Conference „Virtual Library“ In Brüssel 16th October 2002 Mr. Kari Lämsä Cable Book Library Helsinki City Library, Finland

Lasipalatsi Film and Media Centre (Glass Palace) built in 1936 owned by the City of Helsinki renovated in 1998 funded by EU Urban Pilot Project about 1,5 million visitors per year 4500 m², about 20 leaseholders platform for new technological innovations meeting point of all kinds of people

European cinema Book on Demand Helsinki Festival TV studios cafés, restaurants multimedia shops Culture and Entertainments cultural events changing exhibitions

Information offices Youth Information Centre Culture Info + tickets Europe Information Information for Swedish speakers Health and Social Services Info City Library Information events like ”files open”

located in the heart of Helsinki, between railway and bus stations

lobby of the cinema

there are many free touch screen Internet kiosks everywhere in the building kiosks are used always when the Glass Palace is open digital info-points most information offices have also public internet

Cable Book Library founded in 1994 at the old cable factory one of the 37 Helsinki City libraries specialized in Internet and IT services operated in Lasipalatsi since 1998

300 m² + lobby opening hours Mon-Thu , Sat-Sun 12 – 18 staff 11 persons customers over 1000 per day selected collection 120 magazines and newspapers 21 workstations for customers furniture movable and easy to convert computers in the joint lobby

when the library is closed, the lobby functions as the Glass Palace's joint common room

the lobby's furniture packed inside the library

all furniture are equipped with wheels that can be locked for two to three persons it takes about fifteen minutes to move the furniture and start the computers

the lobby ready, computer times will be given when the library opens in magazine shelves of the lobby you will find newspapers and general magazines

the library is 60 metres long and five metres wide workstations are bounded by shelves to a separate area the use of mobile phones and noisy behaviour are forbidden at the workstations there is plenty of space for photos and other materials at the multimedia computers the building's conservation as a hindrance

Table elements can be connected in many ways, the elements are connected with quick latches

Staff Library Manager IT Librarian 3 IT Specialists 3 Library Assistants 2 Apprenticeship Students 1 person undergoing non- military service students as covers

the average age of the staff is about 35 years. work in three shifts ”everybody does everything” trains staff from other libraries participates in further education and updating training plus various courses involved in many projects, e.g. internet

Collection non-fiction: –media –travel books –IT and Internet –film and photography –comics cd-rom dvd newspapers and magazines databases

Themes of the magazines: IT and internet image processing and publishing media film photography music comics travel lifestyle magazines and general magazines

Software and Equipments Windows, Macintosh and Linux Office image processing editing and publishing slide scanners, photo scanners and flatbed scanners greyscale and colour printers licenses for various databases, encyclopedias and dictionaries automatic deletion of temporary files and caches

customers can also connect their own laptops to the library network the network is protected by a firewall and virus protection especially popular among students and freelancers wireless connection enables the use of internet even in the joint terrace of the library and the café

Customers 0ver 1000 customers per day immigrants and foreigners 40 % age 60 % percentage of females 40 % percentage of students 40 % groups learning to use Internet, e.g. unemployed, adult students, immigrants

How often do you go to a library?

How important is the help of the staff in the use of workstations and web services?

Why to come? location easy to come, easy to stay free of charge spend time, no money activities cafes, clubs, films... Information printed, virtual, personal facilities comfortable, safe, well equipped staff communicative, helpful, skilful

Co-operation leaseholders of the Glass Palace have a co-operative group of their own Commercial partners in various projects and events, inter alia Nokia, Sony, Cisco… most important partners –The Youth Department of City of Helsinki –The Cultural Office of City of Helsinki –The International Cultural Centre Caisa

Multicultural alliance Info Bank for immigrants International Cultural Centre Caisa Cultural Office of Helsinki City Cable Book Library Central Multilingual Library Youth Information Centre immigration offices and societies carrying out immigration and multicultural work Funded by the European Social Fund Project Duration Time:

How to find, decode and act?

editorial staff direct questions to the right institutions questions and answers are stored to a database frequently asked question will automatically be found in database The service will be carried out in all most used immigrant languages

iGS is designed to be a movable information station in two parts; self service ”pumps” and a double-sided service unit. People can come to the station with their questions and problems or they can send questions to the station by , SMS and chat. iGS - Information Gas Station

Project Funded by the Access to Learning Award (Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, 2000) total budget ~ € planning 10 % device, furniture 20 % staff 50 % rents etc. 20% Project Duration Time:

iGS: starting points 1. Promote information service 2. Modernize a public library’s image 3. Establish a place and premices for personal face to face service 4. Test mobility

Information service Widen the range of ”librarish” information needs Find new user groups –young –busy –others who normally cannot visit a library Ask anything

Library’s image A library without books –traditional image of a library: shelves, collections, classifications –test: can we run a public library without books and collections? To advertise modern public libraries and make them visible –bright red design –”silly” brand to be remembered

Personal Service Self-service is the trend of today –lending, payment etc. Everybody can search information? –all information by Google? –we don’t need libraries in future? Still need for information professionals – oversupply of information – licenced resources and databases – peoples’ routine ways on their information behaviour – demand for knowledge on possibilities and effective or many- sided ways of search –- public libraries’ task: to promote information literacy

Traditional model: –librarian is a gatekeeper iGS model: –librarian is a consult –in learning and training Customer have tos decide which information is relevant –->at every phase of search process (not only final results)

Mobility Mobile service at virtual –customers information need arise ”on the road” and they want to send questions from anywhere Movable unit – we move along the road – to places we are needed iGS on tour: –Lasipalatsi Film and Media Centre –Service Houses for Senior Citizens –Railwaystations –Fairs and exhibitions –Next shopping centers

iGS arrivals by lorry

Construct of two identic elements

Model of neon ligth from old Gas Station

In one hour construction is ready

Connection via cable, ADSL, WLAN

Helsinki Central Railway Station Media-happening, radio, TV, newspapers 30 visits/day, virtual questions/ day Cold, windy, arctic and noicy Very rewarding and interesting no troubles with customers

Media profiles Visits 1. Internet and 24% 2. Software 13% 3. iGS 10% 4. Computers 5% 5. Helsinki 4% 6. Tourism 4% N= Music 7% 2. Transport 5% 3. Economy and business 4% 4. Writers, litterature 4% 5. Language and words 4% 6. Health, medicin 4 % N=978 SMS 1. Music 6% 2. Transport 5% 3. Health 5% 4. Language and words 5% 5. Economy and business 4% 6. People 3% N=623 Most popular categories in 2001

Conclusions Easy, quick ways for information services are needed We did not know how people see library’s image and scope of competence Some questions could never have been made by the library desk customers have different backgrounds what kind of information is most valuable for the customer: readymade facta or learning the ways how to mine and refine information? --> some need facta --> some don’t have time to learn how to search

Team team of 10 persons chosen from the staff of City Library 2 persons work at same time rest of time they work on their own libraries, but can answer to virtual questions in the begining we arranged special training for them to update their skills with digital and networked information search experiences transfer in a natural way to the everyday life and enrich their home libraries

Future How may the next generation of iGS look like? –mobility: more easy to move –security: more safe –more compact -- modular structure –wireless connections (today not stable enough) SMS protocol replaced by new – in future other mobile, portable and light devices – from short messages to multimedia messages

Useful links: Cable Book Libary Helsinki City Library Lasipalatsi Media Centre iGS – information Gas Station Questionnaire Concerning the Use of Workstations