Opening hours of reading rooms from 1 January to 31 July 2025 

The National Archives continues to develop its digital customer service.

The opening hours of the National Archives of Finland’s reading rooms have been confirmed for the period from 1 January to 31 July 2025.

The opening hours have been adjusted based on the number of visitors and materials ordered to reading rooms. The changes also address available personnel resources, which we are increasingly directing towards digital customer service. 

During the last twenty years, customer visits to our reading rooms have dropped by more than 80%. Of all our customers, 97% only use electronic services.

This year, we have developed our customer service to be more accessible. 

In the summer of 2024, we introduced a chat service, in which our specialists respond to customer questions from Monday to Thursday between 1 pm and 4 pm. There have already been more than 800 queries. 

Introduced in the autumn, the reading room telephone service has served roughly 200 customers per month.

Digital delivery underway, Astia evolving

In Hämeenlinna, we digitise all materials ordered to reading rooms and borrowed to other locations in the Astia e-service.

The digital delivery pilot project will continue until 31 March 2025 – we will decide on the provision of reading room services after this date and on a possible extension to digital deliveries by the end of March.

The usability of the Astia e-service will improve at the beginning of next year when we will update the service’s user interface and search function.

How the opening hours of reading rooms will change from 2 January

As part of the development of services, we will end the self-service and security guard trial in our locations in Jyväskylä and Turku.

The opening hours of reading rooms will change as follows:

• Reading rooms in Joensuu and Turku will no longer be open on Friday
• Reading rooms in Jyväskylä will no longer be open on Wednesday and Thursday

 In Helsinki, Mikkeli, Oulu and Vaasa, opening hours will remain the same as in 2024. 
In July, all reading rooms of the National Archives will be closed from 1 to 31 July 2025. In addition, interlibrary loans will not be delivered between 1 June and 31 July 2025.

Changes in opening hours are possible in irregular situations, including service concept trials and changes in service concepts.

More information

Maria Kallio-Hirvonen

Head of unit, User Experience
[email protected]

Susanna Taipale

Senior Research Officer, User Experience
[email protected]