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From the beginning of February 1995 the Helsinki City Library
- Central Library for Public Libraries - was given a task
by the Ministry of Education to act as a multilingual library
in Finland. Helsinki City Library receives special state
subsidy for the purpose.
The aim of the Central Multilingual Library Service is
to enhance library services for foreigners, to establish
connections with domestic and international organisations,
to provide information and guidance, as well as to purchase
materials in rare languages for the interlibrary use for
the ethnic minorities in Finland.
Municipalities are still in the main responsible for providing
library
services for the foreigners in their respective communities.
The more detailed aims - within the budgetary limits -
of the Multilingual library are agreed upon annually in
discussions between the Ministry of Education and the Helsinki
City Library.
(Minedu 12.1.1995, 27/650/94)
The Central Multilingual Library Service purchases
materials in the
so-called rare languages for nationwide use. Multilingual
library does not purchase materials in the Nordic languages
or in the so-called major European languages such as English,
French, German, Italian, Estonian, Russian and Spanish.
Both the Helsinki Library collection and the materials purchased
by the Central Multilingual Library Service are available
nationwide. Helsinki City Library has books in sixty different
languages.
Municipal libraries purchase materials also in rare languages
according to local population statistics. Especially the
acquisition of newspapers and periodicals are considered
to be the responsibility of the local libraries. Multilingual
library supports this activity nationwide.
Bookstores on Internet
Multilingual library collection is situated in different
departments of
the Helsinki
City main library together with those materials purchased
with the library.s own money. The collection contains mainly
books in c. 60 languages. The overall collectionstatistics
of both the Multilingual library and the Helsinki City Library
can be found under the heading kirjat kielittäin, (books
by language).
You can print lists of books and other materials from the
following
address: http://www.helmet.fi/screens/opacmenu.html
Click the keyword-link. Type two asterisks ** and choose
the language and the type of material from the dropdown
menus.
Those living in the Helsinki metropolitan area normally
acquire their own library cards and borrow directly from
the Helsinki City main library.
You can ask your local library to make interlibrary requests
by title and subject. Small selections can be sent for a
3- to 6-month loan
period. Interlibrary requests are made to the Interlibrary
Loans
department.
Although it is not the responsibility of the Multilingual
library to
purchase materials in other Nordic languages nor in the
so-called major European languages, the library does send
individual loans to other libraries around the country through
the interlibrary department.
Brochures
The brochure .Public Library . gateway to knowledge. explains
the
operational principles of the public libraries in Finland.
The brochure can be freely copied and disseminated. It is
available in following 14 languages:
The brochure is also available in simplified language three
languages:
Introduction to the operations of the Helsinki City library
is available in 15 languages:
Library
Brochures of Helsinki City Library in 15 languages
UNESCO Public Library Manifesto is the international manifest
of public libraries which IFLA, International Federation
of Library Associations and Institutions has published in
20 languages:
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s8/unesco/manif.htm
Web-publication
Helsinki City Library's web-publication
MCL - Multicultural Library,
provides services for foreigners living in Finland.
Demographic statistics
Information on the number of foreigners and different languages
spoken in Finland can be found under the heading 'Väestö
kielen mukaan lääneittäin ja suuralueittain'
from the following address: http://statfin.stat.fi
The Central Multilingual Library Service works in unison
with the
corresponding Nordic multilingual libraries. In addition
to national
libraries responsible for multicultural services, Århus
city library in
Denmark has invested considerably on multicultural library
work.
Norway:
Oslo Public Library, The Multilingual Library
Det
flerspråklige bibliotek vid Deichmanske bibliotek
Sweden:
International Library, Stockholm
Internationella
Biblioteket vid Stockholms stadsbibliotek
Denmark:
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
http://www.ifla.org/
Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s32/slsmp.htm
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