TWO FINNISH PUBLIC MUSIC LIBRARIES

TWO FINNISH PUBLIC MUSIC LIBRARIESAuthor(s): Heikki Poroila and Pirkko HeikkinenSource: Fontes Artis Musicae, Vol. 40, No. 1 (January-March 1993), pp. 37-40Published by: International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres(IAML)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23508193 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 09:45

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres (IAML) is collaboratingwith JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Fontes Artis Musicae.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.44.77.38 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 09:45:45 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=iaml

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=iaml

http://www.jstor.org/stable/23508193?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


MUSIC LIBRARIES IN FINLAND 37

since there is no Finnish educational establishment offering specific training in this field.

The difficulty and expense of obtaining orchestral parts led to the establishment of an Association library from which members can borrow orchestral materials. The National Central Library of Orchestral Music began operating in 1973 under a grant from the Ministry of Education. At present it has musical parts for over 800 orchestral works in constant demand by orchestras and other organizations like music colleges which account for about four hundred loans a year. Some ten to twenty items are added to the collection every year.

The office of the Association, which has a staff of two, also acts as an

information cen ter for all questions concerning orchestras. Twice a year the

Association publishes a concert calendar giving advance notice of public concerts

by member orchestras. The Association also issues a member bulletin, catalogues of sets of parts in the library, and annual reports, the last of which contain numerous statistics on the concert activities and finances of member orchestras.

TWO FINNISH PUBLIC MUSIC LIBRARIES

Heikki Poroila (Vantaa) and Pirkko Heikkinen (Kuhmo)*

In Finnland sind öffentliche Musik-Bibliotheken im wesentlichen ähnlich, auch wenn sie

in grosse und Dienstleistungen unterschiedlich sind. Vantaa ist ein Teil des großräums

Helsinki mit einem eifrigen zirkulierenden Bibliothekssystems. Die zentrale Musik

Sammlung von Vantaa in Tikkurila hat einen Stab von drei professionell ausgebildeten

Mitarbeitern, Abhörplätze und Nachschlage-Möglichkeiten, sowie auch ein Klavier. Die

Sammlung in Vantaa umfaßt 38.000 Schallaufnahmen, 14.000 Bände Noten, 7.000 Bü

cher, 75 Zeitschriften und 400 Musik-Videos. Kuhmo an der Ostgrenze dient einem

weitergefaßten Benutzerkreis. Diese Sammlung, zwar kleiner, aber ebenso vielfältig ist

besonders stark im Bereich Kammermusik, da sie das Kuhmo Kammermusik Festival

unterstützt.

Les bibliothèques musicales publiques en Finlande sont fondamentalement semblables

bien que leur importance et les services qu'elles proposent soient variables. Vantaa fait

partie de la zone métropolitaine d'Helsinki qui possède un actif réseau de bibliothèques. La collection musicale centrale de Vantaa bénéficie d'une équipe de trois personnes,

*Heikki Poroila is Chief of the Music Department of the Vantaa City Library; Pirkko Heikkinen is

Music Librarian at the Kuhmo City Library.



38 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 40/1

offre des possibilités d'écoute et de consultation, ainsi qu'un piano. La collection de Van

taa comprend 38 000 enregistrements sonores, 14 000 volumes de musique imprimée,

7 000 livres, 75 titres de périodiques et 400 videos musicales. Kuhmo, situé près de la frontière orientale, sert une clientèle plus largement dispersée. La collection, plus petite mais aussi variée, est particulièrement riche en musique de chambre en raison de l'exis

tence du Festival de musique de chambre de Kuhmo.

The public music libraries in Finland are basically very similar, although there is a great variety in the number of different services they provide. We hope that the

following two presentations will give an overall picture of the music activities in

public music libraries. It must be said that Vantaa and Kuhmo are by no means

typical but well above average. Geographically and socially, however, they present the two main environments of the Finns at the end of this millennium.

VANTAA CITY LIBRARY

Vantaa is in the northern part of the Helsinki Metropolitan area, where almost

twenty percent of all Finnish people live. Vantaa has grown very fast, and there are now about 155,000 inhabitants, due largely to a steady migration from other

parts of Finland. Because there are so many young families there, the age structure is not typical of Finland in general.

Vantaa has many centers, of which Tikkurila, an administrative center, is the most important. The Vantaa City Library System has a central library in Tikkurila, fourteen other branches, of which six are quite large, and two mobile libraries. In two libraries, Tikkurila and Myyrmäki, there are separate music departments with

specialized staff (three music librarians and five library assistants); in the other

large libraries music is just a part of the general collections and services. The music collections in the Vantaa City Library are available through any

library in the Helsinki Metropolitan area. Clients may borrow sound recordings (records, compact discs, and cassettes), scores and other printed music, books on

music, music magazines, and music videos. The loan period is four weeks, except videos which circulate for one. Borrowing music and other materials is free of

charge, as is the case in all public libraries in Finland. It is possible to listen to music in the library through headphones or in a

listening room. Reading space is available for music magazines (the latest number is always in the library; the older ones may be borrowed), as well as books. Both music departments have collections of reference books; the Tikkurila library has

quite a good collection of thematic catalogues and other work lists of composers. Although each branch library provides general information, more difficult ques tions are referred to the music departments. In the Vantaa City Library clients may make information searches in domestic databases, of which the most impor tant for music is the MUSA database of Finnish sound recordings.

Both music departments have a piano (not a common feature in Finland), which

any one may come to play by reserving a specific time. A catalogue of new



MUSIC LIBRARIES IN FINLAND 39

acquisitions is published monthly, and circulated free of charge. Normal card

catalogues serve clients in every library, but a printed union catalogue of music

recordings available for borrowing is also produced twice a year. All the Helsinki

Metropolitan area libraries use the same computerized circulation system. A new

integrated online library system should be ready in 1993 (once they promised it would be ready as early as 1990 . . .).

The following statistics for the music collections in the Vantaa City Library are from the beginning of 1992. (Some information is only available for the music

departments.)

1. Library materials

Sound recordings: 38,000, of which 20,000 were LPs, 13,000 were CDs and 5,000, cassettes; Printed music (all kinds): 14,000 volumes; Books on music: 7,000 volumes;

Music periodicals: 200 volumes (75 titles); Music video cassettes: 400; Music multi media packages: 500.

2. Circulation

300,000 loans annually, of which 80% is done through the two music departments. The

yearly growth has been 20% (within music departments over 30%). In 1991 the number

of total loans in Vantaa was 18 per inhabitant, of which 10% was music.

3. Attendance

260 visitors per day, 78,000 per year (in the music department of Tikkurila).

4. Reference and Information service

Over 50,000 transactions per year at the music department of Tikkurila.

5. Use of pianos

1,000 hours (2 rooms with piano)

The users of music library in Vantaa have been surveyed a couple of times during last two years. Most users are very pleased with the present services. Most

important, they feel, is the fact that they may borrow sound recordings and other

materials. Am average user is a man between 18 and 35 years of age, though in

reality of course borrowers range from little children to old folks. The users of

music library services are opposed to the institution of any fees for services.

KUHMO CITY LIBRARY

Kuhmo is situated on the eastern border of Finland and Kainuu, about one

hundred kilometres from the nearest city, Kajaani. The Finno-Russian border lies

about 60 km from the center of Kuhmo. In area Kuhmo is the largest city in

Finland, but only 13,000 people live there, about 2.5 human beings per square kilometre. Kuhmo is nationally, and perhaps even internationally, known best for

the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, started in 1969 which will celebrate its 25th

anniversary in 1994.



40 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 40/1

Kuhmo has a brand new main library building called Atalante, opened in 1990. All activities are on one level: reading room, children's department, circulation

department, music department, reference room, and local collections. Among the Finns the people of Kuhmo are very heavy users of their public library; 40 loans

per inhabitant per year is well over the national average of 17. The collecting of music material and other music services started in 1970. The

staff of the music department consists of one librarian and one library assistant. The three main services are lending, reference, and use of the materials in the

library. The music collection of the Kuhmo public library consists of 1,200 books, 3,600 volumes of printed music (song books and popular collections, methods for different instruments, scores), 12 periodicals, and 12,500 sound recordings (6,500 cassettes, 5,000 LPs and 1,000 CDs). Half of the printed music may be called "classical", but only 20 percent of the sound recordings are in this category. In 1991 30,000 loans of sound recordings were made.

All materials are on open access shelves, and one may also listen to music in the library. In the Kuhmo public library there are several racks with turntables, tape recorders, and CD-players, which the library clients use by themselves. In return for your library card, you receive earphones, and then you may listen to whatever you want. For little children there are separate listening stations in the children's department. In 1991, 1,600 listeners used the facilities. Part of the music collection is included in material carried by bookmobiles, so that people who live far from the center can also have music services.

The Kuhmo public library also serves the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival by providing scores for the artists and music students. (It would not be wrong to say that the father of the festivals, Seppo Kimanen, has selected the chamber music collection of Kuhmo public library.) A particular aim of the library is to buy sound recordings of all the music which is played at the annual festivals.



Documents

TWO FINNISH PUBLIC MUSIC LIBRARIES