Finland's public libraries are lending far more than novels and textbooks.The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said in a report that Finland's libraries are increasingly being valued not by how many books they lend, but how they help societies function. According to a report published by the BBC in June 2026, Finland has more than 700 libraries for a population of 5.6 million, offering everything from podcast studios and 3D printing to tennis rackets and swimming pool passes.
Katri Vanttinen, director of library services for the whole of the Finnish capital noted that the most borrowed items after books in Helsinki are free, pre-bookable rooms for study, meetings, music practice, and political discussions. Among portable items, board games and console games top the borrowing list.
According to a government report cited by BBC, 55 per cent of Finns visit libraries at least once a month. The Ministry of Culture and Education data highlighted that Finns use the library 9.1 times a year.
According to the BBC, Oodi, voted the world's best newly built library in 2019, is thriving - a striking contrast to the situation in many other countries where public libraries are slowly disappearing.
Between 2008 and 2019, 766 public libraries closed across the United States, while in the United Kingdom, between 2016 and 2023, more than 180 council-run libraries were either closed or handed over to volunteer groups. Finland, instead, is expanding its libraries and transforming them into publicly funded community service centres where people can borrow much more than just books.
The city of Turku's official website noted that the libraries have hobby, sports, and assistive equipment available for loaning. Turku mentioned the following articles available for loan: bags, briefcase with equipment for digital content production, energy metres, board games, Nordic walking poles, reading support bags, litter grabber, circus equipment, skateboards, helmets, musical instruments, and more.
As per a magazine produced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and published by the Finland Promotion Board, check the list of items available for lending in Finnish libraries:
- Music and recording studios
- 3D printers
- Game rooms
- Reading dogs
- Knitting tools
The magazine also noted that some of the most renowned architectural landmarks in Finland are libraries. "Libraries are public spaces cherishing education, literacy and culture, some of the most valuable foundations of Finnish society," it said. The city libraries of Helsinki, Turku and Tampere are all must-visit places for architecture admirer, according to the ministry. However, there is award-winning architecture by leading Finnish architects in smaller cities and town as well.
According to Noora Hirvonen, professor of information studies at the University of Oulu, Libraries are the places where anyone can access knowledge, meet others and take part in public debate, regardless of income or background. Professors, unemployed, and homeless people all use the same library spaces, making libraries a key part of Finland's democratic infrastructure, Hirvonen asserted.
