Publishers:
	2002
		Issued 6 numbers a year

2002 nr. 4

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

ARCHIVE

Dear colleague, What should we think about a spring-shape library building where book shelves, placed on a several meters wide spiral, rise high in space and where visitors speed towards a needed publication in a glass reader’s booth like in an elevator up and down, left and right? Interesting and original, isn’t it? This was a vision of a library in a year 2040 by Rob Bruijnzeels, a Dutch researcher of the future, presented at the IFLA annual conference in the United Kingdom. It also turned out that such a ‘meta library’, though without moving reader’s booths, has already been built in Noord-Brabant province of the Netherlands and is opened to the public 24 hours a day 365 days a year. This 230-m high building houses 17 km of shelves where 5 million publications can be placed. In addition to that, numerous reading rooms, seminar rooms, Internet connections, theatre halls, etc. The advantage of this construction, designed by the most eminent architect of the Netherlands Winy Maas, is the possibility of constant rebuilding – the spiral grows upwards according to the need. The precondition of the establishment of the Brabant library was that, in spite of all, the amount of printed books increases in the world. Though not so effective in form, still in content, was the Edinburgh City Library’s Muirhouse branch that was introduced to the participants of IFLA annual conference with pride. At the building of this community library, opened to the public on 6 January 2002, almost all requests of the library’s registered users and population to be served were fulfilled. The library’s collection includes literature in all eight languages, spoken by over 1% of the local population. Translators employed by the library can help every one of them with translating all kinds of documents both into English as well as into their mother tongue. The library also has children’s corner, special collections for visually and audially impaired, access to the Edinburgh community information and catalogues of city libraries. The library houses an Internet room equipped with ten computers, a café, a winter garden, a paintings gallery that also rents out paintings, a painting studio, an audio and video recordings centre, and video, theatre and conference halls. However, the laptop department especially astonished me. In addition to home lending laptops, the head of the department provides computer training for users at their homes. The above described gives only hints of the ways for organising library work. We can be sure that a library, no matter how large or perfect its collection is, can never satisfy all user needs. The discussion on the content and form of the future library will continue. Ene Riet Editor

CONTENTS

FIRST COLUMN Bibliotheca Universitatis Tartuensis Today and Tomorrow Toomas Liivamägi Tartu University Library has consistently supported the development of the university throughout its history, both in its scientific as well as in educational activities, and has parallelly served the general public. The share of electronic information in the library’s collection has grown by leaps and bounds. The development of the electronic library is considered an important goal. A system of subject librarians was established in collaboration with the faculties of the university that has to ensure balanced development of the library’s collection. Library services are constantly modernised, paying much attention to user training in information sources and retrieval. Approximately one third of the library’s service area has been renovated. In the future, this work will be continued, widening open access collections and developing comfortable environment for both individual as well as group work. NATIONAL INFORMATION POLICY Index Scriptorum Estoniae Ene Loddes, Triin Soone On 14 June 2002 the National Library of Estonia provided public Internet access to a database Index Scriptorum Estoniae (ISE). The article reviews the circumstances and history of the generation of the database. The database project was launched in 1999. Its goal was to generate a Web-based joint database of articles of the existing ProCite databases (11 databases on various subjects) for the use via the Internet. This was a two-stage project: during the first stage, in 2000, an initial version of the system was established, which enabled to unite a part of the ProCite databases with the integrated system; during the second stage, the system was improved, expanded and opened to the public through wide area network. At the opening to the public, 9 databases had been integrated into ISE. ISE can be accessed via the National Library of Estonia homepage at the address: www.nlib.ee , or ise.nlib.ee . TARTU UNIVERSITY LIBRARY – 200 A Retrospective Review of Two Centuries: Tartu University Library from 1802 to 2002 Hain Tankler, Malle Ermel Tartu University Library is not an ordinary university library, because it has been also fulfilling the functions of a public library. It has been decided to data the establishment of the library from 1802, separately from the establishment of the university in 1632. In 1802 the first members of the library staff were employed and an intensive acquisition of books was initiated. A professor Karl Morgenstern, the first leader of the library, is the most merited for the foundation of the library, further organisation of its work and elaborate collection acquisition. A sharp turn in the library’s work and holdings composition was evoked by the russification of the university in the beginning of 1890s. We can talk about the birth of a national university since the declaration of the independent Republic of Estonia in 1918. The library was developed into a modern research library – its collection was reorganised, new catalogues were generated and opening hours were prolonged. The years after WW II, under the circumstances of Soviet occupation, were the harshest for the library – ideological purification demolished the system of collections and catalogues used up to then. In 1958 the library managed to become a research library again, and increased number of its staff members, after regaining this status, made it possible to become involved in research, and study rear books, manuscripts and art collection. The opening of a new Tartu University Library building to the public in 1982 also marked a new stage in the library’s history. Both the number of library’s users and well as employees grew; study library that had so-far had separate premises was also moved to the new building; library automation began. Quick technological development characterised the years of 1990s. Special Libraries at the University of Tartu Lilia Külv The task of a special library is to make the specialty literature of a field (or several fields) accessible to its users spatially as close as possible. In 1930s Tartu University Library’s collection included 82 special collections with approximately 100,000 books. In 1970s central acquisition and cataloguing was initiated. At the turning point, there were 77 smaller or larger special libraries in addition to the research library and its five banches in the Tartu University Library system. The organisation of the book treasures of the University of Tartu was again put on the agenda in the second half of the 1990s, when computerised cataloguing and the generation of a database INGRID was started, and preparations were made to join the ILS INNOPAC users. A project TÜ raamatuvarad (Book Treasures of the University of Tartu) was launched with an aim to bibliographically describe books held at the university. In result of the project, an electronic catalogue of the University of Tartu libraries will be generated. How to Become Visible Mare Rand 30,000 manuscripts, 30,000 photographs, a graphic art and drawings collection of 10,000 sheets, and other special collections preserved at the Tartu University Library’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Department are extensively reflected in card catalogues and printed publications. However, in the recent years, electronic description of the collections has been dealt with – separate data collections have been formed on the WWW and images and texts have been digitised. Though electronic databanks of manuscripts, photos and works of art are yet limited in volume, the main features of the system for providing more open information about these objects have been already worked out. Preserving the Past Ene Sarap Tartu University Library has systematically addressed the hygien and preservation issues since 1957, when a special working group was established. It included a restorer and two binders. In 1966 a Hygien Section started its work at the library. A restoration school was formed in Tartu during the activities of the library’s Hygien and Restoration Department established in 1970 and headed by Endel Falk-Valk. At present, three separate organisational units have been established on the basis of the department: the Preservation and Maintenance Service, Binding Department and Restoration Centre. The article provides an overview of their activities and features the most exciting results of the Restoration Centre. Implementing the System of Subject Librarians at the Tartu University Library Kärt Miil, Kertu Uri The present system of subject librarians was launched at the Tartu University Library on March 2001. Formerly, the task of subject librarians was to mediate information for acquisition; today a subject librarian reports all problems related to the library services referred by the university faculty to the library management or to the departments concerned. At present, the library employes 18 subject librarians. The library started with offering the university faculties acquisition money through subject librarians, organising open access collections according to the requests of lecturers, and providing faculties with an opportunity to get answers to specialty information requests. Another task of a subject librarian is to get an overview of special and ready reference collections maintained by the faculty, and to make proposals for expedient work organisation. The State Should Have a Perception of the Estonian Science as an Integral Whole: an Interview with TÕNIS LUKAS Madis Orav An interview with Tõnis Lukas, a member of Estonian parliament, a former Minister of Education and a graduate from the University of Tartu, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Tartu University Library. The development issues of research libraries are talked about. THE ANSWER PLACE On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Tartu University Library, MPs Mart Laar and Peeter Olesk, graduates from the University of Tartu, and Linda Kask from the Estonian Librarians’ Association’s Bureau who studied librarianship at the university ponder upon the meaning of Tartu University Library for the university and Estonia. RECENT LITERATURE ON LIBRARIANSHIP STATISTICS Estonian Public, Special and Research Libraries in 2001: Tabels Heli Priimets FOREIGN LIBRARIES Library Security Tiiu Valm Thefts of rear publications from the European national and other research libraries’ rear book collections have become more frequent, causing invaluable material losses to the libraries. That kind of organised international crime was more thoroughly treated at the conference Library Security Management, held at the Royal Library of Denmark on 12–14 May 2002. The piece reviews the conference. The LIBER Security Network of 2002, a document passed in Copenhagen, which gives an overview of the present situation and the principles of international library cooperation for establishing a security network, is added to the article. ESTONIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION The European Union and the Working Estonia Eiki Nestor A discussion about whether and how much will Estonia’s joining with the EU influence our everyday life – the organisation of labour market, job security, social and unemployment insurance, wages and an possibility to manage with one’s earnings. The author considers the biggest challenge for Estonia an active employment policy, especially the need to raise state expenses on organising training and employing of persons on a poorer competitive position (youth, persons facing retirement, disabled persons, long-term unemployed). The state should also pay much more attention to supporting the raising of children, integrating work and family life. European social policy does not oppose children to retired persons, or employed persons to those whose management is not much dependent on themselves. The Impact of European Integration to the Estonian Social Policy Pille Liimal The article reviews how the expanded EU socio-political goals and developments have shaped the social policy of Estonia as an EU candidate state and what are our possiblities after becoming an EU member state. BOOK HISTORY Sheet Music in the Former Tallinn Town Library at St. Olai’s Church Kaja Tiisel A fourth article in a yearly column on the first town library of Tallinn, established in 1552, for celebrating its 450th anniversary. An overview of sheet music publications and books of Psalms in the collection. Music of an organist and composer Hieronymus Praetorius, the most represented author in the collection, published in the beginning of the 17th century is described in greater detail. ESTONIAN HISTORY OF IDEAS A Historian in the Turmoils of History Rein Ruutsoo A review of a book Demokraatia tulevik (The Future of Democracy) edited by Toomas Karjahärm and Hando Runnel published in the series Eesti Mõttelugu (Estonian History of Ideas) in 2002. It includes a selection of articles by Peeter Tarvel (1894–1953), a history professor at the University of Tartu, and an overview of his life and activities. Peeter Tarvel is distinguished in the history of Estonian science for his discussions on the history from the philosophical aspect, and treaties of political philosophy, international relations and comparative politology, based on his extremely extensive reading. Tarvel has also analysed political developments in Europe and Estonia in the 1930s; then the Soviet terror caused the interruption of serious relations between the Estonia-based history science with the world history research and problematics that could have tied Estonian history with the history of the world. ESTONIAN LIBRARIANS’ ASSOCIATION A Seminar for Rural Libraries Maie Kalmiste This year, the annual summer seminar for Estonian rural libraries was held at Rapla County on 26–28 June. The development of information technology in public libraries was discussed in greater detail. The seminar’s discussion groups focused on rewarding rural librarians for their work, their tasks and professional demands. A report of salary survey in separate counties, carried out joinly by the members of the ELA Rural Libraries’ Section and chief specialists of central libraries, was presented. The report revealed that librarians are underpaid and their work little valuated and they have to fulfil several duties not established by the law. A Seminar for School Libraries in Võru Vaike Kurel An overview of a summer seminar A School Library and Local Authorities of the ELA School Libraries’ Section, held on 14–16 August in Võru county. The participants listened to the report of the present situation and made a tour in school libraries at Võru county. Preliminary work for drawing up professional requests and description was dealt with. NEWS A Meeting in Narva – the Town of Good Energy Ene Riet 21st summer seminar for public libraries was held on 6–8 August 2002 in Narva and Narva-Jõesuu. The future of libraries in the entire world was discussed. The present situation of Estonian public libraries and providing them with Internet connection under the circumstances where library budgets of the next year will remain the same as this year were also talked about. Special services – library services for the blind and the situation of prison libraries – were treated in greater detail.

ARCHIVE

2002 - 3, 2, 1 2001 - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

2000 - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 1999 - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2