STATUTES OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ESTONIA

I - GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The National Library of Estonia (henceforth the National Library) is an information, science, cultural institution established by National Library of Estonia Act and its main objective is to help along the development of Estonian Republic and each person by cooperating with other information and library organizations in collecting, preserving and making accessible information resources. The National Library was established on December 21, 1918.
2. The National Library is a legal person in public law who operates pursuant to the Constitution, the National Library of Estonia Act, this statute and other legislation articles in accordance with UNESCO recommendations to national libraries and corresponding directives of European Union.
3. The National Library has a seal with small image of coat of arms of the state and with its name, symbolism in accordance with valid legislation and bank accounts.
4. Official interpretations of National Library name are:
   in English – National Library of Estonia
   in German – Estnische Nationalbibliothek
   in Russian –
   in French – Bibliothèque nationale d´Estonie
5. Official abbreviation of National Library name is NLE (in Estonian RR).
6. All documents given out and sent out and signed by National Library bear its official name.
7. Symbolism of National Library contain its emblem and flag. On the emblem there is an image of an open book protected with a roof, acute letter R on both pages of the book. The flag is square shaped white twofold cloth, 105x165 cm large and is fringed. On both sides of the flag are the emblem of National Library and a writing National Library of Estonia (Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu). The emblem on the flag and small letters of the writing are blue, large letters are black. The flag and emblem are used according to the order of usage of the flag and emblem of National Library.
8. The National Library is located in Tallinn, the postal address is Tônismägi 2, 15189 Tallinn.

II - TASKS OF the NATIONAL LIBRARY

9. The National Library carries out the tasks of public and parliamentary library according to National Library of Estonia Act in accordance with described tasks in classifications of these library types passed in UNESCO and IFLA.
10. The tasks of the National Library according to the National Library of Estonia Act are:
1. acquire, permanently preserve and make publicly accessible documents published in Estonian, in Estonia and about Estonia or documents containing information about Estonia;
2. collect, preserve and make publicly accessible exhaustive information and documents concerning humanities and social science as well as selective information in other spheres;
3. acquire, preserve, process, analyse and make accessible information and compile and publish documents for the Parliament, Parliament Chancellery, Government of the Republic, ministries and State Chancellery;
4. create and disseminate databases of current Estonian national bibliography on all data carriers and participate in joint program of retrospective Estonian national bibliography;
5. operate as the national centre of publishing and library statistics;
6. operate as the central law library of the country;
7. operate as the national agency of International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and International Standard Serial Number (ISSN);
8. register and exchange official publications of the Republic of Estonia pursuant to procedures provided for in legislation;
9. compile and publish bibliography of Estonian law;
10. maintain the Parliament Archives in adherence to the legislation regulating maintenance of archives and in compliance with the terms of agreements concluded by the Parliament Chancellery;
11. operate as a depository (depot library) for international organizations in compliance with the terms of international agreements;
12. conduct research in library matters, bibliography, information science and in related fields, provide consultation to all libraries and participate in the international as well as national projects of development, science and cooperation;
13. act as mediator of world culture and as a cultural centre.
11. To carry out its tasks the National library:
1. guarantees public accessibility to information and collections in library’s use (if not limited by law or contract) using all its information technology opportunities and developing services. Main services are lending documents for use on the spot, making copies of documents stored in the library pursuant to the Copyright Law, ordering documents and copies thereof from libraries in Estonia and abroad, lending documents and copies to other libraries, providing access to public databases, compiling reviews and reading lists, selective informing of humanities and social science, information bibliographic search of documents and providing expert opinion according to the tasks of the National Library;
2. cooperates with Estonian and foreign libraries and research, document and information centres;
3. develops library professional technological procedures, designs corresponding information systems, elaborates computer programs and creates databases;
4. takes part in public cultural events and develops and supports national culture in all its ways of expression;
5. guarantees service to institutions named in point 10 sub-point 3 of this statute;
6. takes part within the limits of its competence in elaboration and application of legal acts and international agreements;
7. participates in international and national science and development activities;
8. conserves and restores publications;
9. cooperates pursuant to contracts with legal and physical persons of Estonia and foreign countries to develop the National Library and promote Estonian librarianship;
10. gives consultations within the limits of its competence, organizes seminars, conferences and other events;
11. organizes exhibitions and introduces cultural values and information recourses in other ways;
12. organizes complementary training to Estonian library personnel.

III - THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF the NATIONAL LIBRARY

12. The National Library in carrying out its tasks has a right to:
1. receive information from institutions and organizations possessing it in carrying out tasks foreseen in National Library of Estonia Act and this statute;
2. establish legal persons according to private law;
3. form its structure, internal working order and exploitation order of the National Library;
4. determine rate of pay of services of the National Library;
5. sign contracts and perform other legal operations with legal as well as physical persons of Estonian Republic and other countries;
6. make business deals and organize retail sale pursuant to procedures provided for in legislation in accordance with the objective and foreseen tasks named in the National Library of Estonia Act and this statute;
7. perform other operations resulted from legislation and this statute.
13. The National Library is obligated to:
1. guarantee the fulfillment of the tasks assigned by the National Library of Estonia Act and this statute in accordance with the confirmed National Library budget;
2. guarantee free of charge service to the members of the Parliament and the Parliament Chancellery in the order foreseen in utilization manual of the National Library in accordance with the confirmed National Library budget. Other constitutional institutions are served under general instructions;
3. annually present to the Ministry of Culture the annual report of activities of the National Library.

IV - MANAGEMENT OF the NATIONAL LIBRARY

14. A collective body to pass resolutions concerning the National Library is the Supervisory Board of the National Library (henceforth the Supervisory Board).
15. Membership in the Supervisory Board, duration of authorization and working order as well as activities of the Board for fulfillment of the tasks assigned is enacted by the National Library of Estonia Act.
16. Resolutions of the Supervisory Board shall be binding for the staff of the National Library.
17. The General Director of the National Library is responsible for operability and development of the National Library.
18. According to the National Library of Estonia Act the General Director shall be elected by the Supervisory Board for a term of five years pursuant to the procedure provided in point 20 of this statute.
19. The Supervisory Board shall elect the General Director on a publicly declared competition at least two months before the expiry of the General Director’s term of service and not later than two months after the termination of employment contract of the General Director.
20. The competition is declared in the name of the Supervisory Board in at least three Estonian newspapers with largest distribution. All Estonian citizens, who have experience in management or coordination of library activities and who present in time their CV and their vision of National Library’s development can apply. Elected is the candidate, who collects the majority of votes of the members present. In case of an equal vote the Chairman or, in his/her absence, the Deputy Chairman, shall have the deciding ballot.
21. The Chairman, or, in his/her absence, the Deputy Chairman, of the Supervisory Board shall enter into employment contract with the General Director.
22. During his/her term of service the General Director stops his/her belonging to a political party.
23. The terms of pre-schedule release of the General Director from his/her term of service are enacted by the National Library of Estonia Act.
24. The General Director of the National Library shall:
    1. perform duties pertaining to the areas of coordination, government, administration and management resulted from the National Library of Estonia Act, this statute and resolutions of the Supervisory Board;
    2. exercise, pursuant to his/her competence, the highest administrative and disciplinary power in the National Library;
    3. gives orders and decrees, which are mandatory to the personnel of the National Library;
    4. appoint to office the Scientific Secretary, directors and heads of structural units;
    5. represent the National library by post in Estonian and foreign institutions.
    6. represent the National library in the name of the National Library pursuant to the authority provided in the National Library of Estonia Act and this statute;
    7. decide problems pursuant with the authority provided related to assets at National Library’s possession, utilization and disposal, open accounts in banks and control the financial recourses of the National Library in accordance with the National Library’s budget confirmed by the board;
    8. confirm the rate of pay of services of the National Library;
    9. guarantee the implementation of the Supervisory Board’s resolutions and report to the Supervisory Board;
    10. guarantee the implementation of the budget of the National Library and present the Supervisory Board with the corresponding report;
    11. decide other problems assigned to him/her by law and this statute.

    V - WORKING ORDER

25. The structure of the National Library is confirmed by the General Director, the boundary amount of personnel is confirmed by the Board.
26. The General Director of the National Library or a director appointed by him/her appoints to office and releases from office and enters into employment contract with all National Library personnel.
27. The rights and obligations of the users of the National Library are enacted in a utilization manual of the National Library, which is confirmed by the General Director.
28. The rules of behavior in working relations of the National Library and its personnel are determined with internal working manual of the National Library.
29. The structural units of the National Library operate in accordance with their statutes. The statutes of the structural units of the National Library are confirmed by the General Director.
30. The list of paid services of the National Library, the order of possessing, using and disposing of the National Library assets and the order of salary payments of the National Library personnel (principles of salary payments) are confirmed by the Board.
31. Managerial order in the National Library is determined by the managerial order confirmed by the General Director.
32. The conditions and order of using fire-safety equipment, rooms and working equipment is established by the General Director or a director appointed by him/her.
33. The utilization order of the National Library foundations, databases and computer network is assigned by corresponding instructions confirmed by the General Director.
34. The order of maintaining the Parliament Archives is assigned by the Board of the Parliament.

VI - ASSETS AND FINANCING

35. The National Library posses, uses and disposes its assets pursuant to the procedure provided in the National Library of Estonia Act for the performance of the statute duties in the order assigned by the board.
36. The assets of the National Library shall include:
1. property transferred by the state into the legal ownership of the National Library pursuant to the State Assets Law and the National Library of Estonia Act;
2. property transferred by another person for the benefit of the National Library;
3. assets originating form the activities of the National Library.
37. The National Library shall, upon the decision of the Supervisory Boards, transfer the assets not necessary for the performance of the duties of the National Library.
38. The National Library has the right to transfer immovable property in its ownership and conclude loan agreements only with the permission of the Government of the Republic.
39. The National Library is not entitled to guarantee third person's liabilities, credit loans, give donations or be a stockholder or a shareholder of a commercial undertaking.
40. The activities of the National Library shall be financed from the allocations from the state budget, earnings from paid services and assets from other sources.
41. The National library shall be financed from the state budget pursuant to procedure provided for in State Budget Act.
42. The budget of the National Library shall be composed of all the revenues and expenditures. Receipts beyond the state budget shall be divided among the budget of the National Library on the general bases unless restricted by the law or by special conditions set for earnings.
43. The National Library shall maintain bookkeeping and statistical accounting of the utilization of its assets and equipment pursuant to procedures provided by law.

VII - CONTROL, SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

44. The State Audit Office shall exercise supervision over the economic activities of the National Library.
45. The Minister of Culture has the right to suspend illegal actions of the Supervisory Board or of the General Director, or of legislation issued by them and make prescriptions for removing faults.
46. The order of internal control of the National Library is assigned and results are listened by the board.
47. The National Library is liable for reporting pursuant to scope and procedure provided in law or legislation.

VIII - MODIFYING AND IMPROVING OF THE STATUTE OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY

48. According to National Library of Estonia Act § 10 section 1 point 3 the modifying and improving the statute of the National Library is in the competence of the board.

IX - TRANSFORMATION AND TERMINATION OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY

49. The activities of the National Library are transformed or terminated by the law.

Redaction of the statute of the National Library is confirmed with board decision on June 10, 1998.

Tunne Kelam
Chairman of the Board