Upgrades to the Main Library’s Return and Loan Systems Will Affect Services

The upgrading work will affect Main Library’s services, for example with occasional closure days and longer loan periods. 

Longer loan periods for customers during the upgrading work 

The automated self-sorting return machine in the Main Library’s new library building will be upgraded and there will be renovation work in the sorting room from 26 Oct to 10 Nov 2025.  During this time period returned loans will be sorted in the new library building’s lobby and partly manually. Renovation work may be noisy and cause disturbance in the lobby and the News Area. 

These temporary service changes require considerably more staff compared to normal situation.

Service Manager Asko Autio

- Main Library receives approximately 1500 returns a day that stay in the Main Library. 
These temporary service changes require considerably more staff compared to normal situation. On top of that the Main Library receives crates of returns from Turku Branch Libraries and other Vaski Libraries, explains Service Manager Asko Autio. 

In order to bring down the number of returns customers will get a three week longer than normal loan period for their loans. Customers are asked to avoid returning loans over the renovation period. There will be no due dates issued between 26 Oct and 10 Nov, so there will be no need to return loans during that time period.  

- We are hoping that all customers will avoid returning loans during the Main Library’s renovation work. We cannot process returns in our well-known effective way during these temporary service changes, notes Reception Team Leader Eeva Liippo. 

The Main Library will be closed for renovation work 

The Main Library remains closed for the public on following dates: Sunday 26 Oct, Saturday-Sunday 1 Nov - 2 Nov, Saturday-Sunday 8 Nov – 9 Nov and Monday 10 Nov. All deliveries to the Main Library will be suspended between 24 Oct and 7 Nov , because normal numbers of returns and deliveries cannot be processed without an automated system.  

Incoming deliveries will be placed in storage to wait for the launching of the new sorting system. Stored returns will be processed in stages. Because of this, reserved items may stay in transit for a long time and customers won’t get their reservation as speedily as normally. Customers are free to change their pick up library or pause their reservation in the Vaski online library. 

The upgrade enhances the customer experience 

The upgrade seeks to answer the ever growing numbers of returns and reservations and to enhance the customer experience and the staff wellbeing and ergonomics. From spring 2026, internal logistics at the main Library will be further improved with the introduction of autonomous mobile robots that will transport library materials in boxes between departments.