Guide for new students

There are 3 libraries on campus in Turku: 

You can find the library's opening hours in Alma. There is also a link to Alma in the Tuudo app. Remember to choose the right service unit!

The libraries are also open at certain times without staff (self-service). You can then study in the library, borrow books with the machines, return loans and pick up reservations. You enter with your electronic HID-key.

The ASA library and the Arken library are open without staff: 

Monday - Friday at 6-24

Saturday - Sunday at 10-18

The Book Tower is open without staff: 

Monday - Friday 9-10 

There are group study rooms in Bryggan, a wing of the Book Tower, and in the ASA library. The rooms accommodate 3-5 people and are equipped with a computer and/or external screen.

You book the room in the ASA library in Peppi . You book the Book tower's room by filling in a list that is outside the rooms. The rooms can be booked for three hours at a time . 

Bryggan's group study rooms are open at 07-01 and you enter with your HID key. 

Quiet reading rooms are available in the Book Tower and in the ASA library.  

Reading areas are available in all libraries. Some reading areas have computers and others have a screen and keyboard that you can connect to your own computer. 

To be able to borrow, request and reserve, you need a library card. To borrow using a self-service machine, you also need a PIN code. 

You get a  digital library card  by downloading  the Tuudo app, which the library recommends. Go to the library tab and select "I don't have a library card." Fill in your details and a PIN code.  

If you are unable to use a digital library card, you can apply for a physical card using this form. 

Also remember to read the library user rules. 

Alma  is a search portal where you can find all our material, both printed and digital. There you will also find all your loans and reservations. Log in to Alma through Haka with your ÅAU username. 

Remember to log in to access the e-resources. You can also use VPN  to access the digital resources remotely. You will find instructions about the VPN on the intranet ( Microsoft , macOS , requires login). 

Note! If you study at Novia, you must use  Novia's Alma .

In the ASA library and Arken library, the books are on open shelves . Books that are not there must be requested in Alma. 

Open shelves in the ASA library                                                                                        Open shelves in Arken's library

The course books are often on loan, but it is always worth reserving them in Alma. They circulate quickly because there are several copies. Also check the short loan of the course books (due next weekday by 12 p.m.). 

The loan period for printed course books is 2 weeks and for other books 4 weeks. The loan period for electronic books varies. 

With the exception of short loans, your loans are automatically renewed for up to 6 months (coursebooks) or 12 months (other books) as long as the book is not reserved . If the book is reserved or the automatic loan period has expired, you will receive a message to your e-mail or phone. So check that your information is correct! 

You can find all information about your loans in the Tuudo app and in Alma under My Account. 

Overdue fees for course books are €1/day  and for short loans 10€.  Other books have a overdue fee of  0.30€/day. Please note that your borrowing rights are suspended when fees amount to 10€ or more.

The return door at the Boktornet entrance                             The return door in the courtyard of the ASA building       The return box inside the Arken library

You can return your loans at any service unit, regardless of where you borrowed them. When the library is closed, in Turku you can return loans in the wall-mounted drop boxes in Book Tower (next to the door) and the ASA library (next to the A door), as well as in the return box inside Arken during self-service hours. Loans returned through drop boxes will be registered as returned on the next day that the service unit is open.

As a student at Åbo Akademi, you receive a certain number of credits each academic year that can be used for printing. Students at Åbo Akademi can also buy more credits via ÅA's webshop  (requires login) and students at Novia buy more credits here.  Note! The library does not sell credits. 

Each service point in Turku is equipped with a printer and scanner.  There is also a book scanner, which is more gentle on books than a regular copy machine, in the cellar of the ASA-library. The instructions are next to the scanner. 

For students with dyslexia or other reading disabilities, it is possible to use talking books. It is Celia, the national library for accessible literature and publishing in Finland, that offers services for everyone who has some form of reading disability. Contact the library if this is a service you need and we will tell you more and register you as a customer with Celia. 

You can also get an extended loan period for printed course books if you have a reading disability certificate. You will receive the certificate from your study supervisor.