The National Library of Finland ( fi, Kansalliskirjasto, sv, Nationalbiblioteket) is the foremost

research library A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects.(Young, 1983; p. 188) A research library will generally include an in-depth selection of materials on a particular topic or set of to ...

in Finland. Administratively the library is part of the

University of Helsinki The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the ...

. From 1919 to 1 August 2006, it was known as the Helsinki University Library (). The National Library is responsible for storing the Finnish cultural heritage. By

Finnish law The law of Finland is based on the civil law tradition, consisting mostly of statutory law promulgated by the Parliament of Finland. The constitution of Finland, originally approved in 1919 and rewritten in 2000, has supreme authority and sets the ...

, the National Library is a

legal deposit Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The number of copies required varies from country to country. Typically, the national library is the primary reposit ...

library and receives copies of all printed matter, as well as audiovisual materials excepting films, produced in Finland or for distribution in Finland. These copies are then distributed by the Library to its own national collection and to reserve collections of five other university libraries. Also, the National Library has the obligation to collect and preserve materials published on the Internet to its web archive . The library also maintains the online public access catalog . Any person who lives in Finland may register as a user of the National Library and borrow library material. The publications in the national collection, however, are not loaned outside the library. The library also is home to one of the most comprehensive collections of books published in the Russian Empire of any library in the world. The National Library is located in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

, close to the ''

Senaatintori The Senate Square ( fi, Senaatintori, sv, Senatstorget) presents Carl Ludvig Engel's architecture as a unique allegory of political, religious, scientific and commercial powers in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. Senate Square and its surrounding ...

'' square. The oldest part of the library complex, designed by

Carl Ludvig Engel Carl Ludvig Engel, or Johann Carl Ludwig Engel (3 July 1778 – 14 May 1840), was a German architect whose most noted work can be found in Helsinki, which he helped rebuild. His works include most of the buildings around the capital's monumental ...

, dates back to 1844. The newer extension ''Rotunda'', designed by architect

Gustaf Nyström Gustaf Nyström (21 January 1856 – 30 December 1917) was a Finnish architect. Nyström has been described as one of the most important architects in Finland at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was active bot ...

, was completed in 1906. The bulk of the collection is, nonetheless, stored in ''Kirjaluola'' (Finnish for “book cave”), a underground bunker drilled into solid rock, below the library.Keskustakampuksen kirjastojen kehittämissuunnitelma 1998–2005
. University of Helsinki. Retrieved 2007-10-24.

References

External links

*
Agent Metadata Service
of the National Library of Finland

Databases and public services

Finna - nationawide search engine
a
finna.fi

Digi - digitized newspapers and publications

Finto - thesaurus and ontology service
a
finto.fi

The National Library collections database

Fennica - The Finnish National Bibliography

Viola – the Finnish national discography

KANTO – National Agent Data
is a data repository and the national

authority file In information science, authority control is a process that organizes information, for example in library catalogs, by using a single, distinct spelling of a name (heading) or a numeric identifier for each topic. The word ''authority'' in ''au ...

for persons and corporate bodies in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. Kanto is maintained by the Agent Metadata Service of the National Library. The id on th
LOC source list
for the Kanto database is finaf. All agents have a permanent identifier in the http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:au:finaf: namespace. Kanto replaces the earlier Finnish Corporate Names database. Read more in th
Information package on Kanto - National Agent Data
Browse agents
KANTO in the Finto.fi service
{{coord, 60, 10, 13, N, 24, 57, 01, E, display=title, region:FI-ES_type:landmark_source:fiwiki 1640 establishments in Sweden Carl Ludvig Engel buildings Culture in Helsinki Government of Finland

University of Helsinki Tourist attractions in Helsinki Buildings and structures in Helsinki Deposit libraries Libraries in Finland Library buildings completed in 1844

See also

References

External links

Databases and public services