!