WDC Helsinki 2012 surprises the bookworm

The Helsinki area libraries are not needlessly collecting dust but are receiving an increasing number of visitors. City libraries which are very much appreciated by Finnish people are also an important part of WDC Helsinki 2012.

Last year saw the number of visits to the city’s libraries increase by 5.2% compared to 2010. In Helsinki, visits to a city library totalled 11 per resident on average and the number of loans 16 books per resident.

In Jakomäki, the number of people visiting a library increased by a whopping 45% when compared to the previous year. It is amazing to record that during the year 6,782,000 visits in total were made to the city libraries in Helsinki.

Love of the library is reflected in the design year programme

WDC Helsinki 2012 cherishes a live and active library culture through numerous projects. Among the stimulating objectives are the development of a more user-oriented library culture, the adoption of new technologies and the guarantee of the provision of facilities for the residents' own projects.

The “Metropolin sykkivä sydän” (Heartbeat of the Metropolis) architectural competition has started searching for an architect to produce design drawings for the future Töölönlahti Bay central library. This central library will also provide facilities for the residents' own projects. The future meeting place will be located within an eco-efficient building and will invite everyone to be involved.

The Helsinki University Kaisa House on the other hand invites people to visit a facility where traditional library services are boldly being redesigned. The Kaisa House, to be completed this spring in Kaisaniemi near busy transport connections, has been designed to improve the library experience of over 100,000 visitors.

Also located in the city centre, the Lasipalatsi Urban Office is a work and meeting place open to all which offers modern equipment in addition to a pleasant place to visit.

Share your ideas in Kallio, be inspired in Myllypuro!

Soon it will be possible to find many other experiences apart from a quiet corner to read when visiting a library. Next autumn, Kallio Library will expand out into the courtyard where four tents are to be set up in Matti Helenius Park situated behind the library. These Kallio pavilions will encourage passers-by to enter, to plan together the future of their living environment and to share colourful stories about the city.

Community-mindedness will also be highlighted in the Myllypuro and Oulunkylä neighbourhoods. The Oulunkylä service and facility concept aims to provide a more pleasant library which everyone can ‘own’. The Myllypuro area media library houses both the Laptop Club (Läppärikerho) and a professional studio where residents may find it easier and more convenient to produce their own videos, images and music.

And of course, in addition to all these various activities, one can still take out one's favourite novel on loan.