Turku Main Library's return and sorting system undergoing major upgrade
The Main Library will be closed on the following dates: Sunday 26 October; Saturday, Sunday 1-2 November; Saturday, Sunday 8-9 November, and Monday 10 November.
The return and sorting automation at the Turku Main Library will be renewed during late autumn 2025. A completely new system will be installed in the sorting area of the library’s new wing. The renovation will temporarily affect library services, including closure days and extended loan periods.
Extended loan periods during renovation
The automated sorting machine in the new wing of the Main Library will be replaced, and renovation work will take place from 26 October to 10 November 2025. During this period, returned materials will be handled temporarily in the lobby of the new wing and partly manually. The renovation may also cause noise disturbances in the lobby and the News Square of the Main Library.
"The Main Library receives an average of 1,500 returned items daily that remain within the library. These exceptional arrangements will therefore require significantly more staff than usual. In addition, a large volume of returned materials from Turku’s branch libraries and other Vaski libraries are delivered to the Main Library," explains Service Manager Asko Autio.
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To reduce the number of returns, customers will receive loan periods three weeks longer than usual for materials borrowed from the Main Library. Customers are kindly asked to avoid returning materials during the renovation. There will be no due dates between 26 October and 16 November, so items do not need to be returned during that time.
"We kindly ask all customers to avoid returning loans while the renovation work is underway. We won’t be able to process returns as efficiently as usual under the temporary arrangements," adds Reception Team Leader Eeva Liippo.
Library closures during the renovation
The Main Library will be closed on the following dates: Sunday 26 October, Saturday-Sunday 1-2 November, Saturday-Sunday 8-9 November, and Monday 10 November. Deliveries to the Main Library will be suspended from 24 October to 7 November, as normal return and transport volumes cannot be processed while the automated system is out of service.
Incoming deliveries will be stored until the new sorter is operational, after which materials will be processed in phases. As a result, delivery times for reservations and other transported materials will be longer than usual. Customers can change or suspend their reservations in the Vaski online library if desired.
The renewal will enhance the user experience
The upgrade aims to meet the increasing volume of returns and reservations while improving customer experience and staff ergonomics. In spring 2026, internal logistics at the Main Library will be further optimized with the introduction of autonomous mobile robots that will transport library materials between departments.