The selection of musical instruments in the main library's hobby rooms has been expanded with an electronic drum kit.
The Main Library collection of musical instruments has been expanded. We have acquired a set of Roland electronic drums, which emulate the feel of playing acoustic drums.
You can play the electronic drums in the piano room 4. The piano room can be reserved via the Timmi booking system. Read more about the rooms for recreational activities and how to reserve them at https://lastufinna.lahti.fi/rooms-for-recreational-activities/ (opens to a new window).
We also have some additions to the collection of sports equipment that can be borrowed. The library now has new equipment that may tempt our customers to go hiking or doing other physical exercise outdoors. The sports equipment in the library has been provided by the Lahti City Sports Services.
”Last autumn the Lahti Sports Services conducted a survey on what sports equipment our customers would wish to have. It’s great that we now have frisbee golf discs, for example,” says Suvi Haikola, Head of Library Services.
The Main Library Auditorium floor, which had been damaged by microbes, has been repaired, and the Auditorium can be used again.
According to Salla Palmi-Felin, Director of Library Services, library events and group visits will be moved to the Auditorium during the spring, whenever possible.
”When planning events for next autumn, we’ll take into consideration that the Auditorium can be used again for library events, and we can also accept reservations from other event organizers. Reservations can be made via the Lahti City website at lahti.fi/tilavaraukset.”
The Main Library Auditorium has been out of service since August 2023. When a dampness and indoor air survey was conducted, It became apparent that there was a need to renovate the Auditorium floor.
The dampness and indoor air survey was conducted to form a basis for the Main Library renovation project. It is estimated that the Main Library renovation will begin no later than 2028. At first, measures will be taken to make sure the Library will remain available.
In addition to the repairs of the Auditorium floor, the measures first taken include a more efficient ventilation. In the summer of 2024, a few other technical repairs will also be carried out in some areas of the Library. If the repairs have a significant effect on how the library spaces can be used, customers will be informed of the situation.
A working group targeting the Main Library indoor air quality follows the City’s indoor air operating model. According to the estimate of the working group, the indoor air quality in the Library is stable. You can get acquainted with the Lahti City indoor air operating model at the City’s website, at lahti.fi
The Lastu libraries have acquired Cineast, a film streaming service. The service is free of charge for library patrons. However, a Lastu library card is required. You can log in to the service with your library card number and PIN code.
At the moment, the Cineast collection has more than 1500 films for adults and children, and new films are added to the collection every week. The versatile collection has films from several countries, including Finland, and documentaries, too. The collection has plenty of films for children. The service has an age limit verification system, which prevents children from watching a film rated above their age limit.
It is possible to browse the collection via menu options, for example by genre, language, year or age limit. You may also use keywords to search for films. The front page shows a number of recommended films. Among these are films from different genres and films by some notable directors.
You can log in to the service at https://www.cineast.fi/fi/. You may borrow five (5) films per month. A film that has been borrowed is available for 48 hours. During this time you can watch the film as many times as you want. The service is available via the web browser or by downloading the Cineast mobile app from your mobile device’s app store. The films can be watched on television with Chromecast or Apple TV AirPlay.
The Nastola Library has acquired a Framery office pod, a soundproof working booth. The office pod is meant for no more than two people at a time and it is meant for patrons wishing to have a quiet place to work or study. The space may be used during the library’s service hours and also during the self-service hours.
How to reserve the sound proof space
You can use the sound proof working space after you have reserved it via the Timmi booking system. To use the space during the library’s self-service hours you have to first access the library with your library card and PIN code.
You can reserve the sound proof space via the Timmi booking system. You can log in to the Timmi system with Suomi.fi e-identification or with your library card and PIN code. Using the system is simple. However, you can ask the library’s customer service for help and guidance in making a reservation.
Self-service hours in the Nastola Branch Library will be restricted beginning on February 16. Because of the restrictions, self-service hours are available on weekdays (Mon-Fri) from 6:00 am until the beginning of service hours and on weekends from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. On Fridays the library closes at 5 pm. The restrictions last until April 1, 2024.
The self-service hours must be restricted because of the disorderly conduct of some customers. The behaviour of these individuals in an unsupervised area has been inappropriate and against the library rules. Several people have repeatedly been allowed to enter the library without logging in, and there has been disturbance in the library. Restricting the self-service hours is necessary to ensure the safety of other customers and the security of the library spaces.
The Lastu libraries have acquired a music streaming service focused on jazz music, Naxos Music Library Jazz. In addition to music recordings, the service has other material, such as curated playlists.
You can access the service with a Lastu library card number. The service can also be used with an NML Jazz App. You can search for music by using a search box or browse the collection for example by performer, record company or genre.
Because of a flaw in the library system, customer service in the libraries may be slower than usual. The problem may also have an impact on reservation pick-up notices sent by text message.
There are things you can do to avoid situations caused by the flaw in the system:
Use the self-service stations – borrow, renew and return your items at the self-service stations.
Use the Web Library – pay your overdue fines, follow the status of your reservations and fill out a library card application form in the Web Library.
Use the Web Library’s search functions – search for material at the lastu.finna.fi. website.
Log in to your account and instead receiving reservation notices by text message, select the email option.
If you have reserved material, follow the status of your reservation by logging in to your account in the Web Library. In this way you can check the current status of the reservation or whether the material can already by picked up.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers. Thank you for your understanding and patience!
Kirjastokino, the film streaming service, will not be available on the library website after August 31, 2023 because the contract will end on that date. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The Main Library Auditorium will be out of service as of August, 2023 because there are damages in the space that may cause harm to people’s health. Therefore, the space needs to be renovated. The rest of the library building can be used as before. However, basic renovations in the whole Main Library will begin no later than 2028. Before that, there will be measures to make the use of the library safe.
- When planning library events for the autumn, we have already taken into consideration that the Auditorium cannot be used. Events will be organized on a smaller scale in other library spaces. We will also try to provide normal service to groups from schools, says Salla Palmi-Felin, Director of Library Services.
Jussi Hietala, an indoor air expert at Lahti Tilakeskus (City’s property management, construction and maintenance services), says that a comprehensive dampness and indoor air survey has been conducted to form the foundation for the Main Library renovation project. - Based on the statement by the health control authorities, there are damages that cause various kinds of health risks in different parts of the building.
According to Hietala, damages that cause health risks can be found especially in the Auditorium, where damage caused by microbes has been detected on the floor. Therefore, the use of the Auditorium was already scaled down during the spring of 2023. According to the estimate of the Occupational Health Services, exposure to the materials in the Auditorium causes a moderate risk to the health.
- In other parts of the building, possible health problems may be caused by sources of mineral wool fibres left unprotected in the structures and in the ventilation system. Microbes in the lower parts of the exterior walls may also cause problems. However, according to the estimate of the Occupational Health Services, the significance of these factors to people’s health is slight, Hietala points out.
The City’s Indoor Air Group has decided to set up a special Main Library indoor air working group.
Lahti Tilakeskus is taking action to reduce, limit and eliminate the factors causing harm to people’s health. In 2023 and by the summer of 2024 measures will be taken to make using the Main Library facilties safer, for example by controlling the building pressure, by making ventilation more efficient and by carrying out structural repairs in necessary places. The basic renovation will begin no later than 2028.
Additional information
Lahti Tilakeskus, Jussi Hietala, indoor air expert, jussi.hietala@lahti.fi, 044 482 6222
FC Lahti, which plays in the highest Finnish football league, has donated six season tickets to the Lahti City Library. The season tickets can be borrowed from the Main Library and the Nastola Library. The season tickets give free access to all FC Lahti home games. The season tickets have a loan period of one week and they cannot be renewed of reserved. The tickets must be returned to the library location where they were borrowed. One person may not borrow a season ticket more than three times during the season.
Many of our customers have been asking whether it would be possible to borrow a garbage picker from the library. Now it is possible because of the cooperation between the library and the Lahti City Environmental Services.
Garbage pickers can be borrowed from all libraries in Lahti. The loan period is 14 days.
The Pegasos Mobile library will not be running its evening routes on Monday, April 3 and its morning routes on Tuesday, April 4.
There will also be changes to the Mobile library timetable at Easter. On Thursday, April 6, the Mobile library will not run its evening routes. The Mobile library will not operate at all from April 7 to April 10. On Tuesday, April 11, the Mobile library will not visit schools but it will run the evening routes as usual.
The Lahti City Wellbeing and Leisure Committee has decided on Wednesday, March 22 that self-service hours in the Mukkula Library are only available in the mornings. The self-service hours are not available in the afternoons or evenings after the library has closed. The restriction is in effect until further notice. There have already been limited self-service hours in the Mukkula Library after December 16, 2022.
The self-service hours at Mukkula are available in the mornings before the normal service begins and on weekends until 15:00. On weekdays the library closes after normal service hours: on Mondays and Tuesdays at 19:00, on Wednesdays at 16:00, on Thursdays and Fridays at 15:00. The self-service hours begin every day at 6:00.
The decision to restrict the self-service hours is due to some customers behaving in an inappropriate manner, breaking library rules. There has been continual vandalism in the library, facilities have been damaged and big bunches of people have crowded the library spaces. This kind of behaviour is a threat to other customers and to the library building.
We are trying to find solutions to this situation through multidisciplinary collaboration.
