Laajalahti Library to Close for Renovation from 3 October

The renovation of Laajalahti Library’s interior spaces, together with the related work to clear and refurnish the premises, is expected to take approximately nine weeks. The library will be open for the last time on Friday, 2 October, during normal opening hours. Based on the current estimate, the library will reopen on Monday, 7 December.

During the renovation period, currently expected to run from 3 October to 7 December, it will not be possible to borrow, return or collect reserved items in Laajalahti. The meeting room on the lower floor of the library will also be unavailable during the renovation.

The nearest libraries that are open are Sello Library, Otaniemi Library and Tapiola Library. Items borrowed from Laajalahti Library can be returned to any Helmet library(external link, opens in a new window).

The renovation is being carried out by the City of Espoo’s facilities management unit (Tilapalvelut-liikelaitos). During the renovation, the flooring on the library’s upper floor will be completely renewed. Other repair work will also be carried out, including repairs to cracks in the walls. 

The need for these repairs became apparent during an earlier indoor air quality survey. The library received notice of the renovation work at short notice. 

Some minor updates will also be made to the library’s furniture and furnishings as part of the renovation. However, the overall appearance of the library will remain largely unchanged. 

The delivery of reserved items to Laajalahti Library for collection will be suspended before the renovation begins. Reserved items will arrive for collection for the last time on Thursday, 24 September. 

Please note that transferring a reservation between libraries usually takes 2 to 5 working days. The delivery time depends on which library the item is being sent from.

If you are waiting for reserved items that may not arrive in Laajalahti before the closure, we recommend that you:

• change the pickup location to another library, or
• suspend your reservations until after the renovation. 

You can change the pickup location or suspend a reservation in the Helmet online library, provided that the item has not yet been dispatched for you. See the instructions on the Helmet website(external link, opens in a new window). Library staff can assist you at the library or through the Helmet online library chat service if needed. 

If your turn in the reservation queue falls during the renovation period and Laajalahti Library is selected as the pickup location, the item will remain in storage within the Espoo City Library logistics system until the library reopens. This will increase waiting times both for you and for other customers.

Reservations will not be automatically redirected to another library, and the pickup location cannot be changed once the item is already on its way to you. For this reason, it is best to make any changes well in advance. 

Once the renovation has been completed, you can again select Laajalahti Library as the pickup location for your reservations.

Items borrowed from Laajalahti Library will not become due during the renovation period. This means that books and other materials borrowed from Laajalahti now will have an exceptionally long loan period. These loans will not be due until December.

We will automatically extend the due dates of items borrowed from Laajalahti Library if their due date falls during the renovation period. This automatic extension will not reduce the number of renewals available for the loan.

We encourage Laajalahti Library customers to make the most of these extended loan periods and borrow reading material for the whole autumn now. By borrowing items before the closure, you will also help reduce the number of books that need to be moved into storage during the renovation.