At the beginning of September 1995 I got my first Helka library card, which let me use the various libraries of the University: above all the Helsinki University Library (today the National Library of Finland) and the student library located at Leppäsuo (today the Helsinki University Main Library). It was all the more amazing because in those days, both libraries were open on Sundays as well. It felt too good to be true—and in the long run this sadly proved to be the case.

One of the reasons why I wanted to study at Helsinki was the University's excellent and comprehensive system of libraries. In my hometown of Joensuu, I had often browsed through the Linda database (today Melinda) and was constantly faced with the fact that some interesting publication I had seen referenced or reviewed elsewhere was only available in Helsinki. Now all these would be within my reach whenever I wanted. A real stroke of luck which I still have not gotten over.

It never fails to make me angry when libraries are lumped together with other services and spoken of in a vague and dismissive fashion as a mere “support service” for the University. Even though the availability of information outside physical libraries has been revolutionized over the last 20 years, without libraries there simply are no universities.