Vanamo library membership

The Vanamo libraries include the Hattula municipal library, Hämeenlinna city library and Janakkala municipal library. Their collections, services and facilities may be used by everyone who follows the rules of use. Everyone is responsible, to some extent, for the proper use of the library’s collections, equipment and facilities.

You commit to following these rules of use and any amendments to them when you receive a library card or agree to act as a contact person.

Library card and PIN

You can obtain a personal library card, borrowing rights and a PIN from any Vanamo library or bookmobile. The first library card is free of charge. The card is issued upon presentation of an accepted valid photo ID that includes a personal identity code. If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, the library card is valid for one year at a time.

Those under 15 years old may obtain a library card with the consent of a guardian. For persons under 15 and for organizational borrowers, the guardian is responsible for materials borrowed on the library card as well as for the use of other library services, devices and facilities.

The owner of the library card or the guardian is responsible for materials borrowed with the library card. Personal use also applies to the library’s self-service use. You are responsible for materials borrowed with your library card. Borrowing at self-check machines is protected by a PIN.

Changes to name and contact details must be reported to the library immediately. The information is not updated automatically from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to the library system.

A PIN is linked to the library card. The PIN is needed, for example, to use the library’s machines, online services and the self-service library.

The customer must notify the library immediately if the library card is lost. The customer is not responsible for materials borrowed on the lost card after the loss has been reported.

Borrowing, returning and renewing

The library card must always be presented when borrowing materials. Without a library card you can only borrow at the service desk by presenting a photo ID. Only a library card can be used to borrow from self-check machines.

The library has the right to limit the number of loans. Films or games will not be loaned to a customer who does not meet the age limits set for specific materials by the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) Media Education and Audiovisual Unit (MEKU).

The loan period for materials can be 1–28 days. Due dates are indicated on the loan receipt that the customer receives when borrowing. It is possible to receive a due date reminder by email before the due date.

Materials must be returned or renewed no later than the due date. A loan can be renewed up to six times if there are no reservations for it and you have not lost your borrowing rights. There may be restrictions on renewing materials.

Some libraries have a return slot. Returns made through the return slot are at the customer’s own risk. Items returned via the slot are registered as returned on the next library service day.

Reservations and interlibrary loans

Materials can be reserved at the library service desk or via the online library. You will be notified of a reserved item to be collected by email, text message or letter. There may be restrictions on reserving materials. Reservations are free. A reservation must be collected within 7 days of the notification being sent. A fee is charged for uncollected adult reservations.

The library may limit the number of reservations.

If the material you want is not available at your library, it can be requested as an interlibrary loan from elsewhere in Finland or from abroad. This service is chargeable.

Fees

Library use is generally free of charge. A late fee accrues for each calendar day after the due date up to the maximum amount. For children’s and youth collections, we only charge reminder and collection fees. A late fee is also charged if renewing loans has failed due to a communication error or other technical fault on the customer’s side.

For overdue items, the first reminder is sent 2 weeks, the second reminder 4 weeks and the third reminder 6 weeks after the due date. For reserved items, the first reminder is sent earlier. The first, second and reserved-item reminders can be received by email. A due date reminder is an additional service and does not exempt from late fees even if the customer did not receive the notification.

Late-returned loans incur a late fee and a replacement notice fee. Failure to return loans despite reminders will result in loss of borrowing rights and the debt being forwarded to a debt collection agency.

A fee is charged for uncollected adult reservations delivered to the pick-up shelf. The fee is also charged if the reservation notification did not reach the customer due to distribution errors, communication failures or other reasons.

Depending on the municipality, libraries may also offer other paid services, such as copying and printing. Detailed fees can be found on the libraries’ own websites and in the Vanamo online library.

The customer must compensate for damaged or lost materials with an equivalent item or by paying the price set by the library. Due to per-copy copyright fees, some materials such as DVDs cannot be replaced with an equivalent item. (Library Act section 12, Act on the Enforcement of Taxes and Charges 706/2007)

Fees can be paid at any Vanamo library that has a cashier. Paid fees are not refunded to the customer.

Borrowing ban

You will lose borrowing rights if

• your loans have been sent to debt collection or invoiced
• your outstanding balance is over €20

You will regain borrowing rights when

• you return the overdue material
• you pay the accrued fees

A customer under a borrowing ban may still visit the library and use the library’s premises, collections, e-resources and equipment.

Self-service library

Self-service libraries are libraries that customers can use outside regular service hours during self-service hours. During self-service hours there is no staff. Entry during self-service hours is possible with your own Vanamo library card and PIN. Under-15s require a guardian-signed agreement. Access with community cards is allowed only by separate agreement.

During self-service hours, entry with a card and PIN is allowed only for the cardholder. Under-15s may use the self-service library together with a guardian. It is the cardholder’s responsibility to ensure that everyone leaves at the same time.

The security of the self-service library is monitored by access control and recording CCTV. Each access control and CCTV system forms its own customer register. The purpose of the surveillance systems is to ensure customers’ legal protection and safety, to protect the property of the premises, and to prevent and investigate crimes.

Staff have the right to restrict the use of the self-service library when necessary.

More information about the different self-service libraries is available on the libraries’ websites.

Library ban

The public library is a public place under the Public Order Act. The Public Order Act applies to disturbances to library operations and to endangering safety. If a library user repeatedly and significantly disturbs the library’s operations, behaves in a disruptive or threatening manner, endangers safety or damages library property, they may be banned from that library for up to 30 days. Before imposing a ban, the municipality must hear the person concerned.

A ban is issued as an administrative decision, which the banned person can request to be rectified under the Local Government Act. The authority responsible for library bans in each Vanamo library is the one designated in the municipality. A person under a ban may not visit the library to which the ban applies.

User privacy

The Vanamo libraries use a shared library system. Under the Personal Data Act, the library has the right to record the personal identity code of the customer, their guardian and the responsible person of an organization in its register. Personal data are used only for library services.

The customer has the right to check the information stored about them in the library register and to require correction of incorrect information. The rights of the registered person and related instructions can be found on the libraries’ websites.

Personal data may be disclosed only to parties listed in the privacy statement. The register’s privacy statement is available in the libraries and in the Vanamo online library.

The Vanamo libraries’ rules of use are based on the Act on Public Libraries (1492/2016) and comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Application and validity of the rules of use

These rules of use apply in the Vanamo libraries. In addition to the Vanamo rules of use, libraries may have their own site-specific rules and instructions.

These rules apply, as appropriate, to bookmobiles and library home services. These rules repeal the Vanamo libraries’ previous common rules of use adopted on 21 November 2024. These rules come into force on 1 January 2026 and remain in effect until further notice. The notice period is six months.