Guide for new students

Welcome to Åbo Akademi's library.

Here you will find gathered information about the Library Services available to students at the Open University, this information does not apply to degree students at Åbo Akademi University.

If you are a degree student at Åbo Akademi University, you will find information about the library's service under the tabs New student in Åbo and New student in Vasa. The information on this page therefore does not apply to students who are enrolled at Åbo Akademi University but are taking courses through the Open University. 

All new Open University participants automatically receive an ÅAU username. Students from other Finnish colleges and universities, who log into the Moodle pages of the ÅAU courses with their own universities' HAKA, are also recommended to use an ÅAU username. 

The username gives you access to the library's e-resources, which you can find in the library's Alma search service. With an ÅAU username, you also have the option to download the Tuudo app, where your library card is located. See more in the library card tab. 

You can get the ÅAU username from ICT service : helpdesk@abo.fi  

At the beginning of each course, you will receive a list of course literature or links to course material available online. You can find the course books in our search portal Alma-Finna. In Alma, you can also see if the book is on the shelf or if it has been borrowed. 

The printed course books can be found in the ASA library in Turku and in the Academill library in Vaasa . Note that there is also a list of call numbers in Academill and a map of the Academill library here.

The ASA building in Turku. The entrance to the library is on the left inside the hall. The entrance to the Academill building from Brandgatan in Vaasa.

The course books can also be found in public libraries and you can then borrow them from there. You can search for books and other materials in Finna, which is a national search portal which includes almost all public and university libraries in Finland. Please note that the Åland libraries are not included in Finna. 

If you do not live in Turku or Vaasa and it is difficult to get hold of the books, you can contact your local library and ask them to order the books as interlibrary loans for a fee. Your local library will provide more information about this. 

Loans between Turku and Vaasa

If the material is only available in Turku or Vaasa, you do not need to travel between cities to get it. You can ask the library to send the material to you so that you can pick it up at:

• Arken library (Turku)
• Academill Library (Vaasa)

Please note:

• You cannot order loans between Turku and Vaasa directly in Alma-Finna – use the order form.
• These loans are subject to the usual loan terms.
• Delivery time may be over a week.

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 noon: 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.

Alma-Finna  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. 

Don’t let any reading disabilities be an obstacle to your studies! You can borrow course books with an extended loan period of four weeks (28 days) by contacting the library and presenting a certificate showing that you have a reading disability.

Celia, a national centre for accessible literature and publishing, provides literature and textbooks for those who have difficulties reading a printed book.  Books are available as audiobooks, e-books and in Braille. For more information, go to the Celia website. The library can register you as a customer, but please contact us in advance so that we know you are coming (via email to library@abo.fi or call 02 215 4180). Registration can also, in some cases, be done remotely via Zoom.

Use the talk-back function

You can have e-books read aloud by using a suitable app on your smartphone. Unfortunately, the talk-back function does not work the same on all resources; for example, it does not work at all in the Biblio service. Note also that other e-resource providers may have their own solutions for accessible functions.

Accessibility at ÅAU

On the intranet, you can find information for students with disabilities or needs for special arrangements for studies and participation. 

More information about various smart tools can be found here:

1. About listening to printed and digital texts
2. University of Applied Sciences Laurea Library’s guide on accessible functions

There is also an information search guide designed for students at the Open University . You will also find the library's other user guides here.