Archive and Library

Our archive is the most extensive archive specializing in Finnish folk music and folk dance. The collection includes approximately 6,000 hours of recordings, 1,500 hours of audiovisual recordings, 30,000 photographs, and 100,000 newspaper clippings.

The largest single collection consists of recordings made at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival since 1968. In addition, the material includes material collected from field trips to various parts of Finland and Finnish communities in the United States. The photographs and videos in the archive provide a comprehensive picture of Finnish folk music phenomena and people over several decades.

The Folk Music Institute's reference library features a collection of ca. 5000 books, over 2700 audio records and a wide variety of magazines. The books represent mainly folk music, folk dance, folk tradition, folk art and cultural history.

Our online database contains reference information on the archive's digitized sound recordings, sound publications, book and sheet music collections, digital and digitized photographs, and information on the Finnish Folk Music Museum's instrument collection. The digitization of the collections is still in progress. Access to the database requires a username and password, which can be obtained by filling out a user agreement and sending it to the archive by mail or scanned by email. Some of the material in the database will gradually be made available on the Finna service.

It is advisable to make an appointment in advance if you wish to visit the archive and reference library. Some of our archive services are subject to a fee.