Oodi, a library for borrowing books and playing music

Wanting to learn drums does not make room for a drum kit at home. A guitar may be available without anywhere to turn up an amplifier, and photography may be limited by space for lights and a backdrop. Helsinki Central Library Oodi includes rooms and equipment for these activities among its services. A library card can borrow instruments and open access to studio reservations.

Oodi provides different studios for music and voice recording, photography and video, and editing. It does not put every activity into a single room. The band and vocal studio has drums, an electric piano, amplifiers, and microphones; the photo and video studio provides lights, tripods, and reflectors.

Recording a voice and rehearsing a band need different conditions. The voice studio is not fully soundproof, but uses directional microphones suited to recording speech. The band and vocal studio has soundproofing and acoustic treatment. The rooms are arranged around the sound being made and how it will be recorded.

Time is booked through Varaamo, Helsinki's facility reservation service. A valid ID and a library card with borrowing rights are required, and studios are free to use. Instruments and camera equipment borrowed with the library card are used for work in the studios. Users can try equipment before buying it all themselves.

A room full of equipment can be intimidating, but Oodi does not present its recording studio as professionals-only. Staff help users get started, while experienced users can book independent sessions. Other studios are generally self-service, with staff assistance when possible. Beginners and experienced users can work in the same facilities in different ways.

The service offers a sequence of activities as well as a collection of equipment: borrow an instrument, try it in a room, record, and edit. A reader curious to try something need not begin by finding equipment and premises elsewhere. The library makes room to put learning into practice.

Reservations and shared-use rules still apply. Unlike a privately owned studio, the rooms are not available whenever a user wishes. In return, users can work for a booked period without installing soundproofing, lights, or instruments at home. Borrowing rights extend from a book to hours of practice. The amplifier that cannot be switched on at home has somewhere to be heard.