Celia Library

What Celia Library does

Saavutettavuuskirjasto Celia (Accessibility Library Celia) is a Finnish state special library providing accessible reading materials to people with reading difficulties, operating under the Ministry of Education and Culture. Founded in 1890 as the Kirjoja Sokeille (Books for the Blind) association and nationalized in 1978, Celia became part of Kansallisarkisto (National Archives of Finland) on January 1, 2026. Its core products include a 55,000+ audiobook collection, 5,000 braille books, and 1,400 tactile books, with approximately 1,500 new accessible titles produced annually covering roughly 30% of Finnish publications. The technical platform is built on the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) standard, EPUB 3, and MP3 formats, delivered through the Celianet web platform and Pratsam Reader mobile application for iOS and Android.

Celia serves individuals with reading difficulties caused by visual impairment, dyslexia, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, and aging-related conditions, with an addressable population of approximately 5% of Finns. The business model is primarily state-funded: services are free to eligible end users, with revenue from government appropriations. A supplementary revenue stream exists through paid accessibility training and consulting for publishers and public sector organizations (456 EUR/hour for training, 1825 EUR for full-day workshops, 456 EUR per document accessibility assessment). Distribution relies on a nationwide partner network of public libraries, schools, universities, hospitals, prisons, daycares, and care facilities that register and support customers. Cross-border Nordic lending partnerships with Tibi (Norway), Nota (Denmark), and MTM/Legimus (Sweden) extend the catalog reach beyond Finland.

The library is governed by the Law on Accessibility Library Celia Services and operates under GDPR-compliant data practices. Strategic positioning follows a channel partner and community-led GTM motion, with no external investors, acquisitions, or funding rounds — operations are sustained by recurring government appropriations. Key institutional shifts include the 2023 mandate expansion to all reading difficulties beyond visual impairment, the 2025 full transition to online audiobook lending, and the 2026 administrative merger into the National Archives of Finland.

Name

Celia Library

Legal name

Saavutettavuuskirjasto Celia

Website

https://celia.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saavutettavuuskirjasto Celia is Finland's state special library providing free accessible audiobooks, braille, and tactile books to people with reading difficulties, serving approximately 5% of the Finnish population through a nationwide partner network of libraries, schools, and care facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessible Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations (EDAEAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Assistive Technology Lending Libraries, Trials & Device Loan Programs (EDAKAIAL), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Literature & Book Clubs / Guided Reading Groups (EDAMAJAG)

Keywords

• Accessible library services
• Audiobook lending
• Braille books
• Assistive reading
• Accessible publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a state special library under the Ministry of Education and Culture, Celia is primarily funded by government appropriations. Services to reading-disabled individuals are free of charge.
2. Training and Consulting Services: Celia generates limited revenue through paid accessibility training and consulting services for public sector organizations, publishers, and content creators. These are supplementary to the core free library services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Celia Library is a Finnish state special library that lends accessible reading materials — audiobooks, e-books, braille books, and Daisy-format talking books — to individuals with reading difficulties such as visual impairments, dyslexia, or other print disabilities. It operates as part of the National Archives of Finland and delivers its collection through its own Celianet web platform, the Pratsam Reader mobile app, and physical lending via postal service.

Product overview

Saavutettavuuskirjasto Celia is a state special library providing accessible literature to people with reading difficulties. The core offering consists of Celianet web platform and Pratsam Reader mobile app for accessing audiobooks, combined with physical and digital format alternatives including DaisyTrio combined books (text+audio+images), Braille books (pistekirjat), tactile books (koskettelukirjat), Braille picture books, relief images/maps, e-books, and Luetus books. Supporting services include LEGO Braille Bricks educational tools, exam materials production, listening device loans, and accessibility consulting for publishers. The library operates through partnerships with schools, public libraries, and care facilities, offering free services to eligible users with approximately 55,000 audiobooks and 5,000 Braille books in collection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Celianet: Online library service for customers to borrow and stream Celia's accessible books, audiobooks, and materials.
• Pratsam Reader

Products and services

• Celia Library accessible collection Free lending collection of audiobooks, e-books, braille books, and DaisyTrio format talking books for individuals with reading difficulties such as visual impairment, dyslexia, or other print disabilities in Finland.
• Celianet web platform Web-based platform that lets registered users search the Celia catalog, borrow accessible titles, and access them in supported formats.
• Pratsam Reader mobile app Mobile application for reading audiobooks, e-books, and other accessible content borrowed from Celia on smartphones and tablets.
• Celianet-koulutus (Celia training) Training and consulting program that teaches libraries, schools, and public-sector organizations how to use Celianet and how to deliver accessible publishing and accessible library services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 30% of all Finnish publications are made available in accessible format annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DramafonicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Contracted audiobook recording studio (2022-2026). Professional voice actors read books at Dramafoni's facilities in Helsinki. Handles recruitment and training of new readers.
• SilenciocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Contracted audiobook recording studio (2022-2026). Professional voice actors read books at Silencio's facilities in Helsinki. Handles recruitment and training of new readers.
• Suomen Kustannusyhdistys (Finnish Publishers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for accessible publishing. Joint annual seminar for publishers on accessibility. Agreed-upon best practices for audiobook production cooperation.
• Finnish DAISY ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelia is a founding member. Consortium promotes use of international DAISY standards for accessible digital publishing in Finland. Member organizations include Ammattiopisto Live, FSS, NKY, and Näkövammaisten liitto.
• Näkövammaisten liitto (Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Webbox listening device loans to Celian customers who cannot use touchscreen devices. Regional associations can register customers as Celian partners.
• LEGO FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for distributing LEGO Braille Bricks in Finland. Palikoid (bricks) teach braille reading through play to blind and visually impaired children.
• Selkokeskus (Finnish Easy Language Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelia has representation on Selkokeskus's Easy Language Council, which guides Finnish easy language activities.
• IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelia has been an active member since 1990. Participates in Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities (LPD) and other sections.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nota: Denmark's national accessible library producing audiobooks, e-books and braille for citizens with reading disabilities. Cross-border lending peer already connected to Celia's catalog.
• Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA): Canadian cooperative providing accessible formats to public libraries serving print-disabled patrons. Closest North American structural analog.
• Calibre Audio: UK charity lending free audiobooks to people with sight loss, dyslexia and other print disabilities. Direct comparator for Celia's audiobook lending model.
• Bookshare: Benetech-operated global accessible ebook library for people with reading barriers. Comparable digital-first lending model and dyslexia/print-disability focus.
• Myndigheten för tillgängliga medier (MTM / Legimus): Sweden's state authority for accessible media, providing talking books and braille. Comparable product set and Nordic peer status.
• Biblioteket for tilrettelagt litteratur (Tibi): Norway's state-run accessible literature library, explicitly comparable to Celia as a Nordic national special library for print-disabled readers. Already integrated with Celia via cross-border lending.
• National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS, Library of Congress): US federally administered library program providing braille and audio materials to eligible US residents. Comparable scale, funding model and mandate breadth.
• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): UK charity operating accessible library and information services for blind and partially sighted people. Closest UK analog to Celia's mission and product mix.
• Vision Australia Library: Australian accessible library lending braille, audio and large-print materials. Comparable mission and product portfolio.

Others

• DAISY Consortium: International standards body for accessible digital publishing in which Celia is a founding member. Strategic ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/celiakirjasto
• Facebookfacebook.com/celiakirjasto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/celia-library-for-print-disabled-people
• Instagraminstagram.com/celiakirjasto

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Celia Library