Troubleshooting

I forgot my PIN code, what should I do?

Provided you have given us your email address, you can use the password recovery function by pressing Login in the upper right corner and then the link Forgot your PIN?

In the case we do not have your email address, we shall change your PIN code at the service desk of any Helmet library. Please bring your ID with you.

I lost my library card, what should I do?

Report the loss of your library card immediately to any Helmet library. When libraries are closed, you can phone the number 09-3108509. Leave a message on the answerphone giving your name, social security number, and the reason you are calling.

You are not responsible for the loans that have been checked out on your card after you have reported the card lost. A cancelled card cannot be reissued. A new card is liable to charge.

If items have been checked out on your lost or stolen library card without your permission, make sure to cancel your card. If necessary, report the crime to police with a report of an offence that states the unlawful use of your card, and list the damages that have been caused.

Our user regulations state that you are responsible for all items checked out on your card. Therefore you must compensate for lost or damaged items checked out on your card even if the damages are caused by another if they have been checked out before you have cancelled your library card. Check whether your home insurance covers the damages.

A library book was damaged or CD was lost, what should I do?

Contact a Helmet library in the city that owns the damaged or lost item. If that is inconvenient to you, you may also attend to the matter in the Helmet libraries of the other cities of the capital region.

A damaged or lost item is no longer viable for checking out, so it must be compensated with the purchase price or a firm compensation price.

In most cases it is possible to arrange to compensate the item with a new copy of the item. However, films are an exception because these require lending rights.

Why don't I get a notification when the reservation arrives or a due date notification?

The Helmet Library sends notifications and reminders as text messages, by email and post. Please update your contact info by logging in on your account.

Should you have given us your email address, you will receive due date notification two days before the due date. You will receive the first reminder of overdue material 14 days after the due date by email or by post. If necessary, the second reminder will be sent to you 28 days after the due date only by post.

If you have saved your mobile telephone number with the Finnish country code (+358) in the field "SMS Number", you will receive the hold pickup notices as text messages. Otherwise, you will receive the hold pickup notices by email or by mail. If you do not want to receive the hold pickup notices as text messages, you may save your telephone number in the field "Phone".

If you do not receive our notifications to your email, please check that your email address is correct. Also make sure that your mailbox is not full and that your spam filter does not prevent our notifications.

The notifications for reservations from Helsinki City Library come from the address varausilmoitukset@lib.hel.fi. The notifications for reservations from Espoo City Library (apart from the mobile library) come from the address varausilmoitukset@espoonkirjastot.fi. All other notifications from Helmet Libraries are sent from the addresses helmet@hel.fi, helmet-kirjastot@hel.fi or noreply@finna.fi. Allow messages from all above-mentioned addresses.

Why did I receive a notice concerning an item I have returned or a reservation I have already checked out?

If you have chosen to get your library notifications by post and not by email, they can occasionally arrive after you have returned your loans or checked out your reservations.

I received a letter from a collection agency concerning unreturned loans. What should I do?

Unreturned loans are transferred to a collection agency ca. 60 days after due date. At this stage you have also lost the right to check out library material.

Read carefully the instructions in the letter. The sum you have to pay depends on whether or not you are still able to return your loan. Make sure you receive a receipt from your returned loans.

Pay the collection agency what you owe. You will regain the right to loan material when the collection agency notifies library that you have settled the payment.

Why is there a fee for uncollected reservations?

The goal of the fee is to encourage customers to take care of picking up or canceling their reservations, so that the circulation of books speeds up and reservation queues are shortened. The fee is charged to those over 18 years of age. In mobile libraries, patient libraries and service center libraries, there is no charge for uncollected reservations.

I did not receive a text message, e-mail notification or letter about my reservations in time. Do I still need to pay the fee for the reservations?

The fee will be charged even if the pick-up notification has not arrived due to a delivery error, a fault in the telecommunications, or another reason. You can check the status of your reservations via Your Account. You can also ask the library staff about your reservations.

My reservation is gone from the reservation shelf. Do I need to pay?

Please contact the staff. The staff can cancel a reservation on the shelf so that the fee is not charged. They will also return your reservation to the top of the list.

I have been ill and therefore unable to run errands. Can I be exempted from the fees?

You can be exempted from library fees. Please contact your library to resolve the matter.

Using the Helmet Library

Can I register as a library patron online?

Anyone under 15 years of age can get a library card with a written approval by the guardian or another person responsible for the young person. It is easier for us to make a new library card for you if you fill the form via this link, print it out and take it with you to the library.

See which ID cards are valid in the library.

How do I change my name?

You cannot change your name via the web service. Please visit any Helmet library and present an ID card with your new name (or an ID card with your old name plus a certificate of changing your name). You will get a new library card free of charge.

Where can I use the Helmet library card?

You can use the Helmet library card in all the public libraries of Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa. You can check out, reserve, renew and return material and take care of your affairs in any Helmrt-libraries regardless of city limits.

Can somebody else visit the library on my behalf?

Yes, see instructions how to become a flexi customer and how to use a power of attorney.

Does Helmet Library have a chat service?

Yes it does. The chat window is visible on the Helmet website whenever a library employee is present to answer questions. The chat is open on weekdays approximately from 12:00 to 17:00 (12:00 to 16:00 on Fridays).

How do I unsubscribe from the library customership?

If you no longer need your own library card or you need to cancel a deceased relative's library card, you can request that the customer data be removed from the library's customer register. Contact the customer service of Helmet libraries by visiting one of the libraries or by phone. The library will check that the card has no unreturned loans, unpaid fees or other unresolved issues. The customer data will then be deleted. Discard the card by cutting it in half. It is not necessary to submit a death certificate to the library.

Customer data that has not been used by the customer for three years and that do not involve unresolved issues (e.g. open payments) will also be removed from the customer register. Data is removed from the register once a year.

Why can’t I use my library card anymore?

Personal data are deleted three years after the person has last used library services, if there are no unresolved issues (e.g. open payments). Data is removed from the register once a year.

Do you charge interest on overdue fees?

No, there’s no interest on overdue fees.

Is there an interest on other payments?

Collection agencies charge interest on the payments they collect.

Library material

How may I leave acquisition proposals?

You can fill in an acquisition proposal form. Naturally, you are always welcome to leave requests directly to the library staff.

Why can't I find a new publication in Helmet?

Acquisitions of new material are often decided months in advance. You can find the material in Helmet online catalogue as soon as the material has been registered into the database. Our staff are also happy to check whether material has already been acquired. You can leave acquisition proposals online or directly with our staff.

I can't find a work in Helmet catalogue. Can I reserve it from another library?

Yes, you can. Make the reservation in the library from which you wish to fetch your material. Please note, that interlibrary loans are liable to fees.

How can I reserve a work that is available on the shelf?

You can reserve a work in the Helmet online service. You will be notified by text message, e-mail or post when the material is ready for pick up in the pick-up library. If you would like to pick up the work immediately from the library where it is available on the shelf, please call the library in question first and ask the work to be reserved for you. You will need your library card number for the phone reservation. In the online service, you will need your library card number and PIN code.

How do I subscribe to sms notifications about reservations?

If you have saved your phone number in your customer information using the country code for Finland (e.g. +358 501 234 567), you will receive a text message notification about the reservation.

I am unable to pick up my reservation. Can someone else pick it up for me?

If you are unable to pick up your reservation yourself, you can ask another person to borrow the reserved item on their own library card at the library’s customer service desk. The person borrowing the item must present the reservation notification you received from the library by text message, e-mail or post, so please forward your notification to this person. If you would like the reservation to be borrowed on your own library card, the person picking up the item must bring their own ID, your library card and a power of attorney where the intended use is specified.

If you no longer need the materials you have reserved, please cancel your reservation as soon as possible. This way, the item will become available for the next customer in the queue. You can cancel the reservation any time before the end of the reservation period. You can also freeze a queued reservation for the duration of a holiday or other absence. You can only freeze your reservation before it is on the way to the shelf or has arrived at the shelf.

I am going on holiday and I have reservations. I do not want my reservations to arrive at the library during my trip. Is there something I can do?

You can freeze your reservations by signing in to your personal information on the Helmet page. You can freeze a reservation that you are still in the queue for. By freezing your reservation, you ensure that the reserved work will not be ready for pick up at the library until after you have unfrozen it. You will move up in the reservation queue even if your reservation is frozen.

You can unfreeze your reservation in the same way as you froze it. After you have unfrozen your reservation, it will be ready for pick up at your library once it is your turn in the reservation queue.

I do not want my full name to be visible on the reservation shelf. How can I prevent it?

Most libraries have switched to numbered reservation shelves or reservations.

At some libraries, you can pick up reservations under an alias. You can get an alias, i.e. a pseudonym by visiting the library and presenting a valid ID. After getting an alias, your alias will be visible in the reservations instead of your name.

Is it possible to buy material from library shelves?

Unfortunately we are not open to offers concerning the material that is currently part of our collection. It is possible to buy material that has been removed from the collection. Material might be removed from the collection due to its age, poor condition, outdated contents, or low usage.

May I donate my books to library?

Yes, libraries accept material donations according to their needs. Libraries reserve the right to further channel the donations e.g. to recycling shelves from where customers can take books for themselves. Feel free to contact the library of your choice on the matter. NB! Cetntral Library Oodi does not accept donations.

How are materials chosen?

Helmet library comprises the libraries of Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa.

We offer materials for the residents of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in order to support freedom of speech and active citizenship as well as provide joy and experiences.

The library has books, magazines, music, movies, audio books and games in both traditional and electronic formats. Some of the magazines can be borrowed and reserved. Plenty of online magazines are also available.

All material acquisitions are put out to tender. The materials are usually chosen by the local libraries. Materials are purchased for people of all ages in the languages with the most speakers in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The library purchases movies and games that are covered by public lending right. The library pays the copyright remuneration.

Materials that are particularly expensive or expected to have a limited number of users but the purchase of which is still necessary are only selected for some libraries.

Most Finnish literature is purchased without a separate request. You can fill in an acquisition request online or inform library personnel about the work you would like the library to purchase.

For quick readers, we have bestsellers that you can borrow for two (2) weeks from your local library. The most popular new music is also loaned out for two (2) weeks.

You can borrow materials or renew your loans in our online service. We deliver the reserved materials to the desired library throughout the Helmet area. Libraries accept donations at their own discretion.

The library’s collection lives and changes, and its condition and use are monitored continuously. Materials are removed from the collections due to low demand, poor condition or outdated content. Materials removed from the library are sold to customers, donated or recycled.

Paying library fees online

How can I pay library fees online?

Log in to Your Account with your library card number and PIN-code and select Fines. You can pay all the unpaid fees or choose the ones you would want to pay immediately. Once you pay the chosen fees you also accept the contractual provisions and prices. The payment confirmation (Paytrail) and the payment receipt (Helmet Libraries) will be sent to you e-mail.

More information about online payments on Paytrail's site.

Which fees can be paid online?

You can pay almost all library fees online e.g. overdue fees and other general fees. You can also pay for damaged or lost items online. However, contact your nearest library first. Fees for books which are more than 60 days overdue cannot be paid online.

Are there other fees that cannot be paid online?

Loans that are in debt collection cannot be paid online. Debt collection agency is in charge of collecting these fees and therefore library cannot accept these payments.

Is there a minimum amount in online paying?

There is no minimum amount for payments in Paytrail's system. However, your bank or credit card issuer may have a minimum.

How are library fees shown on my bank statement?

Paytrail Oyj is shown as the recipient of the fees on your bank statement and credit card invoice.

Why isn’t the confirmation shown in my e-mail?

Log in to Your Account, select Profile/Library card settings and Profile/Finna account settings and check your email address. The payment confirmation (Paytrail) and the payment receipt (Helmet Libraries) will be sent to email address set on Finna account settings. If another email address is set on Library card settings the payment receipt (Helmet Libraries) will be sent to that address too.

Some e-mail softwares may interpret the confirmation as spam. You should therefore check all incoming e-mail files and allow the library to send the confirmation and the receipt to your e-mail in the future.

I have paid online but the fee is still listed in my Helmet-account.

There might be some delay in the updating. If the problem continues, please contact the library.

What should I do in a fault situation and how can I give feedback concerning the e-payments?

Send us fault notices and feedback. You can also contact your library.

Mobile site

How to create an online library icon on your phone

You can create an icon for the new Helmet online library on your phone, making the online library easy and quick to access.

How to create an icon with the Chrome browser of an Android phone:

1. Open the front page of the online library with the Chrome browser.
2. Open the menu by tapping the three dots in the upper right corner.
3. Select ‘Install application’.
4. Accept by tapping ‘Install’.
5. Your icon has now been created and you can access the online library by tapping it.

How to create an icon with the Safari browser of an iPhone:

1. Open the front page of the online library with the Safari browser.
2. Open the functions menu by tapping the icon at the bottom.
3. Select ‘Add to Home View’.
4. Edit the name of the icon if you want to and then tap ‘Add’.
5. Your icon has now been created and you can access the online library by tapping it.

What happens to Taskukirjasto (Pocket Library)?

Taskukirjasto will be discontinued at the end of 2023. We will use the Helmet online library on mobile browsers.