Helsinki University Library

Helsinki University Library operates in all four campuses:

• City Centre: Main Library at Kaisa House , Fabianinkatu 30
• Kumpula: Kumpula Campus Library, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2
• Meilahti: Meilahti Campus Library Terkko, Haartmaninkatu 4
• Viikki: Viikki Campus Library, Viikinkaari 11 a. Closed until further notice due to drying and repair work caused by water damage.  

In addition, the City Centre Campus has a learning centre:

• Learning Centre Aleksandria, Fabianinkatu 28.

Check the locations of the libraries on the map.

The libraries are mostly accessible.

Check the library's opening hours from the University of Helsinki web site.

At the Helsinki University Library, you can borrow materials using either a physical or a digital library card. 

You can obtain a Helka card digitally through the Studies Service. The Helka card is ready to use immediately, and you do not need a physical library card at all. If you prefer, you can also pick up a traditional card at the library’s customer service desk. You only need a Helka card to borrow printed materials. 

You can find more detailed instructions on how to get a Helka card on the library’s website. 

The Helka card also works at Helka libraries outside the university (Institute for the Languages of Finland, The Finnish Heritage Agency Library, Finnish Literature Society and Library of the Labour Movement). To borrow items from the National Library’s collections, you’ll need a separate National Library card. 

Helka 

In Helka, you can search for printed and e-books and check their location and availability. 

You can reserve books, renew loans, and pay late fees by logging in to your account in Helka. 

Do not update your contact information in Helka, as the contact information is automatically updated from Sisu. If your contact information changes, just make sure that it's up-to-date in Sisu. For more information, see page Updating your personal information and contact details. 

Please note that for students at the University of Helsinki, Helka messages are always sent to a helsinki.fi email address. 

Loan periods at Helsinki University Library are as follows:  

• Textbooks: 14 days 

• Short-term loans of textbooks: 2 days 

• Other than textbooks: 28 days 

• Academic journals: No home loans 

The library charges a late fee for overdue items in line with the current price list. 

You can return items borrowed from the university library to any campus library. You cannot return items from other Helka libraries or the National Library to the university library. 

For more information on borrowing, renewing, and returning books, please visit the library’s website. 

Reserving Books 

You can make a reservation for material that is currently on loan or available at the library. Short-term loans cannot be reserved. Reservations are free of charge, but a €3 fee will be charged for any reservation that is not picked up. 

If you no longer need the material you reserved, cancel the reservation in your account settings in Helka. 

Pick up and check out your reservation yourself from the reservation shelf. You can only check out reserved material using the card you used to make the reservation. 

How to make a reservation 

The Helsinki University Library has acquired rights to a wide collection of electronic books, journals and databases. More detailed instructions on the use of e-books can be found in the library's e-book guide. Electronic journals and books are available for use in the University of Helsinki’s eduroam or HelsinkiUni Guest online network. The students of the University of Helsinki also have an option to use the electronic materials with remote access. To use remote access you need a permit to use the University of Helsinki network.

Detailed instructions for remote access through Helka

You can get started on information retrieval with the help of Helka database. 

In Helka, you may search electronic and printed books, journals, articles and databases acquired for the Helka libraries.

Not all the material that the University library has acquired for students shows in the Helka database. You can search for your own discipline’s central databases in ResearchGuides that collects library’s information sources and services from the viewpoint of each research field. 

You can revise the basics of  information seeking from the Student’s Digital Skills web materials. 

Do you need sources for your thesis?

You can extend your knowledge with the library’s online course for information seeking and management.

You can also learn information retrieval at on-campus courses organized by the library. Training is offered for increasing the efficiency of information retrieval for your thesis, as well as supporting the use of reference management programs.

See the library course selection.

Guidance on Information Seeking

The library also offers guidance on information seeking. You will get more out of the counselling if you have familiarised yourself with information seeking in advance by taking the Library’s online course or contact teaching on the topic.

Diverse learners

Do you need help in using the library’s premises and collections due to a disability or a learning difficulty? Contact the library’s customer service and agree on individual arrangements.

The Helsinki University Library sites have various working spaces: group study facilities, computer rooms, and reading areas for independent working in silence.   

All the campus libraries have group study facilities. Group study facilities can be reserved with the university user account in the Outlook365 calendar or with the Spacent app.  
Please be considerate towards other customers and follow the library rules. 

Mobile storage units for storing material for thesis work

Students of the University of Helsinki can borrow a mobile storage unit for storing material needed in their research or thesis work. The storage trolleys make it easy to store and move working materials around the library facilities. The storage units can be found in all library locations. Read more about the mobile storage units on the library's website.

Printing, copying and scanning

The multifunction printers can be used with the University of Helsinki user account for copying, scanning and printing. Instructions on using the multifunction printers can be found on the Helsinki University Library website.

The customer service staff at every Helsinki University Library site are happy to help with any arising questions concerning the use of the library.  

The service phone numbers work in all the library sites during the customer service opening hours.  

If you have any questions or you would like to give feedback on the library services you can also contact us with the chat window found on the web site or with a feedback form.