Uncovering hidden treasures of the UEF Library

Starting my traineeship at the UEF Kuopio Campus Library has been an incredibly exciting and insightful experience. I still remember that I could hardly contain my excitement on the first day as I got ready and rushed to the library office. Fortunately, some people were already there and let me in. Otherwise, I would have been waiting outside with no idea that I needed an access badge to open the door, which I later learned I had to collect from the key office.  

I met with my program supervisors, Tuulevi Ovaska, and Piia Pietarinen. They also introduced me to other team members, the ‘superpowers’ behind the scenes, as I mentioned in my previous blog post. Tuulevi and Piia are playing key roles as the leading figures organizing my work, and I will be collaborating closely with them throughout my traineeship.  

We kicked off our morning with the traditional Finnish breakfast. And what do you think is the star of the show? Yes, the all-time king, Finnish coffee!  

Now, about my office—oh wait, my own office! It even has plenty of chairs, so it could easily double as a co-working space only if you can manage working alongside me! My first week was officially packed with introductions, orientations, and meetings with various teams and departments. This orientation was to familiarize me with the library’s internal structure and the different services the library offers students and other customers.  

The library is overseen by the Library Director, Ari Muhonen. He coordinates with several key groups and meetings that influence the institution’s strategic direction. These several prestigious squads include the Leadership Team, Staff Meeting, Employer-Employee Cooperation Team, and the Chief Meeting. All of them contribute to decision-making and service coordination.  

The library’s operations are divided into distinct service areas, each managed by a designated service lead, such as Customer Services managed by Marja Maijala, Training and Information Services under the guidance of Katri Rintamäki, Collection Services steered by the Riitta Porkka, and Library IT and Publishing Services managed by Jukka Kananen.  

My program conducted a series of informative sessions to introduce students to various aspects of the library’s services and operations. One of the key sessions was led by Heta Mikkonen. She focused on what students need to know about UEF Repo and UEF CRIS. These platforms play a crucial role in storing and providing access to research outputs, including academic papers, theses, and dissertations.  

Harri Parviainen, Marjut Perälä, Kirsi Salmi, as well as Tarja Turunen, led a remarkable session on managing library materials. They explained how UEF Library organizes and acquires its resources to allow students to have the right materials. A presentation on interlibrary loan services was also part of the program presented by Tero Heiskanen led me through. He showed me how to borrow from other libraries if there are no materials available in the UEF Library. 

Tomi Rosti covered the growing movement of open science in academia, where he highlighted the significance of making research outputs accessible to a broader audience. I attended another meeting with Heikki Laitinen, Jaakko Nyrönen, Tuula Rissanen, and Taisa Sallinen. They introduced me to the various courses and guidance the library offers to help students develop their information skills. In a follow-up session, Jaakko Nyrönen and Anni Tarkiainen discussed the open learning materials available through the library.  

The program also gave an overview of UEF Library’s social media engagement. Olli Hiltunen, Hanna Kamppuri, and Sofi Timonen discussed how the library uses platforms like Instagram to connect with students, promote services, and keep users updated on new resources and events. I also had the chance to shadow customer service operations. Typically, different staff members work at the customer service desk. Tarja Turunen guided me throughout my training in customer service.  

Taisa Sallinen facilitated a session on research data management, where I learned about the support UEF offers in handling and managing research data. Kaarina Meriläinen and Mikko Meriläinen conducted a session on accessing and using the library’s extensive electronic resources, including ebooks and databases, which are essential for any student conducting research. Lastly, Antti Laurila, Harri Kalinen, and Marja Kuittinen guided us behind the scenes to explore how the library’s internal systems, such as the IT support system, are managed.  

All these sessions felt like a treasure hunt through the UEF Library, where I uncovered all the hidden gems we offer. The best part is that all the information is easily accessible on our website at UEF Library. 

I believe we have reached the end of today’s episode. If I share all at once, no one will be intrigued about what is coming up next! Let me give you a hint! We used to talk quite a bit about interlibrary relationships. So in my next blog, I will take you on a dive into exploring how the Literary Vault can be a real treasure.  

Farheen E Sehar, UEF Trainee