The Helsinki University Library, the National Library of Finland

The present book gives an introduction to the history of Finland's leading scientific library, the National Library, from its foundation in 1640 up to 2010; from the guardian of the first modest book collections at the Royal Academy in Turku to the leading national cultural institution in the digital world. The collections of the Library, its most famous librarians, its activities and buildings are described in the context of the general cultural history of Finland.