ISSN 0235-0351 (printed edition) 5/2000

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EDITORIAL

Good people!

Thoughts and opinions may outdate today during a week, not with year(s) as a hundred or fifty years ago. But despite of all our wisdom we cannot neither predict future nor change our mental life by force. It is true that there are people who have the instinct to sense the coming situations, but most of us usually draw parallels from the past when judging something. And we cannot blame anyone for this. Even the Young Estonians, perhaps one of our most intellectual movements, did not forget economical activities while engaged in their intellectual declarations, though they stood up for constant and reasonable things. One can ask from me: how do I know what is right and what must be preserved? It is indeed difficult to give a correct answer, but the knowledge and experiences of the human history should help us here. Even the small ones – both individuals and nations – are allowed to set high standards. They have a right to protect themselves. Where am I aiming at? I believe that my long libray work experience gives me a liberty to ask: what has happened to ourselves? Why has library people become heartless, why do we stear at each other with ice-cold eyes? Naturally, I have the case of the Estonian Academic Library in my mind. It is, of course, not in my compence to say what is economically speaking right and good. And I cannot forsee what is going to happen in distant future, in this matter I have always trusted younger and fresher ideas, though there are still a few in our field. Reckoning with sadness that I am in fond of continuity and are on guard when I see a threat to the mental richness, I still favour constant changes in all libraries. But we have to admit that there have been both right and wrong changes. Still, I am more discouraged by the fact that in an another struggle for the life of a library we lack solidarity which the museum people had in their joint battle with the world of officials not so long ago. We threw our collegues the glove of self-interest. Believing apparently that some of us have a right and power to decide on the fate of a bystander. But even powerful are attacked in the evening streets and so nobody of us knows when he/her needs help oneself. So we smashed into bits the original idea, possibly worth consideration as an economical reorganisation, and it does not matter any more how the Estonian Academic Library will be reorganised – it is not possible to make up the wrong we, their collegues, have caused with our indifference. With our silence.

And then, in the middle of October, it was thundering again – clouds covered the heaven above the National Library. But nobody had time to take one’s time and listen more carefully what was the essence of the problem. Dear media who had quite successfully reflected the story of the Estonian Academic Library, did not held its horses but attacked armed with a sharp and cunning word. Unfortunately, no suggestive opponents stood up against the journalists. But why was the Estonian intelligentsia – to whose favour the National Library plans the reorganisation – silent this time? And other libraries who might face a harsh criticism of media tomorrow? Perhaps they shaked their heads and turned another page. This is how the life of libraries looks like at the end of the year 2000.

A witty character of a well-known Estonian writer is asked: "What happens to those who walk on the ice when the ice breaks up at spring?" He answered he did not know.

Maire Liivamets

 

FIRST COLUMN

Murder in the Library Rein Veidemann 4

Rein Veidemann’s Column replaces our traditional First Column this year. When the author heard of the development plan of Estonian libraries which the Ministry of Culture had contracted for, it reminded him of the murder stories of Agatha Christie and Mati Unt. The development plan concernes the organisation of the library network of Tallinn and, in this context, the distribution of the collection of the Estonian Academic Library between the Tallinn Technical University and Tartu University libraries. Mr Veidemann finds the necessity of such reorganisation as mysterious as the motives for murder presented by Agatha Christie.

Books Have Promising Future: an Interview with Ross Shimmon Ene Riet 5

Ross Shimmon, the IFLA’s Secretary General from the April of 1999, is of the opinion that the importance of literacy and the role of the book (including computer books) is growing in the digital age. Librarians will have to ride the crest of the wave of change, and in this library associations have a crucial role to play. Answering to the question concerning the position of the East-European library associations in IFLA, Shimmon states the potential role of libraries in helping to strenghten democratic values and supporting economic regeneration in this region is bigger that in other parts of the world. He hopes that the new IFLA Statutes, approved at the Annual Conference in Jerusalem, will help members in Eastern Europe take a more active part in the professional work of IFLA.

RESEARCH LIBRARY

On the Study of Information Needs Eda Pihu 6

In her article "Study on Information Needs of Music and Art Consumers" Eda Pihu gives a survey of the research that was carried out in December 1999. The study took place in the Library of the Estonian Academy of Music, the Library of the Estonian Academy of Arts and the National Library of Estonia in the Department of Fine Arts, and all in all 419 visitors were questioned.

The aim of the study was to get information about the following items: who are the users of art and music libraries and if library resources are relevant to users needs; if there are any possibilities to coordinate library acquisition policy and service, and how to improve the quality of collections and service; and to analyse the role of these libraries in Estonian society.

Information-seeking Behaviour of Specialists in Industry Aiki Tibar 10

Aiki Tibar from Tallinn Technical University Library carried out a study about information-seeking behaviuor of managers and specialists in industry.

The interviews have conducted with 27 managers and specialists from 16 successful enterprises. The article summarizes problems experienced in determining or accessing needed information and the usage of external information sources. Main problem areas were: lack of time to carry out information seeking, difficulties in obtaining information from target markets, information overload on the Internet, acquisition of up-to-date information by top managers, lack of knowledge about information services and resources of libraries. The study also revealed which external information sources were used among personal contacts outside the firm, material resources and external services.

Project of Bibliographical Description Conversion Signe Tõnisson, Mihkel Reial 12

In 1999 a project for converting the entries of the books published in Estonia 1945-1991 was launched at the National Library of Estonia, aiming to facilitate the Internet search for these documents included in the collections of the libraries who have joined the Consortium of Estonian Library Network ELNET.

Pre-catalogue CIP Silvi Metsar, Riin Olonen 13

On the basis of the bibliographical data sent by the publishers and editor’s offices, the National Bibliography Centre of the National Library of Estonia initiated the cataloguing in publication of documents in January 2000. Today, the pre-catalogue also is accessible via the Internet on the address: http://helios.nlib.ee.

BOOK HISTORY

First Estonian Encyclopedia – 100 Years of Publishing Tiiu Reimo 15

The first Estonian encyclopedia was to be published in 12 installments during the period of 5-6 years. Despite of economic difficulties and critical attitude of Estonian intelligentsia, K.A. Hermann, the editor, managed to publish 12 installments of its 1^st volume in 1900-1904. The compilation and publication of the 2^nd volume of the encyclopedia was hindered for economical reasons. No more installments of it were published in the later years – the rest of the Estonian intelligentsia being of the different opinion and the lack of contibutors and buyers forced Hermann to leave his work unfinished.

STATISTICS

Libraries in 1999 Heli Priimets 18

RECENT LITERATURE ON LIBRARIANSHIP 21

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The Copenhagen Declaration 25

On 14-15 October 1999 the most influencial politicians of 31 European countries met to discuss the role of public libraries in the developing information society. At the end of the meeting, the conference approved a declaration which formulates the future plans concerning European public libraries. Krista Talvi, the Estonian co-ordinator of the PubliCA project, and Katrin Niklus, the representative of the Estonian Librarians Association, also participated in the conference.

Tallinn Pedagogical University Graduates of Information Science 26

Courses of Viljandi Culture College Further Training Department 27

ESTONIAN BOOK YEAR

Glimpses of the Conference "The History of the Estonian Book" Aita Karjatse 28

Notes of the 2^nd national conference of the Year of Estonian Book Estonia in the History of the Book. The Sources to Get to Know Your Native Country. The conference papers have been published under the same title and also accessible on the Internet home page of the Estonian Book Year.

ESTONIAN LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION 30

ESTONIAN HISTORY OF IDEAS

Tennmann – an Idealist and a Rebel Rein Ruutsoo 31

In his article "Eduard Tennmann – a Clergyman and an Intellectual" Rein Ruutsoo, professor at the University of Tartu, estimates the collection of articles, published in the series "Estonian History of Ideas". Eduard Tennmann (1978–1936), professor of comparative theology at the University of Tartu, was a highly productive scholar and conductive person. His contribution to Estonian theological and philosophical culture is significant in terms of looking for new philosophical grounds to teachings of the church and revival of the spiritual life in general. As a clergyman he represented the modernist currents which run into conflict with the conservative approach which dominated as a mainstream of religious approach in Tartu. As a philosopher he represented the personalistic school which was originated by Gustav Teichmüller – a famous German philosopher who taught at the University of Tartu in the second half of the last century. Personalist philosophy of Tennmann relayed on Leibnizian traditions. A person as an individual was perceived as a monad-like self-sufficient substantial entity. Tennmann experienced also a powerful impact of the modernist theology in the society, and was deeply impressed by the sociological ideas of Max Weber. He was one of the first academic persons who propagated in Estonia the ideas of Max Weber on the role of the Protestant ethics in emerging of modern capitalism. There was a certain conflict at place as he at the same time was interested in spiritual renewal of Estonia in terms of giving to religion much more visible role in the public life and preached for Personalist approach which stand for a liberal society.

CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

Professional Training Camp of Research Libraries Anu Nuut 34

The annual training camp of Estonian research libraries was held on 7-8 August at Lahemaa this year. The participants discussed the development and the main acquisition problems of research libraries, library performance measurement, the service quality, the aspects of market penetration, etc.

Professional Training Camp of Public Libraries Ene Riet 35

The 20^th training camp of Estonian public libraries held on 31 July – 3 August at Saaremaa treated the public libraries’ co-operation with other types of libraries and the problems related to the co-operation.

The 66th IFLA Annual Conference in Jerusalem Ene Riet 37

An overview of the IFLA conference Information for Cooperation: Creating the Global Library of the Future held on 13-18 August 2000. A crucial event of the conference was the discussing and approvement of the amendments to the IFLA Statutes, the document which reglements the IFLA activities.

Libraries in the Open World (the 5th Slavic Conference) Ene Riet 38

The conference which was held on July 26-28 at the National Library of Estonia and continued in Tampere, Finland discussed the development of Slavic library collections in general as well as focused on the management and preservation of such collections and on the generation of electronic databases and full-text databases.

The conference overview is complemented by Mihkel Volt’s, the Collection Development Officer’s of the National Library of Estonia, answer to the question which problems important to us were under discussion in the Section of the Baltic Collections.

International Conference ISIC 2000 Aiki Tibar 40

NEWS

European Union – Information Telephone 42

SUMMARY 43