Publishers:
	2003
		Issued 6 numbers a year

2003 nr. 4

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

ARCHIVE

Dear colleague, There are workers with golden hands and bunglers among the representatives of all professions. Previously, guilds were established to reduce the number of the latter ones and ensure the dignity of the profession. Membership of the guild was only obtained after apprenticeship and successful presentation of a sample of one’s work. Librarians lacked such a guild; necessary knowledge was acquired in the course of practical work. Even now, when information science is extremely popular academic study field, it is not an exception that one is employed as a librarian without professional training. The profession has been considered a little hard work and special knowledge demanding, that is, a profession of little dignity. We, professional librarians, can however state that practical life increasingly requires outstandingly fluid communication, language and computer skills and, in addition to that, orientation in the areas of culture, education and social work from us. It is the utmost time to think how to ensure professional competency of future librarians and, by doing this, at the same time improve the image of the profession. A major step towards this goal would be a professional standard that would define required professional skills for different qualification levels of librarians. The draft standard has already been drawn up – it was presented at the congress of Estonian librarians last spring. In all this summer’s seminars for librarians, the requirements presented in the standard were a burning issue for discussion. Time and again a question raised: should the requirements proceed from the present situation of the skills and knowledge of Estonian librarians, or should these skills and knowledge be improved using the standard? Should we lower standards for librarians almost in the retirement age? What level of education and speaking how many languages should be considered agreeable? If we require professional work experience at once, then how should one get that experience? Should job descriptions and other documents be changed and to what extent? Only we ourselves can protect library community against professional incompetence. In the end of September, public discussion of the professional standard begins. Every one of us has a possibility, not to say, an obligation to get involved in this discussion. Ene Riet Editor

CONTENTS

FIRST COLUMN A Forum or a Library Authority, a Guild or a Trade Union? - Mihkel Volt On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Estonian Librarians’ Association, the ELA Board member ponders upon the functions the association has had during the past 15 years and what should be its priorities in the future. The author is of the opinion that the present structure of the ELA is satisfactory. In the future, the association might remind a guild, which main goal will be serving the society through ensuring the high quality of its members’ professional knowledge and skills. Minister of Culture Is of the Opinion that Librarians Are Gaining Public Reputation - Maire Liivamets An interview with Minister of Culture Urmas Paet about the Estonian state policy, the actual state and position of librarianship in the context of Estonian culture and the librarian’s value for the society. DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES Libraries in Estonia and in Europe - Anu Nuut There are 1,182 libraries in Estonia according to the statitics of 2002. Statistical measures change every year. The article discusses the background of these changes and how they should be interpreted. Performance indicators of public libraries and special and research libraries are separately reviewed. It has to be recognised that our public libraries’ indicators are relatively high in the European context. Estonian public library network is well organised and public funds are spent on public libraries more than on university and research libraries together. Estonian Librarian is a Modern Librarian - Ene Riet The delegates of the 8th Congress of Estonian Librarians answer to the question what is outstandingly good and worth highlighted in Estonian librarianship. RESEARCH LIBRARIES Grey Literature in the Networked World - Anneli Kuiv Grey literature includes materials produced for various purposes, but not disseminated via usual bookselling channels and, for that reason, not the concern of the national bibliography. The area, however, is gradually becoming more and more topical in the world, because the amount of grey literature – of unpublished documents – is explosively growing through electronic publishing, its new dissemination channel. The article gives an overview of the essence and development of grey literature, its value and role in the library and as an information channel, and the future of grey literature. Book Heritage of Viktor Kõressaar - Mait Talts An Estonian èmigrè researcher of the Humanities Viktor Kõressaar bequeathed his personal library to the Viljandi College of Culture. The articles provides an overview of the transportation of the collection to Viljandi, of the composition and the future of the book collection. The Library of Tampere University of Technology’s Information Strategies - Aiki Tibar The author was in April 2003 on a study trip in the Library of Tampere University of Technology. She focused on the ensuring the quality of library and information services, user training, and the library’s cooperation with the university and other libraries in providing access to information resources. PUBLIC LIBRARIES Story of the New Building - Saima Andla In May 2003 the new building of the Central Library of Pärnu was opened to the public. The library has 2,721 sqm of total floor space. The floors of the building are designed in different colours: red, green and blue. In contrast with the previous completely closed stock, a major part of the library collection is now on open shelves, including lending stock, reading room stock and children’s department collection. Because of open access shelving, the tasks of the library’s staff have changed; they also have to work at the reference desk. A free-of-charge public Internet access point is available in the Periodicals reading Room. THE ANSWER PLACE Head of the Library of the Estonian Agricultural University Tiina Tohvre, Deputy Director of Tallinn Technical University Library Gerda Koidla, and Executive Manager of the Estonian Libraries Network Consortium ELNET Riin Olonen ponder upon the importance of Estonian library journal Raamatukogu. RECENT LITERATURE ON LIBRARIANSHIP STATISTICS Estonian Public, Special and Research Libraries in 2002: Tabels - Heli Priimets FRIEDRICH REINHOLD KREUTZWALD – 200 What Fr. R. Kreutzwald’s Library Tells Us - Aimi Hollo Head of the Fr. R Kreutzwald Memorial Museum provides an overview of the publications that once belonged to the personal library of Kreutzwald and presently maintained by the museum. The Museum has acquired 220 German-language books. The choice of books of the founder of our national literature and a medical doctor bears witness of his diverse interests and convictions. ESTONIAN HISTORY OF IDEAS Creation Inspired by Longing - Tiiu Tosso A review of an Estonian composer Eduard Tubin’s collection of articles Rändavate vete ääres (By the Travelling Waters) published in the series Eesti mõttelugu (Estonian History of Ideas) in 2002. The collection uncloses a world famous composer of symphonies’ attitude towards several phenomena of musical culture, reflecting the environment that surrounded the composer in Estonia and in Sweden. ESTONIAN LIBRARIANS’ ASSOCIATION Serving Society - Ene Riet An overview of the 8th Congress of Estonian Librarians, held on 9-10 June in Viljandi. The overviews of the position of Estonian libraries and librarianship during the recent five years were on the agenda; collections, user services and librarians’ training were separately treated. A tour was made to the new building of Viljandi Town Library and to the Viljandi College of Culture. Discovering Valga County - Irma Raatma An overview of a seminar for rural libraries held on 17-19 June at Nüpli in Valga county. The main issues treated were library acquisition, financing and collection development. A Summer Seminar for School Libraries - Vaike Mändmaa An overview of the ELA’s School Libraries Section’s summer seminar A School Library’s as a Learning Centre’s Role and Goals for the Learning Process on 26-28 June in Pärnu county. Swedish, Finnish and Latvian school librarians also introduced their work experiences. NEWS The Oeiras Manifesto – the PULMAN Agenda for e-Europe The Glasgow Declaration on Libraries, Information Services and Intellectual Freedom World Conference of Music Libraries in Tallinn - Aurika Gergeleziu An overview of the most important issues treated at the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres’ (IAML) Annual Conference in Tallinn on 6-11 June. Of 335 participating specialists of the field 71 represented Estonia, who at the bipartite plenary session spoke about Estonian traditional music, its collections and researching, and about using it in composing the music. One of the major events of the conference was the session of the IAML Cataloguing Commission, where functional requirements for bibliographic description and conceptual issues of the cataloguing of music were discussed. Tiiu Valm was elected a member of the IFLA Governing Board in June Director General of the National Library of Estonia Tiiu Valm will held the position at the Governing Board, taking part in the work of the Conference Planning Committee and the Working Group of IFLA New Strategy. The IFLA Annual Conference in Berlin - Tiiu Valm An overview of the 69th IFLA Annual Conference Access Point Library: Media – Information – Culture in Berlin on 1-9 August. Most of the papers focused on the future libraries, the keywords being globalisation, open access, information society, virtual libraries, etc. At the Conference a new President of IFLA Kay Raseroka from the Botswana University Library took the office. In spring 2004 the present Secretary General Ross Shimmon also resigns. The IFLA Governing Board of ten members was totally renewed. Norway is reforming Cultural Sphere

ARCHIVE

2003 - 3, 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