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39 FINNISH LIBRARIES
Finns hold the world record in library use. On average, Finns go to the library 11 times per year and borrow
about 17 books, recordings, or other material. The population of Finland is 5.5 million, and more than 3 million
people have a library card. So why are Finns such enthusiastic library users?
Libraries are part of the Finnish way of life. Knowledge is held in high esteem. Finns read a lot, which also
shows in book sales, newspaper reader numbers, and the great popularity of annual book fairs. Especially the
sales of books for children and adolescents are high.
Finnish public libraries fulfil the needs of their users in a great variety of ways. In addition to offering books,
music, and videos, they have started providing e-books during the past decade. And scholarly electronic
publications have become extremely important resources for university libraries.
There has recently been much public discussion about how to get trustworthy information. Efficient Internet
search engines have not replaced the need to evaluate the quality of the information found. Fact checking is
what the people with graduate degrees working in the information service of libraries are experts at. Media
literacy and information literacy have become part of the advice and training offered to library customers looking
for information. The more difficult the question, the more likely it is to get better answers from a library’s
information specialist than from Google hits.
More and more Finnish libraries have become part of the sharing economy in a broader sense by lending
appliances and devices that not everyone can afford to buy, for example computers and 3D printers. Other
everyday needs are also catered to; for example, it may be possible to measure blood pressure, rent Nordic
walking poles, or use a sewing machine in the local library.
Libraries also fulfil a communal role. They provide a free meeting place, whose impact on the surrounding
community shouldn’t be underestimated. Events organised by libraries cater to people of all ages, ranging from
storytimes to homework help to helping senior citizens use online services. Language cafés are an example of
new services organised for immigrants, who have become an important customer group for libraries. To support
the increasing number of people who are self-employed or telework, some libraries provide a space where one
can work and engage in networking. These services are also important in making municipalities economically
more attractive, which means that people want to move there and housing prices go up.
There is a public library in each of Finland’s municipalities, and a total of about 800 throughout the country.
Their services are free and have become part of the basic services provided by municipalities. They guarantee
citizens equal access to knowledge and to the activities in their community.
The strength of Finnish public libraries is based on several underlying factors. The strong support provided by
national budgets until the 1990s has played an important role; public libraries in Finland were much less
dependent on municipal budgets than in many other countries. Libraries have also had an acknowledged role in
the information society programs of Finnish governments. And librarians have become highly trained information
specialists.
Finnish libraries collaborate closely. Customers notice this in the form of flexible regional service. For
example, an item borrowed from any library in the Finnish Capital Region can be return to any library in the
region. Collaboration also creates synergy benefits in the production of services. Collaborative forums such as
Kirjastot.fi and the online services of the National Library enable coordinated organisation of services and joint
production of special services, and they save resources.
The basic strategy of Finnish libraries is a sensible division of labour among local, regional, and national
libraries so that all can focus on their most relevant tasks. For example, local libraries can concentrate on
serving their local communities, while services meant for all can be developed at the national level, for example,
the joint information retrieval user interface FINNA of libraries, archives, and museums.
In the 2000s, new library buildings have aroused public interest. The Kaisa Library of the University of
Helsinki has become a popular destination among tourists. And the new main library of Helsinki, which will open
in 2018, already received much public attention during its planning stage, in part due to public participation in the
planning process.
Finnish libraries have created a well organised network that enables citizens to get information and to
participate in society and that offers a variety of communal and cultural services. They have managed to
transition smoothly to the Internet age and to strengthen their importance through diverse services widely
appreciated by customers
– libraries get top scores in customer service surveys.
Libraries are nowadays the cultural service that Finns use the most. They are also among the least expensive
information and culture services
– libraries are allocated on average less than one percent of municipal budgets.
This small investment pays for itself many times over in sustainable development reflected in the form of
increased know-how, well-being, and econo
mic benefit. If libraries didn’t exist, we’d have to invent them.
Kaarina Dromberg
– Minister of culture 2002–2003
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