University of Helsinki
This post is also available in: Finnish Swedish
The collections of the National Library of Finland are searchable in the Helka database for the last time on Friday, 23 August 2019. Due to a system switchover, any material included in the National Library collections cannot be searched in the database or borrowed from 24 August to 1 September 2019.
From Monday, 2 September onwards, all loans, reservations, returns and payments related to the National Library can only be completed at the Library or through the National Library Search at kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi. After Friday, 16 August, books from the National Library can no longer be returned to Kaisa House or other Helsinki University Library premises.
Read more about the changes to National Library services on the National Library website.
These changes are connected to a switchover of library systems at both the National Library of Finland and Helsinki University Library in 2019–2020. The change will first take place at the National Library.
Helka operates as usual
Helsinki University Library (HULib) and the Helka database will continue normal operations during the interruption at the National Library.
Helka will still house the collections of Helsinki University Library and the Baltic Library, as well as the libraries of the Institute for the Languages of Finland, the Finnish Heritage Agency, the Finnish Literature Society and the Library of the Labour Movement.
Helsinki University Library facilities will provide normal services. The regular opening hours for the academic year 2019–2020, more extensive than the summer opening hours, will come into effect on Monday, 25 August 2019.
Helsinki University Library prepares for a service platform switchover in 2020
In its system procurement, Helsinki University Library is focusing on improving the findability of digital material essential to the academic community of the University of Helsinki. Helka will continue to contain all of the literature included in the requirements of all University of Helsinki degree programmes.
The new service platform, to be introduced at Helsinki University Library in autumn 2020, will provide Helka library customers with a modern platform for searching for and using printed and digital books, journals and articles. At the same time, library staff will be provided with appropriate tools for acquiring and processing digital materials in particular.