Never has mankind known as much as we do now, but tomorrow we will know even more. Journey of exploration (”Tutkimusmatka”) brings recent scientific discoveries to the reach of the common man, directly in their closest library. 

Journey of exploration is a service model for public libraries. The idea of the journey is to introduce scientific results in an inspiring and easily comprehensible manner in the environment of a public library. The research results are explained in a simple and interesting way, making the patron want to learn more. As its name suggests, the idea behind the service model is to take the library patron on a little journey into scientific research.

Library – a bridge between community and science

The objective of Journey of exploration is to support and assist public libraries in presenting scientific results. Regardless of size or location, each library in Finland would be given a model to help them offer their patrons new perspectives. The model is a transferable tool for the presentation of scientific research and can be used in any type of library.

Library’s task is to browse the range of scientific subjects, identify a subject that interest the patrons, and organise an event, Journey of exploration, where the patron and the scientist come together. This enables the public library to return to its roots as a provider of knowledge for the general public. Journey of exploration strengthens the public library as a bridge between the man on the street and the scientific world. Another objective is to make scientists see libraries as an arena for introducing the latest scientific discoveries.

In public libraries, Journey of exploration has:

• organised nearly 30 events where science is made available and comprehensible to the public
• focused on marine research, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, studies of premature infants, dreams, etc.
• illustrated the subjects with lectures, games, tasters…
• What will come next?

Journey of exploration – so that we can know more.