“The objective of the library and information services provided by public libraries is to promote equal opportunities among citizens for personal cultivation, for literary and cultural pursuits, for continuous development of knowledge, personal skills and civic skills …” “The objective of the library and information services provided by public libraries is to promote equal opportunities among citizens for personal cultivation, for literary and cultural pursuits, for continuous development of knowledge, personal skills and civic skills …”

This is how the Finnish Library Act defines the task of public libraries of promoting equal opportunities for personal development among citizens. Libraries are avidly used in Finland. According to a published study carried out some years ago, approximately 80 % of the entire population uses public library services. Above all, young people and well-educated persons use these library services. The remaining 20 % are either too young or too old, but there are of course other groups that do not use the services. According to the study, professional groups, such as entrepreneurs and farmers, comprise the majority of those people who feel they do not need library services at all.

What about those citizens who want to use library services and who feel they need them, but, for different reasons, can’t use the usual services?

The Library for the Visually Impaired serves visually impaired people and people who have reading difficulties. Through new technology, activities and services are diversified to meet patrons’ needs. The idea behind Finland’s Library for the Visually Impaired is to provide the opportunity to access information, study, and to cultivate an interest in literature and art -in other words, the goals are much the same as those in the Library Act. Specialized services are being developed in public libraries for user groups that need them. Home delivery service is not a new concept. Those using the delivery service are mostly elderly persons for whom going to the library is an impossible task. The home delivery service at the Oulu City Library has been developed into a full service, which takes the patrons’ wishes and needs into consideration.

Courses and instruction to learn skills needed in an information society are arranged for senior citizens. The digital gap is an age-related issue in a welfare society. Literature discussion circles and ‘book talks’ are organized for the elderly, and not only for children and the young.

Immigrants, new citizens, form a group whose cultural background does not always include the self-evident use of libraries. Furthermore, new citizens often have language problems and family situations and life backgrounds, which are unlike those of the mainstream population. Espoo is one of the three cities included in Finland’s capital region. Immigrants are hired there to fill special job positions, which do not require an education in the library field. Of all the employees, approximately five percent have a foreign background. When I recently visited the Sello library in Espoo, I noticed how a young immigrant custodian could bring added value to his work, functioning as a link and an assurance that the library is acting out of equality and with respect for other cultures.

Not only youths with immigrant backgrounds, but also youth in general, form a group which needs services specifically for their needs. For a young person, the library can be a very important place that influences his or her development propitiously and provides aid in difficult life management. However, we must develop suitable services for the young, otherwise they won’t feel comfortable in the library – or they will go there only to have a roof over their heads and to meet their peers. Adults may also feel left out; many problems accumulate easily in certain residential areas. By investing in library services, we can favourably influence the area’s development and the residents’ lives.

In our countries, it is required to attend school until a certain age, but going to the library is voluntary. Library services are used if people feel they are useful or enjoyable. As it is expressed in the Library Act, libraries aim to promote equal opportunities for the personal cultivation of citizens. Available resources, the size of the budget or project financing and sufficiency of staff, as well as creative thinking and enthusiasm for the issue, influence how diversely services can be developed. Thorough knowledge of one’s own district aids in understanding the real needs and assists in tailor-designing practical services. The library offers an opportunity – the rest is up to the patron.

Barbro Wigell-Ryynänen Counsellor for Library Affairs Ministry of Education and Culture Finland

barbro.wigell-ryynanen AT minedu.fi

Translated by Turun Täyskäännös Editorial

Barbro Wigell-Ryynänen

Barbro Wigell-Ryynänen

Counsellor for Library Affairs Ministry of Education and Culture Finland

Counsellor for Library Affairs Ministry of Education and Culture Finland

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