Using an ereader to check out books form the library

Lotelia · Post by **Lotelia** » Thu Sep 12, 2019 9:48 pm

Hi all,

I am wondering if Finnish libraries allow residents to check out ebooks, and if so -which devices are compatible.

Thank you!

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harakka · Post by **harakka** » Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:12 am

It depends on the library, but many if not most libraries do have an e-book collection.

Here's instructions from the libraries in the Helsinki region:
https://www.helmet.fi/en-US/eLibrary/Bo ... _se(28725)

I've found the Libby app on a mobile phone to be convenient.

Lotelia · Post by **Lotelia** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:54 pm

Thank you,

That link pretty much solidly answers my question.

I am hopefully moving to finland in the next year and am considering getting an ereader soon (regardless of the move) ... I had my eye on the kindle but it appears that is not compatible with HELMET.

What ereaders do Finns usually use?

Thanks!

harakka · Post by **harakka** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:58 pm

E-books haven't really gained popularity in Finland until just recently. Initially e-books were more expensive than printed books due to a higher VAT %.

The popularity has been on the rise due to the influence of libraries, new audio & e-book services with a business model based on monthly subscriptions (BookBeat and Storytel), and the compatibility of these services with mobile phones.

Some Finns use e-readers, but I would guess that the majority read e-books on their phones or tablets via apps.

Elisa Kirja, the e-book store with the largest market share, sells PocketBook brand e-readers. I checked a couple of online electronics stores, and they also sell PocketBook and Kindle (which is not compatible with library e-books). Storytel has their own Storytel reader (unsure if it's compatible with anything else). BookBeat only seems to have an app.

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