In Finland's Oodi Library you can record podcasts, borrow tools and even sew your clothes

What if the most interesting attraction in Helsinki wasn't a museum, cathedral or design district, but a public library?

Standing opposite Finland's Parliament, Oodi has become one of the city's most visited buildings—not because of books alone, but because it houses podcast studios, 3D printers, sewing machines, gaming rooms and quiet spaces where anyone can spend the day without buying a thing. In doing so, it asks a bigger question: what if libraries are among the most important pieces of social infrastructure a city can build?

With its sweeping wooden façade and glass walls, Oodi looks more like a contemporary cultural centre than a traditional library. Since opening in 2018, it has welcomed millions of visitors, offering something increasingly rare in modern cities: a public space designed simply for people to use, whether they want to work, create, learn or even just sit for a while.

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For travellers, particularly digital nomads, solo explorers and slow tourists, it is one of Helsinki's most useful (and perhaps most overlooked) destinations. More than a place to borrow books, Oodi offers a glimpse into a Finnish philosophy that sees libraries not simply as repositories of knowledge, but as the social infrastructure that helps communities thrive.

That philosophy runs deep. Finland, a country of around 5.6 million people, is home to more than 700 public libraries and hundreds of mobile library services that reach even remote communities. Library use remains among the highest in the world, reflecting a national belief that access to culture, learning and public space should be available to everyone and not just those who can afford it.

The travel hack hiding in plain sight

For anyone travelling light, luggage space is precious. Most travellers leave behind equipment they cannot justify carrying, from podcast microphones and editing software to sewing kits and specialist tools.

Oodi quietly solves that problem.

The library's second floor is home to recording studios, soundproof podcast booths, music production rooms, video editing suites, 3D printers, laser cutters and virtual reality spaces—all available to use free of charge or for a nominal booking fee. There are professional sewing and embroidery machines for repairing clothes, meeting rooms for remote work, and even everyday household tools that most people only need occasionally.

Instead of paying for a co-working membership or buying items that will only be used once during a trip, visitors can borrow what they need.

From consumer tourism to a culture of sharing

Travel often encourages consumption. Visitors buy souvenirs they'll never use again, pay for temporary workspaces, replace broken gear rather than repair it, and purchase items they only need for a few days.

Oodi offers an alternative.

By placing expensive equipment, creative workspaces and practical tools within a publicly funded library, Helsinki demonstrates how access can sometimes matter more than ownership. The model reduces waste, encourages repair over replacement and allows people to experiment creatively without buying new equipment.

The idea extends beyond sustainability. It reshapes how public space can be less about commerce and more about participation.

More than books

Spend an afternoon inside Oodi, and you'll quickly notice that very few people are simply borrowing books.

Parents read with young children while students prepare for exams. Freelancers edit videos beside retirees learning new digital skills. Teenagers gather in gaming rooms, local musicians record tracks in sound studios, and tourists settle into reading nooks overlooking the city.

The library's third floor, affectionately known as 'Book Heaven', is perhaps its most peaceful space. Flooded with natural light, lined with bookshelves and dotted with indoor trees, it opens onto a large terrace facing Helsinki's skyline.

What can the world learn from Finland?

Oodi is remarkable, but it is not unique within Finland. It represents decades of investment in public libraries as places for connection rather than simply book lending.

Researchers studying library systems across Finland, as well as neighbouring Norway, Sweden and Denmark, have increasingly argued that libraries contribute far beyond literacy. Studies suggest they help reduce loneliness, improve digital inclusion, strengthen civic participation and create spaces where people from different generations and backgrounds interact on equal terms. Similar findings have also emerged from research in Canada.

Together, these studies raise an interesting question: perhaps the value of a library isn't measured by how many books it lends, but by how well it helps society function.

That idea feels especially relevant at a time when many public spaces around the world are becoming increasingly commercialised.

A monument to trust

Oodi's location is no accident. The library stands directly opposite Finland's Parliament House, a symbolic reminder that public institutions exist to serve the public.

Inside, visitors encounter an environment built on trust. There are no entrance fees, no expectation to buy a coffee before sitting down, and no pressure to justify your presence. Automated robots quietly transport returned books while librarians help visitors navigate everything from recording studios to sewing machines.

For travellers, spending a few hours here offers more than a break from sightseeing. It offers a window into how Finland imagines civic life: one where public investment creates places that are welcoming, creative and genuinely shared.

In an age of increasingly curated travel experiences, Oodi suggests that some of the most memorable places are not the ones you pay to enter, but the ones designed for everyone.