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The new Helsinki City Main Library, a large, international public library, serving not only the over 500,000 people of Helsinki, but all of Finland and much of that part of the world with its extensive interlibrary loan activities, opened its doors to the public on December 22, 1986 - a Christmas present, you might say, to its citizens and a project which had been planned as early as the 1930's when the old Main Library, built in 1882, began to become too small for its growing collection and services. |
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Mr. Taskinen started his tour with the lower level, coming through a large,
rolling, metal gate where he and Mr. Napoli drove into the Library's subterranian
Bookmobile and staff garage. They procede through the library's large, compact
shelving areas and then went directly to the fourth floor and his
Administrative Offices. From there, after depositing Mr. Napoli's computer in
Mr. Taskinen's large modern office, the two of them then walked through
each of the the library's public areas, starting on the fourth floor with
its bright and airy skylights, and then proceded down to the third floor, where
the main entrance is located, and its beautiful fountain/atrium and its large u-shaped wood circulation desk.
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| Mr. Napoli was impressed with the size of the building, its open and inviting atmosphere and use of natural light, the variety of its materials (a popular materials library to the core!), and the large number of people visiting the building early on a Saturday morning. The number of periodical titles in many different languages was also very impressive. |
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Helsinki City Main Library Music Department |
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| Some of the other items which caught Mr. napoli's eye as innovative was the conveyor belt built into the top of the circulation/return desk that moved returned materials quietly and efficiently to the back room where they were immediately sorted and placed on book carts for re-shelving in various areas of the collection. The libary also had the most attractive, functional stack lighting throughout the building that Mr. Napoli had ever seen in a public library. |
Music Service Desk |
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with Adult Department in background |
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After this tour, Mr. Napoli worked on his e-mail in Mr. Taskinen's office,
using the library's Internet connection. They then both left the library for
lunch in downtown Helsinki and a short tour of the city.
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Created 3/8/96; Last Modified 3/22/96