“If you want your concentration back, come to the library!” – Haaga-Helia’s new President in an interview with the library

The role of the library in the changing world

Susanna sees the role of a university library as essential in today’s world. Reading develops thinking skills. As a university of applied sciences, teaching in Haaga-Helia should be based on research. The best results are achieved when teachers and library specialists work together.

Many people are currently worried about the decline of literacy and concentration. Susanna shares this concern. She wishes that young people would read, anything at all. The most important thing is to read at least something. However, Susanna points out that the young people shouldn’t be made feel guilty or left alone. Learning and reading take time. They are still beneficial for you. 

Even though the world has changed and many library services have moved online, Susanna still considers the physical library space an important place. The library offers a place to slow down and retreat to. It’s important that library spaces feel inviting. Nowadays, neurodiversity is better recognized: not everyone feels comfortable in bright lights and noisy environments. Susanna gets inspired and comes up with a slogan for the library: “If you want your concentration back, come to the library!” She describes the library as an oasis for thinking and concentrating. 

Printed book supports concentration

Susanna says she reads whenever she can and also listens to audiobooks. Her reading app has recently informed her that she is a regular reader. Susanna also makes good use of the app’s algorithm, which suggests new books for her to try.

When we ask which she prefers, reading or listening, the answer is clear. Susanna likes reading printed books best: ”It’s also a sensory experience when you can feel the book and control it.” A book that you can handle physically supports concentration and your mind doesn’t wander elsewhere. Concentration is especially important when you need to grasp new things. For example, Susanna always reads research articles rather than listens to them. In fact, she prints the articles because she wants to engage with them in various ways. She underlines, adds exclamation marks and uses sticky notes. “That’s when the physical element matters even more.”  

Susanna is a versatile reader and chooses her books based on how she’s feeling. On Fridays she wants to leave work behind, so she often picks up either a detective novel or a poetry book. It depends on the mood! She mentions a book‑related tradition: every Christmas, her spouse gives her the book that has won the Finlandia Prize, the most prestigious literature award in Finland.

Susanna recommends

Susanna happily agreed to be the patron of the library’s 2026 reading challenge. We asked for her best reading tips:

• It’s the most important thing that you read, anything at all!
• Read anything longer than social media and its rapid feed. On the other hand, what if you try to read poems or aphorisms? They are a bit like social media posts: you read a short piece of text, and you might realize something new.
• She remembers reading Helena Åhman’s Mind leadership in organization early in her leading career. Susanna describes her reading experience: “Wow, the things you’ve been observing your whole life actually have a theoretical foundation, and they’re worth promoting. The path you’ve chosen as the basis for your leadership is the right one.”
• Lately Susanna’s been reading Sivistys vaurautena – radikaalisti mutta lempeästi kohti kestävää yhteiskuntaa (only available in Finnish) by Maria Joutsenvirta & Arto O. Salonen. It’s a book about culture and building a more sustainable society.
• She’s fascinated by the books by Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen, a Finnish psychologist. The newest release Itsekkyyden aika – miten yltiöyksilöllinen kulttuurimme sai meidät voimaan pahoin (only available in Finnish) deals with our overly individualist culture and its consequences.   
• Susanna wants to pass her love of reading on to the next generation as well. Her recommendation for reading out loud is Good Night Stories for the Rebel Girls.
• And if the world is really getting to you, pick up a Moomin book!