Helsinki area library www search

Solutions

With over 500.000 titles and 40.000 web users per month, the Helsinki area public libraries www search is the largest in Finland.

The Helsinki area (Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa cities) public libraries bibliographic database has been available for searching over the web since 1997.

The library has a library system which did not have a web component. So a web search using the Z39.50 protocol was built to offer access to the library patrons.

The easy-to-use web search, available in Finnish, Swedish and English as well as a children's special version, is very popular with many library customers, as well as with librarians throughout Finland for inter-library loan purposes. Real-time availability information is also available.

Since early 2003 the library changed to a new library system which has a native web component, but the experiences from the first system help make the new system easier to use.