„Lähdetään Suomeen!“ – How comes that German librarian Juliane Manthei stayed at Seinäjoki for two weeks? Here is what I experienced:
If you hear about the European project ERASMUS, you may think it’s only aimed at university students but it’s far more comprehensive. The German ‚Landesverband Brandenburg im dbv‘ (a library association in the federal state of Brandenburg) currently takes part in the ERASMUS+ project ‚Brandenburg Libraries Explore Europe – Professional Exchange for Library Staff‘. I took the opportunity, applied and got accepted. It was still June when I reached out for Seinäjoen kaupunginkirjasto and got an immediate response: ‚We would be happy to host you!’. Arrangements were quickly settled and I had barely three months to learn some basic Finnish and get myself prepared. But no need to worry: the library team at Seinäjoki was so helpful and acted as a great host even before I arrived. Spoiler alert: Kiitos paljon where the Finnish words I used the most.
Who am I? I have been working as a librarian in Public Libraries for several years now. Currently, I am Acting Senior Librarian at Falkensee – literally hawk lake (haukka järvi) – a city which is located very close to Germany’s capital city Berlin. Falkensee has approx. 46.000 inhabitants and the libraries differ much, one reason being that there is no such thing as a library law in Germany. Our library in Falkensee is quite small and we don’t have branch libraries, for example. Therefore, I was very curious what to expect in Finland.
When I arrived on Saturday, September 19th, I took my time to stroll through the city (my first time ever being in Finland). It’s well worth visiting Seinäjoki, for anyone interested in Alvar Aalto in particular, UNECSO World Heritage in general (like me) or both! Two weeks full of Library experience followed and the staff and me engaged in all the similarities and differences of Finnish and German Librarianship. I did not only stay at the pääkirjasto, the main library, but also went to branch libraries such as Kyrkkärin kirjasto. I enjoyed taking a ride with Ilo (and also visited Valo) and befriending several reading dogs. Everyone was giving me a warm welcome and it’s been a pleasure to meet so many supportive, friendly people.
So, what did I learn? Finns love their libraries which play a vital part as ‘living rooms of the city’. The libraries in Seinäjoki are not just one living room, however, but many various rooms. They offer space for many great ideas: Makerspace and digitization, the library of things, Tuuppari, Kupla, ‘helppoa suomea’, home services… and so much more. The wide range comprises everything a modern library represents. The open-minded library team makes the libraries thrive.
I am thankful that a got the chance to visit Seinäjoki as I couldn’t have wished for better hosts. Apart from spending time at the libraries I got a wonderful glimpse into Finnish culture (yes, this includes a traditional Sauna event), food and nature. Family, friends and colleagues were all very curious about my experience and I’m very happy to share my adventure.
By the way, my mascot Falki, a plush hawk, accompanied me and decided to stay at Apila library. Maybe you can spot him during one of your visits to the library!?
Viele Grüße – Ystävällisin terveisin!
Juliane Manthei, Stellvertretung der Leiterin Stadtbibliothek / Acting Senior Librarian Fachbereich Kultur / Department of Culture Stadt Falkensee / Falkensee City
