Espoo Russian Library and Itella Posti to launch new joint project in February
Itella Posti and the Russian-language library at Espoo Library are set to launch a brand new lending service in February. The Russian-language library collection will now be available to borrowers across Finland thanks to the Posti Parcel Point service. The new service is aimed at all Finnish residents based outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Region comprising Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, who wish to borrow books, audiobooks and films from the Russian Library. Customers wishing to use this service can visit their own local library to sign up.
HelMet library members in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa will continue to receive their items through the interlibrary loan service. Elsewhere in Finland, loans from the Russian-language library will be delivered to Posti Parcel Points. There are more than 300 parcel points across Finland. Due to growing demand, Itella Posti will be increasing the number of Posti Parcel Points by 175 in the course of 2014.
The Espoo Russian-language library opened a year ago and is based at the Sello branch. Its collection comprises 14,000 Russian-language books, 1,000 films and audio titles and a large selection of newspapers and magazines. The collection forms part of the wider HelMet library collection. Both Cyrillic and Latin characters can be used to search the library database. Receiving and returning books using the parcel points is free. Alternatively, customers can collect items from their local library.
"This partnership with Espoo library is a new, innovative and customer-centered approach for us. Many people already use Posti Parcel Points to collect their online shopping, and the feedback we have received suggests that they are quick and easy to use. Our parcel point network is an opportunity to offer a new type of service for delivering and returning goods, such as this library lending service," commented Itella Posti Business Manager Saara Pietilä.
To register for the service, all library users need to do is visit their own library, where they will be asked to show ID and sign an authorization form allowing the Russian-language library to use the customer's library card number on their behalf when issuing loans. The local library will forward the registration and authorization forms to the Russian library.
Customers to be notified by text message when items ready for collection
When the requested library items are ready for collection, a text message notification will be sent to the customer along with a PIN code that allows them to retrieve the items from their requested Posti Parcel Point. The loaned items can be returned via the same parcel point using the same packaging and PIN code. To find your nearest parcel point, visit www.posti.fi/pakettiautomaatti.
The HelMet.fi service can be used to arrange long-distance loans of books and other titles. The Sello library should be selected as the collection point. Alternatively, customers can e-mail loan requests to kauko.rus@espoo.fi.
Further information:
Espoo City Library, Russian-language Library
Leila Järventausta, Information Officer
tel: +358 43 825 4906, leila.jarventausta@espoo.fi
HelMet on po-russki VKontakte: http://vk.com/helmet_po_russki
HelMet-po-russki on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelmetPoRusski?fref=ts
