Reading and holiday activities – find summer in the library

For libraries, summer means updated opening hours and the opening of summer yards. In the library’s summer yard, you can spend your summer day playing games, reading and just hanging out. Summer yards can be found at the Etelä-Haaga, Kallio, Kontula, Lauttasaari, Puistola, Rikhardinkatu, Roihuvuori, Töölö and Vallila libraries, whereas the terraces at Central Library Oodi and the Laajasalo and Töölö libraries offer wonderful views.

Reading and activities for the holidays

Based on the borrowing data from libraries, people in the Metropolitan Area spend their summer reading fiction, particularly detective stories. Children enjoy ever-popular books in series form. Library staff are happy to give holiday reading tips according to the customers’ interests. You can borrow up to 100 pieces of material for your holidays using your Helmet library card! 

You can find more things to read and listen to in the E-library, which is a convenient collection of e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines in one app. You can also find reading and listening material in Finnish, Swedish and English, among other languages. You can download the free-of-charge E-library app from the app store in your phone or tablet.

Libraries in Helsinki contain a vast collection of games and sports equipment to borrow. You can borrow a mölkky, petanque or badminton set, for example. The selection of items to borrow varies from library to library; availability can be checked by using the Helmet search.

Summer events for the entire family

Libraries in Helsinki offer families diverse summer activities – from crafts to circus and story times to escape room games. Activities are arranged all over the city and many events will allow participants to try out the activities themselves. You can find all summer events at libraries online at tapahtumat.hel.fi.(Link leads to external service)