OUR BLOG

Hi, guys!

Last Friday we had class in the Metso Library, one of the fourteen public libraries in Tampere (there are 2 more that are bus libraries).

Well, I had been there before in a company of some friends and one of them is a Brazilian librarian. I was very impressed by the building architecture, the reading areas, the collection, including board games and movies, the kids area, the music section... and, the most impressive thing was the amount of people - kids and adults - who were there. I wasn't alone in this feeling, my librarian friend was very amazed too.

During the class, however, I was surprised again! The Metso librarians who received us with coffee and pulla, explained how the Finnish libraries are thought as a place of knowledge for everyone and maintained with public money (in avarage 60 euros from each citizen taxes go to the libraries).

The libraries are the place where Finns usually go to spend time. For example, Dany told us on her post that lots of kids were at Metso on a Saturday! 😀 Another one, is that we came earlier our class in Metso and could see a line forming in the front door waiting for the opening. The libraries are so comfortable and cozy that seems they are always crowded. 

The Metso's librarians showed us some of the activies that they do there, like: book talk, interviews, concerts, dog reading (kids can read books for dogs 😍), and the most interesting to me: teddy bear night! In this one, the kids let their teddy bears in the evening and come back the next morning to listen to the adventures their furry friends went and see the photos! 😉

The library users can also book the music cabins to record music or podcast (there are instruments and computer in the cabins), use the regulars ou 3D printers, and sew in the sewing machines. These things are free and there are tutors to help you with the machines (in case of the sewing machine and 3D printer you have to pay for the inputs). Very nice, isn't it?



After the class I went to Helsinki and visited the Oodi Library on Saturday. I had the same feeling: gourgeous building architecture, comfortable spaces, lots of people there, lab maker... and there was an exhibition of the Solar System in VR called Space Walk (made by Aalto University researchers)!



Acordding to the site finland.fi  40% of the population is assiduos library user! Maybe the public libraries have something to do with it!