...

Note: this page is to be filled these days by the National Library Koha team.
Communicate with Andrii Vashchuk for any urgent matters: linkedin.com/in/nugged

HELSINKI, University of Helsinki

National Library of Finland

Upcoming plans for this page for September 2022:

• more details on this page, 
• site intro.perlkohacon.fi launch
  • then perlkohacon.fi
• social media sites as well:
• announce more exact conference dates,
• announce registration site,
• announce surprise from Perl Community as well,
• start on schedule development, call for talks, program development, etc.

Dates

• Targeting for August 2023, more to be described here in September 2022

Venue

• Premises of the University of Helsinki and National Library of Finland, https://www.helsinki.fi/en
• It is the intention of the organizers to have on-site events and expect worldwide participants to come and prefer on-site participation. Despite that, The National Library has gained a lot of experience in hybrid arrangements, even for large events. Venue and organizers can handle hundreds of on-site attendees and keep an online experience as well.
• Booking, living, trip info, venue, city, country, cultural, post-conference program, and more instructions will be published soon.

Organizers

• National Library of Finland (site in English, Finnish, Swedish)
• Koha-Suomi Oy (site in Finnish)
• Nugged Team as initiative subteam in National Library of Finland

Contacts

• general email: [email protected]
• Andrii Vashchuk [email protected] +358 29 4144489 (Nugged Team as well )
• Esa-Pekka Keskitalo [email protected] +358 29 4144487
• Ari Mäkiranta [email protected] phone. +358 50 330 3927

Helsinki

Helsinki has population of 650,000 (region: 1,5 million). It is safe, compact, clean, and green. In Helsinki, it is easy to get along in English. 
The City Centre Campus of the University houses faculties of theology, law, arts, pedagogy, and political sciences. It covers a large area right in the center of Helsinki. 

Getting to Helsinki

Helsinki Airport

• The airport has good connections to Europe and major hubs in North America and Asia.
• The airport has train connections (40 mins) with the city center.

Rail & Ferry

• Especially participants from Scandinavia and the Baltic region may consider traveling by car or by rail, thanks to ferry connections with Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; and Travemünde, Germany.

Getting around in Helsinki

• Helsinki city center is easy to walk and cycle in.
• Helsinki and its surroundings have excellent public transport service.
• Uber operates in Helsinki.
• Taxis are easy to get but note that pricing is not cheap.

Accommodation:

• Helsinki has a wide selection of hotels, and many can be found near the conference venue (https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/see-and-do/hunker-down-in-the-centre-of-helsinki).
• Affordable hotels near the conference venue: 
• https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/info/accommodation/hotel-arthur,
• https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/info/accommodation/helka-hotel,
• https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/info/accommodation/scandic-kaisaniemi
• Hostels offer an even more affordable option, and there are hostels also within easy reach from the venue https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/search?keyword=hostel 

Local libraries

• The National Library: a landmark Neo-Classical building in the City Centre.
• Helsinki University Library: an award-winning modern library from 2012 in the City Centre.
• Oodi / Helsinki City Library - winner of the 2019 Public Library of the Year award of IFLA, also in the City Centre.
• Rikhardinkatu - Helsinki's first actual library building from 1882. 
• Helsinki and its surroundings have about 150 libraries. We can arrange visits according to demand. 

COVID considerations

• At the moment, there are no restrictions or requirements on border traffic, nor are there any mask mandates or restrictions on public gatherings. 
  

Weather/Environment

• Generally, August is the soft and most comfortable weather month in Helsinki. 
• Earlier in August, the temperature in Helsinki usually moves around a comfortable 20°C but usually from highs 21°C and lows of 14°C. Showers are common. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki#Climate.
• A few years in a row, August temperatures beat the records and were much warmer, yet in the comfort area. https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/fi/vantaa/EFHK/date/2022-8
• No extreme conditions are to be expected. 
  

Destinations

In Helsinki, we recommend

• Helsinki City Centre: Market Square and Old Market Hall, Senate Square, Esplanade Park, Lutheran and Orthodox cathedrals, Art Nouveau quarters, Temppeliaukio church; Amos Rex Museum, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Ateneum the Finnish National Gallery, National Museum. 
• Suomenlinna fortress, a Unesco world heritage site, 10 mins ferry ride away.
• Cruises in Helsinki archipelago, duration from 1,5 hours up, also with dinner. 

Day Trips

• Porvoo, 1 hour bus ride, a picturesque wooden old city with restaurants and boutiques; a medieval church.
• Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, 2,5 hours ferry trip away, has a well-preserved medieval old town. It is a popular destination for culture, entertainment, and shopping.
• Nuuksio National Park, 1,5 hours by public transport, 45 min by car from the city center. An escape into wild natural settings of typically Finnish scenery, with lakes, forests, and rugged crags. The nearby Finnish Nature Centre Haltia spotlights Finland's natural treasures and provides restaurant services and other facilities.