Developing student facilities and services
During 2024, the Library carried out a number of reforms to increase students' opportunities to use Library facilities and services. The Library continued to apply proven practices for interacting with students and piloted new events that strengthen the sense of community in many ways.
As usual, the Library was present at several events organised by the University in 2024: the Opening Carnival, the Welcome Fair, and the well-being fair. This time, a delightful storytime was offered at the latter. On May Day Eve, the Library staff joined the cheerful students on the sunny University hill, offering mead and lollipops in the hope of meeting customers and receiving more responses to the Library's customer satisfaction survey.
The orientation of new students to Library services and use was strengthened in 2024, with a particular focus on supporting international students through both online resources and Library tours.
New study space impressed
In March 2024, students got a much-needed study space when the bottom floor of Turku School of Economics Library was remodelled and opened as a study space. The storage room was given new life by opening a doorway in the wall and refreshing the space with surface-level renovations. Functional and comfortable furniture was created by skilled professionals using recycled furniture from other University facilities.
The space was named Holvi (Finnish for vault). It became, despite its name, a fresh and bright space where groups of students gathered as soon as the doors opened. Holvi also accommodated a few requested remote lecture points, where students can attend online lectures between in-person classes.
All libraries on Turku campus offer a variety of working spaces, from group study rooms to completely quiet spaces, and are freely available to all library users. The customer satisfaction survey organised in 2024 received many comments about the types of study facilities needed and how they could be improved in the future – so development continues!
Efficient use of facilities by extending self-service hours
A significant change was made to the opening hours of the libraries in autumn 2024, when almost all libraries on the Turku campus were opened for self-service use for the University's students and staff from morning to evening, including weekends.
Both students and the Library have long hoped for the Library's facilities to be available for self-service use. Now, after careful planning and a successful pilot, this has become a reality. Slowly, the new practices are becoming familiar and more and more students are finding that there is no need to interrupt studying when the library doors close.
From students to students
In previous years, students may have come across escape room–style introductions to the Library or puzzle activities displayed in Library units. In 2024, the game theme was strengthened by piloting monthly game nights, organised in collaboration with student organisations. Students from a wide range of disciplines have joined these events, and there has been company for everyone.
In addition to the game nights, the Library organised a visit by a writer on the topics of migration and the history of Finnish war children in collaboration with the Migration Institute of Finland and students from Turku University of Applied Sciences. Library and information science students organised the event and created a great atmosphere in the Arcanum Library. The event featured interesting discussions and touching stories.
Students in the field intern at the Library every year, and the Library is often happy to continue the cooperation after the internship – by offering summer or evening jobs, thesis assignments, or projects related to library and information science.
