An American architectural journal: “The dramatic white interior of the University of Helsinki’s new main library is striking”

Architectural Record, May 2013, published a Snapshot article about the Helsinki University Main Library. Architectural Record is the biggest journal concentrating purely on architecture in the USA and the whole world.

Rita Catinella Orrell: “The dramatic white interior of the University of Helsinki’s new main library, by local firm Anttinen Oiva Architects, is striking for its curving travertine-marble staircase, its Finnish furnishings, and the oval-shaped voids the architects carved out of the center of the floor plates. The rotunda brings in daylight and helps visitors grasp the building’s spatial organization at a glance. Opened to the public last September, the seven-floor urban-infill project was built on the site of an old department store in the capital’s downtown, and consolidates libraries that had previously operated in 10 different locations.”

http://archrecord.construction.com/features/snapshot/2013/1305-Helsinki-University-Library.asp

Helsinki University Library Receives Book Donation from the Ambassador of Philippines

Ambassador, Mr. Bayani S. Mercado and Patrick Hilado, Minister Counsellor and Consul General at the Philippine Embassy in Oslo, Norway have donated to the Helsinki University Library copies of the original manuscripts of the novels, “El Filibusterismo” and “Noli Me Tangere” written by the Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal. These copies were officially printed by the Philippine National Historical Institute to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Rizal.

E-thesis has been renewed!

University of Helsinki E-thesis-service has launched its redesigned website on February 18th. The site aims to serve better students and researchers publishing or depositing a digital thesis. In addition, the E-thesis website offers a gateway to searching and browsing open access theses of the University of Helsinki.

E-thesis service was initially launched in 1999. E-thesis has published over 4000 open access doctoral dissertations and over 3000 open access Master’s Thesis.  The open access theses in the service have over a million downloads in total every year. The service is maintained and developed in the Digital Services of the Helsinki University Library.

Night at the Campus festival transforms Senare Square into a Student’s Living Room

On Monday, September 10, World Student Capital will organise a city
festival ?Night at the Campus?, where students will take over the
Senate Square. The programme will focus on the themes of the project:
housing, cycling, living campuses and societal entrepreneurship.

The programme includes the prize-giving ceremony of the competition
on new forms of student-housing, a discussion panel on space as the
enabler of learning and well-being, performances by student bands,
choirs and theatres as well as scientific debates. The new library of
the university of Helsinki, Kaisa, as well as the student unions of
the Helsinki region will be bringing their functions to the square.

The theme of the festival is ?The Students? Living Room?, and space
is central to the programme of the festival. As well as a traditional
stage there will be living room-like corners and tents where both
students and city dwellers can claim the Senate Square as their own
living room.

Come, and bring your friends as well!

Join the Facebook event and invite your friends also!
Programme

WHAT? The biggest student festival of the year
REALLY, WHAT? Bands, debates, theatre, performances, student life
WHEN? Next Monday evening (5pm. to 10.30 pm.)
WHERE? At the Senate Square

The Main Library is open!

The new main library in City Centre Campus opened its doors yesterday, 03/09/2012 at 9:00 am.

The Usher Arto Rämö opened the doors, he  was working his last day before retirement.

On the opening day at the Main Library dealing a total of 8,700 customers.

Watch the video (in Finnish):

University launches Give a Book campaign

A new online campaign improves the availability of textbooks, and all proceeds will go in full towards textbook purchases. The University of Helsinki’s library is responsible for the campaign in cooperation with the Community Relations unit. Active marketing will commence now, at the beginning of the autumn term.

An exam is imminent and the library is out of copies of the textbook? This difficult situation is well known to almost every student and alumni member of the university. In the future, it may be possible to have more books donated by the sponsors and friends of the university.

The Give a Book site lists textbooks from each faculty whose additional copies are needed the most by students. Donors may choose to donate one or several copies of the textbooks they choose, or sponsor purchases of books or e-books with a donation they consider appropriate. The donation is paid using online banking credentials or a credit card.

The donated books will feature a bookplate indicating that this is a book donated to the campaign by a specific donor. Donations can also be made anonymously. The aim is to continue the campaign for the university’s strategy period 2013–2016 at the least.

”The idea behind the service came from the library’s developer community. Students from the IDIS community proposed that textbooks could also be obtained through donations,” says Pia Dolivo, Relations Manager who developed the idea in cooperation with the library.

The Give a Book campaign has met an enthusiastic reception at the university, as donations make it possible to significantly influence the availability of textbooks. Currently, the library is able to offer textbooks for approximately one in three students.

”The Give a Book campaign is an easy way to help students,” Dolivo continues.

”In addition to alumni members, also collaboration partners will be told about the campaign, as they can provide significant support for procuring books, even for entire courses.”

In fact, the campaign strives for a significant financial impact, as a donation that seems small for an individual company may be a proportionally significant increase in a faculty’s textbook budget.

Corporate donations will first be tested with the Faculty of Law so as to obtain more textbooks for its students.

The library and the Community Relations unit will arrange a discussion panel on the campaign in September. The event is intended for all university students interested in the campaign and those working with the university’s alumni, fundraising and questions of social dialogue.

www.helsinki.fi/giveabook

More information:

Fundraising Officer Mikko Kotola
Communications and Community Relations
tel. +358 9 191 40361
mikko.kotola@helsinki.fi