Library services
Turku University Library
At the university library, the student card issued by the Student Union is used as the library card for borrowing and reserving material. In case you do not have a student card, you can get a library card.
Most of the university library services are free except for interlibrary loans, which includes certain book orders and information retrieval. If books are not returned by the due date, a fine will be charged. The borrowing rights may also be restricted if the borrowed books are not returned in due time and the customer leaves the fines unpaid. Check the terms and conditions for loans of each library you borrow books from!
Most items (especially those acquired after 1979) are listed on the computerised catalogue, VOLTER. Most of the items listed in the on-line catalogues can be requested/reserved only via the network. The books that are prescribed for any course should be available at the Course Book Library (kurssikirjasto), and there should be several copies of each book. Instructions on how to use the services and other facilities are available to new users. You can ask the library staff to get you started. Special library tours for new users are organised during semesters, especially at the beginning of the semesters. Information will be available during the Orientation Week.
The Library of the University of Turku comprises the Main Library and five Faculty Libraries.
The Main Library is located on the University Square. The Main Library is open to everybody pursuing studies or research. The collections of the Main Library may be borrowed or used in the reading room of the Library. Inter library loan services are also available. There is a variety of foreign magazines and newspapers available in the main library’s periodicals reading room.
The Faculty Libraries are split up into sections, situated in the various department buildings. The collections of the Faculty Libraries may generally be used only in the reading rooms, with some exceptions to the libraries from which books can also be borrowed.
The Course Book Library. The course book collection comprises books assigned as literature to specific courses. Books can be borrowed for 14 days. The library also has one copy of each book for reading room use.
Other libraries in Turku
The two other universities in Turku (Åbo Akademi University and Turku School of Economics and Business Administration) also have libraries which are open to all users.
Turku Public Library has a Main Library and twelve branch libraries around the city. Anyone may borrow books from the library free of charge. In order to obtain a library card, you have to fill in an application and present proof of identity. If books and other material are not returned by the due date, overdue fees are charged. This fee is charged every week after the due date, until you return the borrowed material. The rate of the overdue fine goes up every week as the weeks pass by.
It is also possible to borrow video tapes, CD’s, cassettes and CD-ROMs from the public libraries. All the basic information about the material is computerised and can be searched for in Finnish, Swedish or English.
The Main Public Library is situated at Linnankatu 2. It consists of a lending library and a reference library.