Information Specialist-Access Services
Juha Leppämäki works as an Information Specialist within the Access Services team at the University of Helsinki Library, where he supports library services and user access activities. He joined the Live My Life programme at the University of Bologna after the opportunity was recommended by a colleague who had previously participated in the initiative. The exchange offered him the chance to connect with a professional working in a similar role and to gain insight into the library system of another European university.
One of Juha’s first impressions of the campus library at the University of Bologna was a sense of familiarity. Having previously worked in faculty libraries before moving to a larger university library structure in Helsinki, he immediately recognised similarities with the atmosphere and organisation of smaller campus libraries.
At the same time, he was particularly impressed by the ability of the Rimini campus library to provide a complete range of services despite its smaller size. Observing how library support and access services are managed in a different institutional context offered him useful perspectives on flexibility, organisation and user support.
Working alongside his Live My Life partner allowed Juha to better understand not only the daily activities of the Rimini campus library, but also the broader structure of the library system at the University of Bologna and within Italy more generally.
He described the experience as both professionally enriching and personally welcoming, highlighting the openness and kindness of his host as an important part of the exchange. Through everyday conversations and shared practices, the mobility became an opportunity to compare approaches, exchange ideas and reflect on how library services operate across institutions.
Beyond the workplace, Juha particularly enjoyed discovering the historical heritage of the University of Bologna. Visiting places such as Palazzo Poggi and other historic libraries allowed him to connect more deeply with the history of the university and the wider Emilia-Romagna region. For Juha, the experience combined professional exchange with cultural discovery, leaving him with a strong appreciation for both the university environment and the local context, with the desire to return to Italy again in the future.