Book depository
The Helmet book depository is used to store archived material from the city libraries of Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa. The book depository houses nearly 220,000 individual books, magazines and newspapers on approximately six kilometres of shelves. The depository is located at Pasila Main Library.
The purpose of the Helmet book depository is to preserve and provide public access to culturally significant material that is often sold out. Accumulated over the long history of the Helsinki City Library, the depository collection includes material in multiple languages. The book depository is primarily used to store Finnish literature.
In 2007, the book depository became the shared regional depository of Helmet Libraries (the city libraries of Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa). Most of the items stored in the book depository are available for borrowing, but the depository also houses reference library material. The depository’s reference library publications, magazines and newspapers can be viewed at Pasila Library. Other material in the book depository can be borrowed via all Helmet Libraries.
Collection
The depository collection includes over 220,000 books and over 900 magazine volumes housed in a 844 m² storage facility. The details of the catalogued material are available in the Helmet database.
- Magazines and periodicals in storage (PDF)
- List of microfilmed newspapers and magazines (PDF)
- Digitised materials of the National Library
- Vaari database of the National Repository Library in Kuopio
The book depository’s service hours
The book depository’s collection is open to the public every Wednesday from 15:00 to 19:00 during the period of 10 January–22 May 2024.
Outside of the aforementioned times, you can visit Pasila Library and ask the library staff to fetch items from the book depository for you during Pasila Library’s opening hours or reserve items from the book depository for pick up at your local library in the Helmet area.
Monday–Thursday 10:00–20:00
Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday 10:00–16:00
Check the opening hours of Pasila Library.
Contact information
Rautatieläisenkatu 8, entrance Kellosilta 9
Tel. +358 9 31085230
Music depository
The joint music depository of Helmet Libraries, has accumulated a variety of lower-demand library material over the years. The rare treasures of the music depository, which is located in Tikkurila, can be borrowed via all Helmet Libraries.
The music depository, houses many rare treats that you might not find anywhere else. Have you ever perused the materials of the music depository? If not, please do; you might even end up finding some long-lost vinyls or cassette tapes from your youth or cool record covers that you have not seen in years!
The music depository’s collection includes 32,000 CDs, 12,500 LP vinyl records, 900 cassette tapes, 1,000 VHS tapes, 750 DVDs, 7,200 music books and 10,600 pieces of published sheet music. The majority of the materials are from Helmet Libraries, but the depository has also received some material from different parts of Finland, including specialised libraries.
You can borrow material from the Sound Vault via any Helmet library.