Alternative study spaces for independent and group work in City Centre Campus and its surrounding areas.
The library facilities are divided into zones and colour-coded to indicate whether they are silent areas, working spaces or recreational facilities.
All library locations provide plenty of reading and working space for all customers. In the library, you will find spaces for working both while seated and standing up. In addition to the traditional reading spaces equipped with only a desk and a chair, the library provides a variety of spaces with armchairs and couches for a more relaxed reading position.
Reading and working areas are marked with orange signs.
Please note that some of the reading spaces are intended to be used exclusively by University of Helsinki students, researchers and staff. These spaces are marked with signs.
Silent areas in the library facilities and Learning Centres are marked with red and they are reserved for quiet work. The workspaces in the silent areas are mostly equipped only with a desk and a chair.
Please note that some of the silent reading spaces are intended to be used exclusively by University of Helsinki students, researchers and staff. These spaces are marked with signs.
Use of laptops is allowed in silent areas.
An accessible work room (6042) is available on the sixth floor of Kaisa House.
In addition, on the second floor of the library there are several height-adjustable desks. Some of the desks are equipped with either a fixed computer or a docking screen.
The library has designated call areas and phone booths which are meant for making calls.
Do not take up a call area as a personal reading or study space, since there are a limited number of call areas.
If a call area is not available or you cannot find one, please make your call somewhere to the side, so you do not disturb others.
It is allowed to participate in remote lectures in the Kaisa House's call areas.
Some of the desks in the library’s general working areas are fitted with computers. In addition, the library locations also have dedicated computer rooms. Similarly to the reading areas, computer desks and rooms are marked as the orange zone.
All computers in the library facilities require logging in using a University of Helsinki user account, that is, they are meant to be used only by the University's students and staff. You are required to observe the IT Centre terms of use when using the computers. In case of IT-related problems, please contact the IT Centre Helpdesk.
The ID Point service operates at the customer service desk of every library location, providing members of the University community with access to Helpdesk services which require personal identification by phone.
The IT Center’s Laptop Lender will serve university degree students and staff on the entrance floor of the Viikki Info Centre. Get a Lenovo laptop to use for four hours at a time from the Laptop Lender machine.
The software on the laptops corresponds with the current IT station desktop computers.
To borrow a laptop you will need an identification card, such as a printing card, HSL card or a university employee ID card. In addition, you will need your university username and a mobile phone.
You can find the Laptop Lender user instructions on the touchscreen of the lending machine.
If you do not have a University of Helsinki user account, you can use HelsinkiUni Guest network to access e-resources with your own devide. The password of the HelsinkiUni Guest network is uniguest.
Members of the University community can use the Eduroam network.
The library provides terminals for use by all customers.
You can use the library terminals to browse the Helka database, read the licensed electronic materials acquired by the library, log in to your Helka user profile as well as search and read the digitally stored theses of the University of Helsinki.
The library terminals also provide you with access to customer functions in the Helka database, such as saving your searches and favourites as well as saving and forwarding references to your own email address.
Please note that the library terminals do not provide regular access to the internet and you will not be able to work on your own files using them.
University of Helsinki students and staff can use the terminals to log in to their personal user accounts with their University IDs.
In the Kaisa House, microfilm reader is located on the fourth floor in room 4044. Lense for microfilm reader is available for loan from the customer service desk on the 3rd floor.
Customers from outside the University of Helsinki can book a microfilm reader from the Kaisa House customer service or via email at library@helsinki.fi.
Students and staff of the University of Helsinki can book the equipment in the special work rooms through the University’s Office365 calendar.
Name of the device in the Office365 calendar:
Helsinki University Library has multifunction printers for customer use. University community uses multifunction printers with a personal ID card. The library staff will be happy to help you if you have any problems with using the printers. Due to the renewal of printing service, libraries will have two different printing systems available to university students and staff in use simultaneously during the autumn term of 2024. Printing without university user credentials is currently not possible due to the introduction of the new printing system.
The multifunction printers can be used with a personal ID card and the University of Helsinki user account for copying, scanning and printing. When using a multifunction printer for the first time, you will need to register an ID card (for example, an HSL travel card) using your own University username and password.
The library’s recreational facilities are marked with green and they are meant to be used for taking a break, and informal working and talking.
Here eating is allowed, but please keep the facilities tidy and clean up after yourself.
Please make phone calls in the designated phone areas or somewhere to the side, so you do not disturb others.
A more extensive recreational area is located on the entrance floor (third floor) at the back corner of the Kaisaniemenkatu street side of the building. The area also includes a separate break room for students for 6-8 people, which is equipped with a microwave oven and electric kettle.
On the seventh floor, at the Fabianinkatu street side of the building, provides access to Kaisa House’s wonderful rooftop terrace which is open from spring to autumn.
You can use the space for calm contemplation, prayer or meditation. The room is open during the opening hours of the building. It is freely available to all members of the university community and requires no separate booking.
On the City Centre Campus, you can visit Fabianinkatu 30, room 4058 on the fourth floor of Kaisa House.
There are cafeterias handily located near library locations on all campuses. For cafeteria opening hours and contact details please see the UniCafe website.
Instructions for use of the premises are summarised in the library rules. You will find other rules, such as the rights and responsibilities of the customer and the library, in the Helsinki University Library Terms of Use.
The library’s reading and study areas are general purpose areas, marked as the orange zone. In the orange zone, talking quietly is allowed, and this is the generally appropriate voice level for the library.
Please note that some of the reading spaces are intended to be used exclusively by University of Helsinki students, researchers and staff. These spaces are marked with signs.
Do not leave personal property unattended and watch out for thieves. Also make sure your bag or other belongings do not take over the spaces near you, preferably keeping them in the lockers.
When using a reading space, you may leave for a short period, but no longer than 30 minutes. Leave a note indicating the time of departure, but please remember that a note alone is not sufficient to reserve the space. If you are away for more than half an hour, another customer is authorised to take your place and put your belongings aside – they do not need to ask the library staff to do so. The library is not responsible for things you leave behind at the reading space.
Please make phone calls in the designated phone areas or somewhere to the side, so you do not disturb others.
Keep the rooms tidy and clean up after yourself. Please eat your packed lunch in the recreational facilities.
Some of the desks in the library’s general working areas are fitted with computers. Similarly to the reading areas, computer desks and rooms are marked as the orange zone where talking quietly is allowed.
All computers in the library customer facilities require logging with a University of Helsinki user account, that is, they are meant to be used only by the University's students and staff. You are required to observe the IT Centre terms of use when using the computers.
Do not leave personal property unattended and watch out for thieves. Also make sure your bag and other belongings do not take over the spaces near you, preferably keeping them in the lockers.
When using a computer desk, you may leave for a short period, but no longer than 30 minutes. Leave a note indicating the time of departure, but please remember that a note alone is not sufficient to reserve the space. If you are away for more than half an hour, another customer is authorised to take your place and put your belongings aside – they do not need to ask the library staff to do so. The library is not responsible for things you leave behind at the computer desk.
Please make phone calls in the designated phone areas or somewhere to the side, so you do not disturb others.
Keep the computer desks and rooms tidy and clean up after yourself. Please eat your packed lunch in the recreational facilities.
Silent areas are marked with red and they are reserved for quiet work.
Please keep all your devices in silent mode and work quietly. Be considerate and let others work in peace.
Please note that some of the silent areas are intended to be used exclusively by University of Helsinki students, researchers and staff. These spaces are marked with signs.
The small silent reading room on the second floor of Kaisa House is reserved for work without laptops, but in other silent areas the use of laptops is allowed.
Do not leave personal property unattended and watch out for thieves. Also make sure your bag or other belongings do not take over the spaces near you, preferably keeping them in the lockers.
When using a reading space, you may leave for a short period, but no longer than 30 minutes. Leave a note indicating the time of departure, but please remember that a note alone is not sufficient to reserve the space. If you are away for more than half an hour, another customer is authorised to take your place and put your belongings aside – they do not need to ask the library staff to do so. The library is not responsible for things you leave behind at the reading space.
Keep the silent areas tidy and clean up after yourself. Please eat your packed lunch in the recreational facilities. Please make phone calls in the designated phone areas or somewhere to the side, so you do not disturb others.