How to visit temporary facilities 

Welcome to visit our temporary facilities! All visits to our temporary facilities require advance booking. 

Customer service facilities 

Helsinki – National Library of Finland (Unioninkatu 36) 

  • Reading room services in the special reading room – please note: to use the special reading room, you must have a National Library card. 
  • Public computers in Pohjoissali 

Vantaa – Collections and Conservation Centre (Kanervikkotie 4) 

  • Reading room services, public computers and microfilm readers 

  
Book a visit in advance 

  • All visits must be booked in advance using the booking form.  
  • If you wish to study materials in a reading room, place orders for the materials in Astia. After submitting your orders, you will find a link to the booking form in the Summary view of Astia’s order basket. 
  • If you wish to use a public computer or microfilm reader, you can access the booking form via the Feedback button on Astia’s homepage. Choose Astia service as the online service and Seat and equipment bookings in temporary facilities as the feedback topic.  
  • You will receive a booking confirmation with instructions by email. 

The booking will open for two months at a time as follows: 

  • Bookings for September and October: 20 August 
  • Bookings for November and December 15 October

Make a booking as early as possible – we recommend that you book no later than one week before your visit. 
  


Order materials before your visit 

  • Order materials in Astia 
  • You can order up to 6 archival units per visit 
  • The materials will be made available to you for the visit you booked 
  • If you order access restricted material, please bring a photo ID.  

Please note: 

  • You must return the material after your visit unless you have another booking for the same week. 
  • The use of map and drawing materials requires an access right while the temporary facilities are in use. Our temporary facilities are not suitable for handling large materials, and their transportation involves significant material security risks. If you order maps or drawings, we will always send you an access right application to be submitted. An access right is granted if there are grounds for using the material while the temporary facilities are in use, and the material can be processed securely. Map and drawing materials will be returned for use in the reading room once the renovation is completed.    
  • The analogue map materials of the Reform Archive of the National Board of Survey are completely unavailable during the renovation period, meaning they cannot be ordered to the research room. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

  
Availability of materials 

The materials are stored in five storehouse facilities in Helsinki and Vantaa. You can find the location of each material here: https://kansallisarkisto.fi/arkistopalvelut/tutki-aineistoja/rauhankadun-peruskorjaus/aineistojen-vaistonaikaiset-sailytyspaikat (listing is only in Finnish).

Materials stored in different storehouse facilities are available as follows: 

  • Topelia: materials can be used in the special reading room, and deliveries are made on all open days 
  • Siltavuori: materials can be used in the special reading room, and deliveries are made every two weeks (odd weeks) 
  • Sturenkatu: materials can be used in the special reading room, and deliveries are made every two weeks (even weeks) 
  • Rauhankatu: information services related to materials are primarily provided through the information request services; you can order copies of the materials. ​​​​​​​You can also access Rauhankatu materials for use in the reading room if your information needs cannot be met by ordering copies. Our staff will place the orders on your behalf. If you need Rauhankatu materials for use in the reading room, please contact our customer service via the “Feedback” button found in Astia. Select “My (completed) orders” as the subject of your feedback.
  • Vantaa: public materials can be used in the Vantaa reading room on all open days, and access restricted materials can only be used on Tuesdays. 

This affects the dates on which bookings can be made. 

PLEASE NOTE: Not all the new shelf locations of the materials transferred from Rauhankatu to the temporary facilities have been entered in the systems as yet, and Astia may therefore indicate that the material is not yet available for order. In this case, the order button cannot be pressed, and Astia indicates that the material is in remote storage. New shelf locations are continuously entered in the systems, and as the work progresses, materials stored in the temporary facilities will become normally available to order in Astia. If you need access materials urgently, our staff can place orders on your behalf. Please contact us via Astia feedback. You can access the feedback form via the Feedback button on Astia’s homepage or at the top of our website. 

Facilities and equipment 

Helsinki 

  • 10 seats in the special reading room can be booked for the whole day (from 10 am to 5 pm) or for half a day (from 10 am to 1 pm or from 1 pm to 5 pm) 
  • 4 public computers can be booked from 1 hour up to the whole day (between 9 am and 6 pm) 
  • Check our current opening hours and arrival instructions here: https://kansallisarkisto.fi/en/helsinki-en  

  
Vantaa 

  • 8 seats can be booked for the whole day (from 9 am to 4 pm) or for half a day (from 9 am to 12 pm or from 12 pm to 4 pm) 
  • 2 public computers can be booked from 1 hour up to the whole day (between 9 am and 4 pm) 
  • 2 microfilm readers can be booked from one hour up to the whole day (between 9 am and 4 pm) 
  • Check our current opening hours and arrival instructions here: https://kansallisarkisto.fi/en/helsinki-en
PLEASE NOTE: A National Archives customer service representative is on site on Tuesdays. Guidance and advice on the use of materials is available on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Vantaa facilities can be used on a self-service basis, and a Finnish Heritage Agency customer service representative is present. 

Access restricted materials can only be used on Tuesdays. 

Number of bookings 

Within a four-week period, you can book up to: 

  • 8 reading room seats 
  • 8 public computer sessions 
  • 8 microfilm reader sessions 

Please only make the bookings you need so that as many people as possible can study materials. 

Additional bookings during visits 

If you have booked a seat in a reading room for the whole day, you can place additional bookings during your visit: 

The best way to ensure the availability of the materials you wish to study is to order them at least one week before your visit. 

Need help? 

Please contact us using the feedback form. You can access the feedback form via the Feedback button on Astia’s homepage. You will receive a reply to your email. 


Alternatively, you can contact us through: 

  • our chat service; access the service via the chat button at the bottom right of our homepage. 
  • the reading room telephone service: tel. +358 29 533 7490. 
    • Mon–Fri from 10 am to 12 pm 

  
Remember these 

  • Book your visit in advance
  • Order the material at least one week before your planned visit 
  • Carefully review the instructions in the booking confirmation before your visit 
  • If you plan to use a special reading room, you will need a National Library card 
  • If you plan to study access restricted analogue materials, remember to bring a photo ID 
  • If you plan to study access restricted digital materials, you will need a mobile certificate, online banking credentials, or another strong authentication method to log in to Astia 
  • The easiest way to reach our customer service team is via the Feedback button on Astia’s homepage or at the top of our website. We offer guidance and advice on the use of our materials and services. You will receive a reply to your email. 

You are warmly welcome to study our materials!