Lux populi - Turku University Library 90 years
- Anniversary year events
- Anniversary year exhibitions
- Anniversary year products
- Volter Kilpi -room
- History of the library
-
Photos and video (forthcoming)
Turku University Library offers plenty of events for the public to celebrate its 90th anniversary!
The 90th anniversary year programme includes lecture series, exhibitions, experiences and products. The public can visit the closed stacks of the Main Library on the guided tours organised once a month.
The year of foundation of Turku University Library is generally considered to be 1921. The 90th anniversary year started 27 January 2011 with a guest reception and as the first event of the anniversary year, the library opened the Kilpi Room, which includes objects donated to the library by the heirs of Volter Kilpi. Volter Kilpi, a famous Finnish author, served as the first Chief Librarian of Turku University Library 1921–1939.
The day of the opening ceremonies climaxed with the first lecture of the studia generalia lecture series, which was open to everyone (6–8pm, University Main Building, Lecture Hall II). The lecture was held by Dr. Jussi Nuorteva, Director General of the National Archives Service of Finland.
The themes of the studia generalia lecture series, which will continue throughout the year, include migration to America, parliamentary elections, the book treasures of the library and the architecture by Aarne Ervi.
Rare books and incunabula on show
The public tours of the anniversary year introduce the extensive collection of Turku University Library, which the general public usually does not get to see. The legal deposit collection of 24 shelf kilometres is placed on the five underground floors of the closed stacks. The deposit collection includes literature printed in Finland since 1919: books, periodicals, newspapers, posters, statistics, advertisements, manuals etc. In addition, there are donated collections and special collections as well as incunabula, that is, books printed before the year 1501. For more information on how to sign up for a tour, see the page Anniversary year events.
During the anniversary year, the library also organises exhibitions that, for example, show books from the library’s year of foundation and give background to the European Capital of Culture year 2011 in Turku in the light of the library’s collections.
Reprint of a guide to Turku from the late 19th century
To commemorate its 90th anniversary, the library gives out and sells different kinds of products to its customers. For example, the library publishes a facsimile edition of a guide to Turku from 1887. The guide is a 16-page introduction to Turku aimed at visitors and the texts are in English, French, German and Swedish. The guide is attached with a beautiful map.
Music flows to the reading room
For a week during the anniversary year, ambient music is tried out as a background like light or colour and as a generator of mood in the reading room of the Main Library. The premiere of the piece Music for Libraries, composed by Jaakko Penttinen, who has worked for several years with electronic and ambient music, will be held in the reading room of the Main Library on 26 September 2011 at noon. The piece has been created with instruments developed by Brian Eno: Bloom, Air and Trope. Feedback will be collected on Music for Libraries and depending on the customers’ interest, it is possible to play the piece again in other library units.
The motto of the library’s anniversary year is Lux populi – the light of the people. The symbol for the anniversary year was designed by artist Kimmo Ojaniemi.