13/05/2025
Hello, here is the second post from our friends working on Pokkari, in the iisalmi region in Finland.
"iisalmi Libraries are linked with Edinburgh Libraries through the NAPLES Sister Libraries scheme, and through this connection, we share working practices, ideas, and culture. My colleague Tuomas and I work at Pokkari, our mobile library, and we thought we would share information and experiences about our work.
While driving the routes through the villages of iisalmi, it is pleasant to observe the changing seasons and how nature transforms. For example, this year, in my opinion, winter transitioned to spring earlier and faster than normal. Rivers and lakes flooded the fields less than in previous years and the snow practically evaporated into the air, and there may have also been less snow overall.
The fact that spring arrived quickly is a good thing for mobile library work. The driver must always be aware of what is happening in nature and with the weather. For example, in the transition periods of autumn and spring, problems may arise because the snow by the roadside may melt onto the road and then freeze again. This can turn the road into a pathway that resembles an ice rink! Also, when the temperature approaches 0 degrees Celsius, rain can quickly turn into ice, making the road extremely slippery. This can happen very quickly, even within a few hours.
Additionally, the edge of the road may soften and collapse as the weather warms, or it may be hidden under snow. In the picture, you can see what happens when the road is narrow, the edge collapses, and a wide vehicle is coming from the opposite direction. This situation was handled well – neither the driver nor the vehicle was harmed, and a crane quickly lifted the car back onto the road.
Luckily, there are things that make slippery conditions more manageable. We have good winter tires on the car, which we change well in advance in the fall as the weather gets worse. In the video, you can see how we fill a device called a sand spreader. As the vehicle moves, it spreads sand in front of the wheels, making our daily life much easier if the road hasn’t been sanded. Filling the sand spreader is a bit tricky, and it doesn’t hold much sand, so we try to use it as wisely as possible. We also have a separate sand box in the car, which has saved us from many tricky situations.
In the next update, we could tell you about all the interesting things to see along our routes. I believe the landscapes are a bit different from yours over there.
We wish everyone a pleasant spring in Edinburgh and hope the winds blow warmly. 😊
"
EDITED: 15 May 2025 once we were able to download the video. 😊
