Welcome to this new segment – we’ll see how long it lasts. Like many ”start of the new year” initiatives this may trickle out soon. This has been on my mind for a while, and what I’ve really wanted to do is to create my own library map of the world featuring all the libraries I’ve visited. Usually when I travel somewhere I try to visit a public library (or other types of libraries, but public libraries are usually the more interesting libraries because of their local flavour) and over the years I’ve seen quite a few. I take pictures, notes and then it all goes to the digital graveyard on my laptop. This is an attempt to resuscitate my library experiences – maybe they can inspire someone else too!

Library	Savonlinna Main Library ”Joeli”
Place	Savonlinna, Finland
Coordinates	61.872475, 28.874575

First out in my library of the week series (hehe) is Savonlinna Main Library ”Joeli”. Last summer I went on a train excursion through Karelia and Savonia in Finand. Well, I say Savonia but I really only visited Savonlinna (sv. Nyslott), easily reached by switching to railbus in Parikkala. It’s a beautiful town, probably best enjoyed in the summer, and the main library is situated a bit off from the tourist city center. Like many cities and towns around Saimaa (Finland’s largest lake) the Saimaa ringed seal makes its appearance here and there, and can be spotted on the metal decorations of the wooden building. The library was built in 2013 and therefore has many characteristics of a modern public library, in terms of light, spaces, and furniture.

Savonlinna boasts a 15th century castle built on the then borderlands between Sweden and Russia. It’s called Olofsborg (fi. Olavinlinna, named after St Olaf) and is well worth a visit, but be prepared to walk many stairs. In the summer the castle is a venue for operatic performances (sadly I didn’t attend a show as I was only there over the day). The castle being named after the Nordic patron saint is reasonably why there was a poster marketing the celebration of St Olaf’s day at the library notice board. It’s usually not celebrated in Sweden and Finland, and more often in Norway and the Faroe Islands.

As for the contents of the library, it was quite standard. There was a library café, good selection of newspapers, and in addition to books one could also check out records and hobby equipment. Being a fan of Morrissey I usually check out the record section of the library and surprisingly often one can find the World Peace record that has been unavailable on streaming services and in record stores for ~10 years. One shouldn’t underestimate the analogue power of a public library when it comes to access to information.

Overall, a surprisingly large library for a town with a population of 32 000 people. Savonlinna is the main city in Southern Savonia and has been an important city of trade since it was founded in 1639 (making it as old as Västmanlands-Dala Nation in Uppsala). Mind you, I repeat this from memory after my visit to the excellent Savonlinna Museum, and I do seem to remember there was some controversy regarding its status as a trade city a few hundred years back, related to its proximity to the border and having been thrown between Swedish, Russian, and Finnish rule. There’s a brief overview of this in the Swedish language Wikipedia article on Savonlinna (the English language version was less detailed on the city rights). Highly recommend a visit if you’re passing by!

The oddly shaped staircase (see the angles on the library interior map I posted) was in black and white, very pleasing for the eyes. Although it looked like it could be slippery in the winter.