About The Fish Library of Finland
The Fish Library (Suomen Kalakirjasto) is a private fish library, which was started as a hobby. Until recently, old fish books have been archived in the libraries of national research institutes and universities. Now the national research institutes have almost completely destroyed their archives, and the pressure to reduce collections in university libraries is increasing.
The National Library has a role in conservation but lacks sufficient resources. As a result, the role of private collectors has increased significantly when it comes to passing on the culture to the next generations. Private collections disappear easily after an individual collector passes away. There is rarely a close partner to continue the collection, so the collection is often sold to multiple different locations. However, the collection is always more valuable than the individual books. Often the cultural value of a collection is also considerably higher than its monetary value. This is the main reason why Suomen Kalakirjasto, the Finnish fish library, was established.
