Helsinki City Library to provide self-service operations in three locations

During self-service use, no members of the staff are present at the library. Instead, customers can access the library with their own Helmet library card and PIN code. During the self-service hours, you can borrow and return materials, pick up your reserved books from the self-service shelf, read magazines and use the customer computers. The self-service hours and services are different at each library, but detailed information is provided on the libraries’ websites and signposts. During the self-service hours, the safety of the library is monitored through recording video surveillance.

“The self-service provision does not replace the library’s normal opening hours, but it is intended to expand the use of the library facilities outside the normal opening hours. This improves the availability of the library in the evenings and at weekends. The self-service concept has produced positive experiences in recent years across Finland and in Helsinki to a smaller degree. Now, the service will be expanded to Laajasalo and Herttoniemi Libraries, and later to Lauttasaari Library,” says Director of Library Services Katri Vänttinen.

In the Helsinki metropolitan area, self-service use has already been provided by libraries in Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa. All self-service libraries in the Helmet area can be found on the library’s website (helmet.fi).