Publishers:
	2003
		Issued 6 numbers a year

2003 nr. 3

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

ARCHIVE

Dear colleague, Librarians are regarded as awful hairsplitters who take their job with utmost accuracy and thoroughness. Is it a myth or actually a waterproof estimation? Lately, it has seemed to me, especially communicating with colleagues, that day after day we drift away from punctuality particularly needed for work. Everybody has one’s own schedule of work. And those whose work requires written proposals, additions, comments and opinions of their fellow colleagues before official draw up are left in dire straits. If you ask to send it to a certain date, you can be sure that the respondents will be late at least a day or two; in the worst cases the due date would linger like it had been made of rubber. And it applies also to the documents important for the development of librarianship – guidelines, standards, cooperation agreements, etc. – and to the collections of articles and conference materials in preparation. The editor's office of Raamatukogu is also left in dire straits concerning the texts that arrive in the last minute. Good, if there has been a warning about the delay. Usually the author who has kindly and in good time given his/her consent to the editor simply sends the article later and often after several reminders. There have also been several cases of reminding that the author concerned answers that because the due date has already passed he/she had thought that the article is no longer waited for. But after all we have earlier thematically planned the journal issue and have to substitute the missing piece with something else. We distributed a questionnaire Our reader with the second issue of Raamatukogu last year. Over a year has passed since that and we have been questionned about the delay of conclusions. In spite of renewal of the date of returning the questionnaire and prizes given to the respondents the journal’s office has not received so many filled questionnaires that we could make a reliable summary. Why does the fate of our special journal disinterest a librarian? Doesn’t he/she believe that his/her opinion can influence its composition? Support would give confidence to the makers, and we would analyse critical proposals – we would ostracise nobody for expressing one’s own opinion. At present we experience just indifference. Is it a lack of readiness for cooperation or does it show even our low evaluation of librarianship as a whole? When the workload does not allow doing it ourselves, perhaps the task should be delegated to a colleague. Wishing us more collegial attitude and respect of each other’s work. Ene Riet

CONTENTS

FIRST COLUMN About the Estonian Librarians’ Association - Toomas Liivamägi The author regards the ELA as a mortar-like substance that should bind together the building of Estonian librarianship. The association should draw together the whole library and library-related community and carry relevant values and identity. The author is of the opinion that the extensive activities of the ELA should be reviewed; the work of some committees might be carried out at libraries. Focusing on a fewer goals and better national distribution of the ELA’s tasks would contribute to the strengthening of the association’s identity. NATIONAL INFORMATION POLICY Time and Byte - Priit Pirsko The article aims to consider strategic choices of the information society from the aspect of archiving – what should be taken into account, if the long-term preservation of digital information is the end. In the archival context, long-term preservation means preserving documents for at least 300-500 years. The preservation of a digital document is a dynamic process, because digital information becomes quickly outdated both physically (hardware) as well as logically (software). On the average, data carries should be innovated every five years. The choice of preservation strategies (and planning of financial resources for this) largely depends on the intensiveness and form of the use of digital records. Not everything, only valuable documents can be preserved, providing them also a context, i.e. linking them with other documents. To regulate digital archival system and services, the Government of the Republic of Estonia approved an information policy decision on 4 March 2003, complementing the archival rules with requirements for the transfer of digital documents archives. Information Specialists in the Knowledge-based Society - Elviine Uverskaya The amount of information available via the Internet grows at accelerating rate and research has proved that only information professionals – librarians and information specialists – are capable of effective information search on the Internet. In other countries a general practice is to employ information professional among libraries’, archives’, information centres’ and other organisations’ staff. Those specialists hold the position of an information consultant, a reference librarian, an information officer, a knowledge manager, etc. Regrettably, the employment of information specialists on the organisational level is not a common practice in Estonia, though the specialists have been continuously trained. RESEARCH LIBRARIES Wireless Internet at Tartu University Library - Kill Kask Up to present, Tartu University Library has been providing a service of connecting the computer to the Internet in thirty bays. Hereby, users can user the computer only in the study room, because they need wired Internet connection and an accession agreement. However, the number of laptop or palmtop computer users is increasing, who also want Internet connection. In the beginning of this year, a WiFi access point was installed at the Study Literature Reading Room of Tartu University Library. Via the WiFi a user accesses the computer network of Tartu University Library and all scientific information databases available at the University of Tartu and its library. The service is free of charge for the library’s users. The Estonian Academic Library Subordinated to Tallinn Pedagogical University - Anne Valmas The Library of Estonian academy of Sciences was founded in 1946 and developed into a high-level universal research library. In 1994 the Academy of Sciences was restored as an academy of individual persons. Since then, the Ministry of Culture and Education financed the library. When the two administrative areas were separated and the ministry was divided into two, the library was subordinated to the Ministry of Culture. Since January 2001, after the adjustment of Estonian libraries development trends, the Ministry of Education started to administer the library, envisaging the uniting of the Academic Library with Tallinn Pedagogical University and the integration of the library into the Estonian research library network supported by universities. Relevant agreement between the Ministry of Education and Tallinn Pedagogical University was signed in April 2003. PUBLIC LIBRARIES A Festive Event of Jõgeva Municipal Library - Sirje Narits On 15th of March, Jõgeva Municipal Library celebrated the 90th anniversary of its activities. The primary task of its predecessor, the library of Jõgeva Public Education Society, established in 1913, was to raise the people’s educational level by providing access to valuable literature. In 1996 the municipal library moved to a new building, where in 1999 a Public Internet Access Point and 2001 on the first floor a reading room was opened. Härma Library – 100 - Tiina Kohver On 25th of April, 100 years passed from the establishment of a library at Kõrveküla School. The article provides interesting facts from the library’s history and an overview of its present day. The former Kõrveküla, now Härma library is a public library by its status, however, also fulfilling the tasks of a school library (provides study literature). INTERVIEW The Mental Attitude of a Library Should Be Cherished as the Apple of One’s Eye: an Interview with Ivi Eenmaa - Maire Liivamets A conversation about life, libraries and librarians with a former Director General of the National Library of Estonia, Mayoress of Tallinn and MP, who in 2003 was merited with the 4th Class of the Order of the White Star, an Estonian state decoration, for developing the National Library. RECENT LITERATURE ON LIBRARIANSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) in the Estonian Language - Janne Andresoo By the end of the recent year the first instalment of the ISBD translated into Estonian was published. The article gives an overview of the history and of the future plans of implementing standard bibliographic description in Estonia. A New Digital Guidelines Manual - Krista Talvi An EU public libraries project PULMAN (www.pulmanweb.org) ended. The project enhanced Estonian libraries, museums and archives cooperation relations. The PULMAN DGM, drawn up in the course of the project, has been translated into Estonian. The DGM introduces public libraries’ practices and services across the Europe as well as public libraries’ cooperation possibilities with museum and archives. The Estonian version of the DGM can be accessed on the Web at the following address: www.nlib.ee/rkogud/pulman THE ANSWER PLACE The Professor at the Information Sciences Department of Tallinn Pedagogical University Aira Lepik, the Head of the Public Relations Department of the National Library of Estonia Urve Pals, and the Director of the Estonian Children’s Literature Information Centre Anne Rande ponder upon the importance of Estonian library journal Raamatukogu. BOOK HISTORY The Story of the Loan Library of Metsiku Village - Helle Remmelt At the end of 2002 the National Library of Estonia exhibited the collection of the loan library of Metsiku village, presently included in the archival collection of the National Library. Books, documents and photos were displayed. The article describes the history and more interesting publications of the loan library. During the 18 years of its activities, 678 books were purchased to the library’s collection; the soul and leader of the library’s society was Danel Pruul; its readership included both men and women. ESTONIAN HISTORY OF IDEAS A Journey with a Translator - Anu Saluäär A review of Henno Rajandi’s book Tõlkija teekond (The Journey of a Translator) compiled by Marek Tamm and published in the series Eesti mõttelugu (Estonian History of Ideas) in 2002. It is a collection of Rajandi’s original writings about the American, English and French literature, also including his press articles on translation and philology in general. CRITICAL REVIEW The Touch of Ivanov - Maimu Berg A critical review of a collection Puudutus (The Touch), compiled and published by the Tartu University Library (compiled by Kristina Pai; published in Tartu 2002, 181 pages). The collection includes 17 texts of fiction that more or less touch upon libraries. Some Notes on Bibliography - Külli Kaunissaar A critical review of a bibliography Eestikeelne ajakirjandus 1766-1940 I-II (The Estonian-language periodicals 1766-1940. Part I-II), compiled by Endel Annus and Tiina Loogväli, and published by the Estonian Academic Library in 2002.   FRIEDRICH REINHOLD KREUTZWALD – 200 Kreutzwald’s Manuscripts in the Estonian Cultural History Archive - Kristi Metste For decades the Estonian Literary Museum has been a research centre of Kreutzwald thanks to competently acquired and carefully preserved manuscript collection and books. Kreutzwald’s manuscripts are preserved in the museum’s Cultural History Archive. The archive has received a major part of the materials with historic collections; some of them have been acquired later in the course of preparing publications of Kreutzwald’s correspondence, etc. ESTONIAN LIBRARIANS’ ASSOCIATION About a School Librarians’ Information Day - Vaike Mändmaa An overview a School Librarians’ Information Day Childrens’ Literature at the School Library – The Literature Supporting Curricula, held on 2nd of April. The definition of children’s literature, reading guidance provided by school teachers, treating of literary works in full text in the literature class, etc. were discussed. Laughing Makes You Happy! The ELA Board’s proclamation for gathering library jokes. NEWS Project Reading Permitted Ended On 26 March 2003 conclusions were made of a project Reading Permitted initiated in 2000, envisaging measures on many levels for bettering children’s reading possibilities in Estonia. In spite of a minor contribution by the Estonian School Students' Councils' Union and the Government’s and ministries’ lack of interest, a decision was made to consider the project a success. Life is Full of Fairy Tales The Estonian Children’s Literature Information Centre initiated a pre-school children orientated project Life is Full of Fairy Tales. The concept of the project is that adults should read infants fairy tales or simply tell stories. The three-year long project (from 2 April 2003 to 2 April 2006) involves librarians, teachers, retired and other voluntary persons interested in children-oriented beneficence. Handing over the Muhv Prize On 5th of May, the Muhv Prize was nominated at the Estonian Children’s Literature Information Centre. The best promoter of children’s literature issues in the Estonian printed press 2001-2002 was announced the Head of Culture Editor’s Office of an Estonian daily newspaper Eesti Päevaleht Ilona Martson. The honorary Muhv for being the most children-friendly publication went to a daily newspaper Postimees.

ARCHIVE

2003 - 2, 1 2002 - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 2001 - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

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