From the beginning of February 1995 the Helsinki City Library - Central Library for Public Libraries - was given a task by the Ministry of Education to act as a multilingual library in Finland. Helsinki City Library receives special state subsidy for the purpose.
Task
The aim of the Multilingual Library is to enhance library services for foreigners, to establish connections with domestic and international organisations, to provide information and guidance, as well as to purchase materials in rare languages for the interlibrary use for the ethnic minorities in Finland.
Municipalities are still in the main responsible for providing library services for the foreigners in their respective communities. The more detailed aims - within the budgetary limits - of the Multilingual library are agreed upon annually in discussions between the Ministry of Education and the Helsinki City Library.
(Minedu 12.1.1995, 27/650/94)
Acquisitions
Multilingual Library purchases materials in the so-called rare languages for nationwide use. Multilingual library does not purchase materials in the Nordic languages or in the so-called major European languages such as English, French, German, Italian, Estonian, Russian and Spanish. Both the Helsinki Library collection and the materials purchased by the Multilingual Library are available nationwide. Helsinki City Library has books in sixty different languages.
Municipal libraries purchase materials also in rare languages according to local population statistics. Especially the acquisition of newspapers and periodicals are considered to be the responsibility of the local libraries. Multilingual library supports this activity nationwide.
Collection
Multilingual library collection is situated in different departments of the Helsinki City main library together with those materials purchased with the library’s own money. The collection contains mainly books in c. 60 languages. The main library’s address is: Rautatieläisenkatu 8, main entrance Kellosilta 9. You can print lists of books and other materials from the following web-address: www.helmet.fi
Click the keyword-link. Type two asterisks ** and choose the language and the type of material from the dropdown menus.
Borrowing
Those living in the Helsinki metropolitan area normally acquire their own library cards and borrow directly from the Helsinki City main library.
Interlibrary services
You can ask your local library to make interlibrary requests by title and subject. Small selections can be sent for a 3- to 6-month loan period. Interlibrary requests are made to the Interlibrary Loans department.
Although it is not the responsibility of the Multilingual Library to purchase materials in other Nordic languages nor in the so-called major European languages, the library does send individual loans to other libraries around the country through the interlibrary department.
Info Bank
The pages of Info Bank contain important basic information for immigrants on the functioning of society and opportunities in Finland: www.infopankki.fi
Demographic statistics
Information on the number of foreigners and different languages spoken in Finland: http://www.stat.fi/index_en.html (route: Products and services -> Statistical databases -> Free of charge -> To the service -> Population -> Population Structure -> Language according to age and gender by region 1990- 2007).
International co-operation
Multilingual Library works in unison with the corresponding Nordic multilingual libraries.
Norway:
Oslo Public Library, The Multilingual Library
http://www.dfb.deichman.no/
Sweden:
International Library, Stockholm
www.interbib.se
Denmark:
Indvandrerbibliotek i Danmark
Information for Ethnic Minorities in Denmark
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions