University of Helsinki
Main Library’s 7th floor at Kaisa House will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday June 14th due to the Helsinki University Library staff conference.
It might become a bit noisy after 3 p.m. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
7th floor of the Main Library will close at 12 o’clock on Tue October 11th
Main Library’s 7th floor at Kaisa House will close at 12 o’clock on Tuesday October 11th because of The Council for Finnish University Libraries’ 20 year anniversary party.
It might become a bit noisy from 4 pm onwards. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
Kaisa House is open on Sundays in March and April
From March 6th until April 24th the Main Library will be open from 11 am to 5 pm on Sundays, with the exception of Easter holidays (from Friday March 25th to Monday March 28th), during which the building will be closed.
Entrance on Sundays is from Fabianinkatu and by lift from Kaisaniemenkatu (1st floor) or from Helsinki University metrostation (floor K1).
Finland’s most popular learning environment works as a self-service library
On Sundays Kaisa House will function as a self-service library. The collections and facilities are available to customers on floors 2-7. The customer service on the 3rd floor and the underground floors (K4, K3, K2) are closed.
You can pick up your reservations as a self-service from the open shelves at the service desk. Phone service will be available should you have problems using the library or the self-service facilities.
In case you need a guest login for the University network or copy cards (e.g. for printing), you have to get these earlier in the week.
The Learning Centre Aleksandria accessible with magnetic key all Sunday
Learning Centre Aleksandria (Fabianinkatu 26) is open on weekdays from 8 am to 7:45 pm, on Saturdays from 11 am to 4:45 pm and closed on Sundays. Students at the University of Helsinki are able to access the Learning Centre outside these opening hours from 7 am until 1 am with a magnetic key obtainable from the IT User Accounts service point. More information about using Aleksandria outside normal opening hours in Flamma intranet.
Main Library Kaisa House
– service phone 02941 23920
– email: library-citycentre (at) helsinki.fi
Helsinki University Library opening hours
Learning Centre Aleksandria
Self-service reservation pickups in the Main Library and in Viikki
From the start of next year self-service for reservation pickups will be extended to include Kaisa House and the Viikki Campus Library. The Kumpula campus library introduced self-service pickups in September 2014.
The Meilahti Campus Library will not, for now, introduce self-service pickups, in Terkko reservations will still be available at the service desk.
Reserved materials are shelved according to customer name
The reservation fee for textbooks will be added to your account when the reserved item becomes available for pickup.
If you do not wish to have your reservations on an open shelf under your name, please notify any Helka library, and you can continue to pick up reservations at the service desk.
Service Break on Booking System Timmi in November 24th
There will be a service break on university’s room reservation system Timmi on Tuesday, November 24th. The estimated duration of the break is from 8 am until noon.
During the break the system will be updated and can not be used. That means reservations for Kaisa-Library group work rooms can not be made or existing ones updated.
We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Kaisa House open on Sundays 4.10.-29.11.
After a successful trial in April, the library will again be open on Sundays in October and November.
From October 4th until November 29th the library will be open from 11 am to 5 pm on Sundays, with the exception of the Halloween weekend (Saturday October 31st and Sunday November 1st), during which the building will be closed. Entrance on Sundays from Fabianinkatu and by lift from Kaisaniemikatu (1st floor) or from Helsinki University metrostation (floor K1).
Learning environment at your service 
On Sundays, Kaisa House will work as self-service library. The collections and facilities are available to customers on floors 2-7. The service area on the 3rd floor and the underground floors (K4, K3, K2) will be closed. Phone service will be available and we are happy to help you with reservations pick-ups and any problems using the self-service facilities.
If you need a guest login for the University network or copy cards (e.g. for printing), you need to get these earlier in the week.
On Saturdays, Kaisa House is open from 11 am to 5 pm. The opening hours were moved one hour forwards based on customer feedback. Especially on weekends, most customers arrive only after midday, and the weekend mornings have been very quiet.
The Learning Centre Aleksandria accessible with magnetic key all Sunday
Learning Centre Aleksandria (Fabianinkatu 26) is open weekdays from 8 am to 7:45 pm, on Saturdays from 11 am to 4:45 pm and closed on Sundays. Students at the University of Helsinki are able to access the Learning Centre outside these opening hours from 7 am until 1 am with a magnetic key obtainable from the IT User Accounts service point in the library. More information about using Aleksandria outside normal opening hours in Flamma intranet.
Main Library (Kaisa House)
– service phone 02941 23920
– email: library-citycentre (at) helsinki.fi
Helsinki University Library opening hours
Learning Centre Aleksandria
Kaisa Library: The Haps
Alright, so you’ve seen the white walls and the big windows and the light that is everywhere. The carefully color-coded design chairs and the smiling guys at customer service.
What then?
Step 1
First impressions about Kaisa vary widely: The anti-humanist, Foucault-referencing poststructuralist nerds often feel that the Kaisa library is too clinical, like a science factory with no goal but to produce science (power is, like, a network which serves, like, faceless institutions).
The utilitarian, inertia-friendly, cat-like nerds think Kaisa is the best place to study because utility is, finally, maximized: the fact that you can eat, sleep and study within one building makes it the Greatest Building In The World.
Both are right. If the white space-hospitaley walls give you the creeps, check out Aleksandria, Café Gaudeamus, and the lower floors: 2, K2, and K3. All are great places to study if the upper floors of the Kaisa make you sure that HAL is watching you. If you like being alone, head down to K4 where even Friday won’t find you.
Remember The Tunnel
Don’t forget that you can take elevators straight from the metro station and grocery store up to Kaisa and walk through the lobby to Aleksandria, the Language Center and Porthania. This is extremely useful when it’s Winter and you want to bite your fingers off just so they wouldn’t be so cold. Utilitarianism rules.
Try the space chairs on the third floor and the coffee automat on the 7th (free hot water! Just bring your own teabags). Permanently moving into the library is made very easy with the student kitchen on the third floor, complete with a microwave and a kettle.
How To Become Lorelai Gilmore: Coffee Secrets
In addition to Gaudeamus (2,25 euros), the closest places to get coffee are Café Portaali (1,25 euros, with lunch 90 cents), the grocery shop on level K1 (small coffee one euro) and the corner kiosk on Kaisaniemenkatu close to the tram stops (one euro). The author of this piece sincerely recommends the latter: the kiosk is kept by the sweetest grandmas who’ll smile your face off.
Or Rory Gilmore: Book Secrets
Notice also that most books – except for course material – have a loaning period of 28 days and they can be renewed 50 times. This means that you can borrow one book for four years and two months. That’s probably more time than you can possibly imagine right now. In addition to cool science books you can find prose, poetry and drama in different languages on K3.
Lastly: don’t forget that This Is Water. Don’t follow the instructions, just read the books. They’re the best that Kaisa has to offer.
Summer opening hours of the Kaisa Library from Monday June 15th
In April, Kaisa Library is open on Sundays
Spring is a busy time for students. In April 1000 places for study will be available even on Sundays on the City Centre Campus.
The Main Library will be open on three Sundays: April 12th, 19th and 26th. 
Customer services on the 3rd floor and the study places in the entire library will be available from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Make use of this unique opportunity and spend a Sunday in the library! Share your experience on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #munkirjasto or #sunlibrary. Every week there will be a prize draw for a gift between the participants.
You can also leave a message on the flip chart in the main library, or e-mail us at library(at)helsinki.fi.
Basics in Information Seeking at the library Friday 26.9 at 12-14
The course is an introduction to information sources and seeking information in the University of Helsinki. It is suitable for anybody writing an essay and also for those who are taking the ICT Driving Licence (particularly part 4, Information Seeking).
You will learn
- How to search effectively
- How to find good search terms
- How to search and find books, articles, theseses
- How to find Finnish and international databases in your own subject
The teacher is Information Specialist Kristina Weimer. Please, register at WebOodi.