Until now, the municipal e-library has been accessible via a mobile application, either on a phone or tablet. On April 21, a browser interface was released that allows the e-library to be accessed on a computer. The browser interface is currently in beta, meaning that not all features are available yet. The mobile application will remain available as before.
The e-library began operations in April 2024. You can borrow e-books and audiobooks and read digital magazines from the e-library. Almost all Finnish municipalities, including Kankaanpää and other municipalities in Satakunta, have joined the e-library. The e-library is free of charge for its end users and is produced by the National Library together with public libraries.
– It is great that the use of the E-library is now also expanding to computers. This directly responds to customers' wishes and makes the service even more accessible, says the library director of the Kankaanpää City Library with joy. Marjut Tiisala.
You can now read newspapers on your computer screen
The browser interface allows you to use the E-library in a browser, meaning you can use it on your own computer. As with the mobile app, you log in using strong authentication.
In the beta version, you can also read Finnish and Swedish e-books. Audiobooks will be added later, as will books in foreign languages. Audiobooks and books in foreign languages can still be used with the mobile app.
– It's really nice that you can now read magazines on a larger screen. I believe this will inspire many new users to try the E-library, says Tiisala.
Currently, logging in to the browser is only possible with strong authentication, but logging in with an access key will be added later. The first time you log in to the mobile application, you use strong authentication, and then the user can create an access key that uses the device's screen lock to log in. If the user performs activities in the E-library that require logging in (for example, reading magazines) every few days, the login will be retained for longer.
Loans and reservations are visible in both the browser and the mobile app
The e-library's Android and iOS applications will remain in use as before. The user can sometimes use the mobile application and sometimes the browser interface. Their loans and reservations, as well as books they have marked as favorites, will appear everywhere in the same way. However, reading progress or bookmarks will not be synchronized between systems at this stage.
You can try out the browser interface via the link on the E-library website:
National Library of Finland E-Library