Borrow, renew and return

You can borrow books with either a physical or digital library card. Items borrowed from the university library can be returned to any campus library.

Borrowing printed books

Check out books using the self-service lending machine. You can use either a physical or digital library card. In addition to your library card, you will need a four-digit PIN code to use the machine. You can find your digital card in your customer information in Helka, where you can also set or change your PIN code.

Loan periods for all materials are displayed in Helka. You are personally responsible for all materials borrowed on your library card, so please remember to check the loan periods from your account.

The collections also include theses and other materials not available for home loans.

Loan periods at Helsinki University Library are as follows:

Textbooks: 14 days
Short-term loans of textbooks: 2 days
Other than textbooks: 28 days
Academic journals: No home loans

Renewing loans

Renew your loans by logging into Helka. You can renew all your loans from Helka libraries at the same time.

A loan cannot be renewed if there are requests for the item or if your borrowing rights have been suspended.

The loan details show the longest permitted renewal period, i.e. the date until which the item can be renewed. When the renewal limit is reached, the books must be returned to the library.

Short-term loans of textbooks (2-day loan) cannot be renewed.

There is an overdue fine for loans returned late.

Returning loans

Use the check-in machine to return your borrowed materials.

You can return materials you have borrowed from Helsinki University Library to all the library sites. However, materials from other Helka libraries or the National Library of Finland cannot be returned to Helsinki University Library. Other Helka libraries are Institute for the Languages of Finland, Finnish Heritage Agency Library, Finnish Literature Society and Library of the Labour Movement

Drop boxes

Some of the Helsinki University Library locations have drop boxes where you can return books outside opening hours. The books will be registered as returned on the following working day.

At the Main Library in Kaisa House (Fabianinkatu 30), there is an overnight return machine on the left side of the main entrance. The machine can be operated with a library card.

For Kumpula Campus Library, the overnight return box is located to the right of the Physicum (Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2) main entrance, next to the grey side door.

You can only return books during the opening hours of Terkko Health Hub. The return box is located inside the lobby of the building, close to the main entrance (Haartmaninkatu 4) on the left. Loans are marked as returned no later than the next working day. Please note that on the campus library's premises on the 2nd floor of Terkko, you can return your loans with a check-in machine, and the loans will be registered as returned immediately.

Viikki Campus Library does not have a drop box. You can only return books during the library's opening hours.

Returns by post

You may also return a book at your own risk by post. The borrower is responsible for the book until it has been received by the library.

Use the library's PO Box number when sending books by post.

Helsinki University Library
Kaisa House
PO Box 53 (Fabianinkatu 30)
00014 University of Helsinki

Phone number: +358 50 4150491

Overdue fines, suspension of borrowing rights and dept collection

If you return or renew your loans late, you will be subject to overdue fines. Fines accrue for a maximum of 14 days, after which your borrowing rights will be suspended?

Overdue fines will start to accumulate on the day after the due date and can be seen in your account in Helka. You can pay the fines once you have renewed or returned the overdue books. Fines can be paid online at Helka or at the library's customer service desk.

The University of Helsinki staff are not charged overdue fines for research literature. However, the staff are still subject to overdue fines for textbooks.

Suspension of borrowing rights

Your borrowing rights will be suspended in all Helka libraries 14 days after the loan period has expired or if you have total unpaid fines of €15 or more.

Suspensions apply to all Helka libraries and prevent borrowing, reservation and renewal of loans.

Your borrowing rights will be reinstated once you have returned the material leading to the suspension and paid the fines.

Dept collection

Overdue loans will be handed over to a collection agency, when they are one month overdue. In that case the customer must pay

compensation for the lost material (minimum €80 per item)
the fines incurred and
the collection fees

You do not have to pay compensation if you return the book to the library. However, overdue fines and collection fees must be paid.

The library sends out a reminder (second overdue notice) and notifies about the collection before the matter is forwarded to a collection agency.

Students and staff of the University of Helsinki

By logging in to Helka, you’ll have access to all self-service functions. You can reserve books, renew your loans and, if necessary, pay fees related to your customer information.

Log in by selecting “University of Helsinki login”.
In your customer information you will find your loans, reservations and fees.
On the My Account tab, you can see your contact information and set the PIN you need to borrow books from the self check-out machines.
Do not update your contact information in Helka, as your address and other contact information will be automatically updated in Helka from the background systems of the university. Therefore, if your contact information changes, it is enough to notify the university's systems (eg. Sisu/Sap).

Other Helka users (no university user account)

Select “Login by Email” to log in.
1. If you have not registered your email address with the library, log in with Suomi.fi identification by selecting "Cannot login?".
Helka will send a link to your e-mail, which you can click to log in to Helka. The link is valid for a limited time.
In your customer information you will find your loans, reservations and fees.
On the My Account tab, you can check your contact information and set the PIN you need to borrow books from the self check-out machines. You can update the contact information from the link “Change”.
If you have problem with logging in, it may be because of an incorrect email address. Change the email address in your Helka customer information by logging in with Suomi.fi identification by selecting "Cannot login?". For more information:

If you do not provide the library with your email address

You do not receive due date reminders
You do not receive notification when the item you have reserved is ready for collection

Your customer data in Helka

Helka is the joint catalogue and lending system of all Helka libraries, that is, Helsinki University Library, Institute for the Languages of Finland, The Finnish Heritage Agency Library, Finnish Literature Society and Library of the Labour Movement.

By obtaining a library card, you commit to following the terms of use for all Helka libraries.

Doing so, your customer data will be entered into the Helka customer register.
You can view your customer data by logging in to your Helka profile.

The Helka customer register will send you only email reminders relating to services.

These include overdue notices, notices of reservations ready for collection and reminders of items due for return or renewal.

As a customer, you are responsible for keeping your user data up to date.

If you are a student or staff of the University of Helsinki, your address and contact information is automatically updated from the background systems of the University of Helsinki. So, please notify university services (eg Sisu) of any changes in your contact information.
Other customers (no university user account) are able to update their customer data in the Helka database.