A study conducted on behalf of the Environmental sustainability in Finnish public libraries in the 2020s project measured the Finnish public libraries’ carbon footprint. The pioneering research was done in cooperation with libraries and sustainability experts from Positive Impact Finland. The study took place in the autumn of 2020, gathering carbon footprint data from 13 public libraries across the country from small municipal libraries to big city libraries. 

In 2020, the use of libraries’ e-materials has reached unprecedented heights. The exceptional situation during the corona virus pandemic has contributed to this, but the rising trend has been visible since 2014. At the moment, however, not all Finns are in an equal position, because the availability of e-materials in libraries differs from one municipality to another. This is one of the problems that the libraries’ digital media project aiming at a one-stop-shop e-library wants to change.

The Satakielikuukausi / Multilingual Month is an annual celebration of multilingualism that falls between the International Day of the Native Language (21.2) and the World Poetry Day (21.3). Satakielikuukausi has been celebrated in Finland since 2015 and in the Nordic countries since 2017 as Multilingual Month. During the month, we celebrate linguistic diversity and challenge everyone to look at the importance of native language and languages through art, encounters, and doing things together. 

This week, 8-14 February 2021, is a Media Literacy Week in Finland. Media Literacy Week is a theme week that builds around the Safer Internet Day and aims to further media literacy skills of children, young people, and adults. Media Literacy Week seeks also to support education professionals, parents, and other adults’ work in the field media education by capacity building.

The National Library of Finland’s new strategy for 2021-2030 sets equality, responsibility, and strengthening society’s knowledge base as central goals for the coming years. The strategy has a strong emphasis on openness, whether it is promoting open science or the openness of resources and services, as it is seen as a key in reducing inequality in society. Also sustainable development and life-long learning feature strongly in the strategic plan. 

Plans to draw up a national literacy strategy for Finland has been set in motion early this year as the Finnish National Agency for Education set up a steering and a project group for the strategy work. One aim for the new strategy is to expand the scope of literacy promotion from children and young adults to people of all ages. The strategy will also have regional and municipal dimensions, as another aim is to support local institutions and structures which work in the field of literacy.

In 2020 many culture institutions, including libraries and museums, had to close their doors and limit their services for periods of time due to Corona restrictions. Statistics from last year shows when the access to physical collections were limited people turned to digital resources. 

The Helmet library Reading Challenge 2021 has been announced this week. The original challenge has multiplied into six subcategories, including movies, music and games.

All challenges are published in Finnish, Swedish, English as well as Russian.

The Finnish Parliament approved on Monday 21 December 2020 an appropriation of 1 000 000 euros for libraries to develop means to strengthen democracy and better social dialogue. Currently, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra is running a project where six libraries are piloting ways to further libraries role as stronger platforms for democracy work and societal dialogue both online and in their physical premises. The Sitra’s project runs until the summer 2021, and the newly approved appropriation is directed to support libraries democracy work after the pilot project has finished.

A survey conducted by Taloustutkimus finds that libraries provide the best customer service in Finland. Taloustutkimus asked Finnish consumers’ opinions on customer service experiences with companies and public organisations. 

The top three of the survey have been steadily holding their places unchanged for several years: Libraries hold the first place, followed by Alko (the national alcoholic beverage retailing monopoly in Finland), and Yliopiston apteekki (the University Pharmacy).