In 2019 and 2020 new library systems will be introduced at the National Library of Finland and Helsinki University Library. The change will first take place at the National Library. The National Library will move to Koha, an open and free source code library system, and will also develop it according to the needs of Finnish scientific libraries.
Using the services of the National Library will no longer be possible through other Helka libraries. From Monday, 2 September onwards, all loans, requests, reservations, returns and payments related to the National Library must be completed at the Library or through the National Library Search at kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi. In future, phone numbers, home addresses and other customer details will also be updated separately for the National Library and other Helka libraries.
As a customer of the National Library, you will receive a personal National Library card, available from the Library from 2 September onwards. Helka library cards will continue to be used for Helka library services. At the National Library, Helka cards will only be accepted until 30 November. You can not make reservations, loan materials or renew loans on the search service with Helka-card after the 30 November. A National Library card can be obtained by visiting the National Library even after the 30.11.
If you have problems with obtaining the National Library Card or renewing your loans you can contact our information service by email at kk-palvelu@helsinki.fi or by phone at +358 2941 23196.
Further information on obtaining a library card can be found under How to get a new library card.
You will need a National Library card, available from the Library from 2 September onwards. Old Helka cards and their PIN numbers can be used in the National Library Search until 30 November. Helka library cards will continue to be used for Helka library services. Further information on obtaining a library card can be found under How to get a new library card.
Customer and loan details will be automatically transferred to the new system of the National Library. If you are a customer of both the National Library and Helka libraries, any changes to customer details must in future be made separately for both. From 2 September onwards, National Library loan renewals, requests and reservations are made through the National Library Search at kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi.
A National Library card can be obtained from 2 September onwards by visiting the National Library. Please remember to bring official proof of identity with you.
From Monday, 2 September onwards, all loans, requests, reservations, returns and payments related to the National Library must be completed at the Library or through the National Library Search at kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi. Using the services of the National Library will no longer be possible through other Helka libraries. In future, phone numbers, home addresses and other customer details will also be updated separately for the National Library and other Helka libraries.
Helka library cards will remain valid when using services provided by Helka libraries. At the National Library, Helka cards will only be accepted until 30 November. You can not make reservations, loan materials or renew loans on the search service with Helka-card after the 30 November. A National Library card can be obtained by visiting the National Library even after the 30.11.
If you have problems with obtaining the National Library Card or renewing your loans you can contact our information service by email at kk-palvelu@helsinki.fi or by phone at +358 2941 23196.
During a break in services beginning on 24 August, all National Library materials and loans will be transferred from Helka to the National Library Search (kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi). In future, loans are renewed and customer details updated through the National Library Search.
Loans from the National Library will not expire between 10 August and 15 September. The last normal due date is Friday, 9 August, and the next valid due date is not until 16 September. No late fees will be invoiced for the period in between.
If you are unsure which libraries your borrowed books are from, you should check your loans in the library databases at kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi and helka.finna.fi.
In fact, storage retrieval requests should be made well in advance of the break to ensure they can be picked up in the preceding week, as reservations and storage retrieval requests cannot be picked up during the break.
Materials borrowed from the National Library are returned to the National Library. Previously, Helsinki University Library also accepted books borrowed from the National Library. The last day that Helsinki University Library will accept books borrowed from the National Library is Friday, 16 August 2019. Books borrowed from Helka libraries are not, nor were they previously, accepted by the National Library.
Kaisa House, the principal location of Helsinki University Library, and the National Library of Finland are both located in Kaisaniemi approximately 100 metres from each other, which makes it relatively easy to return loans separately to both libraries.
Loans from the National Library are renewed through the National Library Search at kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi. Helka loans are renewed in the Helka database at helka.finna.fi. Old Helka cards and their PIN numbers can be used at the National Library and in the National Library Search for renewing loans until 30 November. Helka library cards will continue to be used for Helka library services.
During the changeover, between 24 August and 1 September, National Library fees cannot be paid online. After the interruption, from 2 September onwards, payments can again be made online, that is, through online banking as well as with debit and credit cards.
Helka online payments will function as usual in the Helka database at helka.finna.fi.
No. The appearance and function of the National Library Search will not change.
However, the findability of material will improve. Once the National Library Search no longer encompasses other libraries, searches will produce more comprehensive results from the complex datasets stored in the National Library. The National Collection (Fennica) will also be made available for requests through the search. In addition, the collections, loan periods and material locations will be categorised and presented in the search in a less complicated manner.
Kansalliskirjaston hakupalvelussa suosikkilistat ja muut tallennetut tiedot sekä asetukset säilyvät, mikäli olet käyttänyt Haka-kirjautumista tai Finna-tunnusta, mutta suosikkilistojen saatavuustiedot eivät enää toimi oikein.
Haka- tai Finna-tunnuksella tehtyyn tiliin täytyy käydä vaihtamassa Helka-kortti Kansalliskirjastokorttiin Oma tili -> Kirjastokortit -osassa. Tilin luomiseen voi toki käyttää toki myös Finna-tunnusta, johon voi myös liittää kirjastokortteja.
Jos 2.9. jälkeen kirjaudut Kansalliskirjaston hakupalveluun uudella Kansalliskirjastokortilla, luot samalla hakupalveluun uuden tilin. Uudessa tilissä ei ole vanhan tilin suosikkilistoja eikä tallennettuja tietoja. Vanhat suosikkilistat voi tuoda vanhalta tililtä uudelle tilille ennen kansalliskirjastokortin vaihtoa: 1) kirjaudu vanhalla kirjastokortilla tilillesi, 2) Mene Omat tiedot -osioon, 3) Lataa suosikit ja haut tiedostona, 4) kirjaudu Kansalliskirjastokortin tilille ja 5) Mene Omat tiedot -> käytä Tuo suosikit ja haut tiedostosta -toimintoa.
The appearance and function of the National Library Search will not change, but the findability of material will improve. Once the National Library Search no longer encompasses other libraries, searches will produce more comprehensive results from the complex datasets stored in the National Library. For example, the National Collection (Fennica) will also be made available for requests through the search. In addition, the collections, loan periods and material locations will be categorised and presented in the search in a less complicated manner.
National Library cards can be used to log in to and use Finna.fi which provides free access to material from Finnish museums, libraries and archives for everyone.