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Turku City Library


Getting library books where they’re needed: Kellutin

The Turku City Library needed an intelligent system to balance collections across different libraries and streamline staff workloads. Every month, as many as 7,000–15,000 books are transported by van from one library to another in the Turku area. The goal was to place returned books where they are most in demand while freeing up time for customer service.

In 2024, Weasel Software developed an intelligent system, Kellutin, to support librarians. Kellutin determines which returned books should be sent to which library and provides recommendations on which books from an overcrowded library should be relocated to another branch. The system also allows libraries with depleted collections to send “help requests” to restock their shelves.

“Even during the tendering phase, Weasel Software provided a well-thought-out solution. We were pleasantly surprised that a provider outside the library sector could so accurately understand our needs,” says Kaisa Hypén, Service Manager at Turku City Library.

Precision and efficiency for librarians

Previously, library staff communicated both book shortages and surplus inventory to other branches via Teams chat. Now, supply and demand are managed through Kellutin. Ordering libraries can more precisely specify the types of books they need, as they have real-time visibility into available inventory.

For the sending libraries, work scheduling has also become more structured. Previously, book requests arrived sporadically throughout the day, but now they can be consolidated and processed in batches, for example, each morning. More specific book requests also reduce the workload for sending libraries, as less time is spent selecting appropriate books.

“Kellutin has successfully progressed from planning to implementation and now to maintenance and further development. We have been very satisfied with the adherence to schedules and the fact that project progress tracking has been clear even for non-technical staff,” Hypén says.

The solution was delivered as a customized SaaS service hosted in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, ensuring availability, flexibility, and security.

Even during the tendering phase, Weasel Software provided a well-thought-out solution. We were pleasantly surprised that a provider outside the library sector could so accurately understand our needs

Turku City Library

Kaisa Hypén
Service Manager
Turku City Library