A collaborative effort to streamline library services and enhance literacy

This article series presents cases of innovations built here in Espoo that strive for a better tomorrow for all.

Finland is known for its high-quality library system with a strategy to enhance the literacy of all citizens. Most Finns live within three kilometers from the nearest library and the number of library visits in a year per citizen is among highest in the world. In Espoo there are 16 libraries and three mobile libraries.

The Library Resource Planner (LIRP) was created to free library staff’s time from daily routine tasks for more important work, such as advancing literacy initiatives, youth work and life-long learning in line with the new 2024–2030 strategy of the city libraries. What makes LIRP truly special is its origin as a collaborative effort. LIRP was initiated at the Innovative User Group Hackathon in the USA by staff from Espoo City Library.

LIRP has revolutionized our collection management and reduced time used in routine tasks to a fraction meaning that library staff has more time to advance literary initiatives and youth work. LIRP enables centralized management of collection tasks, featuring an automated acquisition workflow, inventory management through RFID mass scanning, an ultra-fast query engine, optimized patron reservation logistics, and task lists for handling collection and item deletion tasks. It handles the entire lifecycle of the collection seamlessly. Since its inception, LIRP has expanded its reach, being utilized also in Espoo’s neighboring municipalities Vantaa and Kauniainen.