| Humanities and Social Sciences | Rare Books | Fine Arts | Cartographic Information | Preservation |

As an Estonian Book Centre

Estonian book became almost five hundred years old at the turn of the century. This can be considered both long and short period of existence. Though to a small nation of only a million population, conquered and occupied during several centuries, it is a sign of the strength of its national culture.

Collecting national publications is one of the main functions of a national library. In 2000, the Archive Collection of the National Library of Estonia celebrates its 65^th anniversary. Printed word in Estonian language and literature related to Estonia in foreign languages irrespective of its place of publication is included and preserved in the collection. In 1935, the year of foundation of the Archive Collection, the library, then the State Library, established a regulation according to which a copy of every Estonian publication was included among the Archive Collection. Printed word published before the enforcement of the abovementioned regulation, and foreign publications were acquired retrospectively – purchased and received as donations. The present Archive Collection comprises books, periodicals and pamphlets collections, and its current acquisition is based on legal deposit. Its principles of function state that a single copy of every publication is preserved in this collection.

Estonian publications are stored and reflected in The National Bibliography which compiling is one of the main duties of the National Library. The current National Bibliography registeres all the Estonian publications irrespective of their language of publication and all the publications in the Estonian language published abroad. Estonica, reflecting the works of Estonian authors, and publications about Estonia and the Estonians, forms a part of the current National Bibliography.

The National Bibliography series include

• a monthly publication The Estonian National Bibliography. Books
• a yearly publication The Estonian National Bibliography. Books which compresses the materials of the year as well as includes the part of Estonica, and seperately, a bibliographic list of maps published in Estonia
• a yearly publication The Estonian National Bibliography. Periodicals
• a yearly publication The Estonian National Bibliography. Estonian Official Publications which includes the items the printing cost of which have been carried or which have been published by the order of the Estonian state.
• a yearly publication The Estonian National Bibliography. Music which comprises two parts – sheet music and music recordings.

As the complicated history of Estonia needs to be clarified, the Estonian retrospective National Bibliography should be built up, too. To fulfil this task, the National Library cooperates with the Estonian Academic Library, Tartu University Library and the Archival Library of the Estonian Literary Museum. Their joint efforts have resulted in publishing several volumes of the Estonian retrospective National Bibliography.

The main objective of the reader services in the National Library of Estonia is to promote the development of a reader-friendly library. Special departments play a major role in performing this task, since their activities cover all main functions of the library: they recommend books to be acquired, compile national bibliography publications, special bibliographies and databases, exhibition catalogues and information booklets, respond to readers enquires using various forms and methods of reference and information work.

Good service now is inconceivable without access to electronic information. The National Library of Estonia has had the Internet connection since 1992. In the same year the first databases on compact discs arrived. At present readers have an opportunity to use Internet services and CD-ROM in all special departments and international reading rooms. The number of bibliographic and full text databases has increased and on-line search possibilities have extended.

In 1997 the National Library began the installation of the INNOPAC Integrated Library System. The system connects 9 Estonian research libraries into a unified network. The present joint catalogue gives an overview of the member libraries and enables on-line searches to be made. An electronic catalogue became accessible to readers in January 1999, making it possible to search the integrated information system. The new millennium will see INNOPAC implemented in full and new development projects will be introduced: employing electronic documents, digitization of library materials, etc.

Humanities and Social Sciences

Collecting publications concerning humanities and social sciences is one of the main functions of the National Library of Estonia. The library acquires and provides access to information pertaining cultural studies, economics, history, law, linguistics, literature, philosophy, politics, politology, psychology, sociology, statistics and theology.

The Humanities Reading Room offers reference aids and tools in the field of science, philosophy, psychology, religion, culture, ethnology, history, liguistics, literary science and folkore as well as a wide selection of Estonian and foreign literature.

The Social Sciences Reading Room provides information services in the field of social sciences (economics, political science, sociology, civil society, demography, statistics).

The Library and Information Sciences Reading Room is specialised in librarianship, bibliography, and information science, providing for the information needs of both students and librarians seeking for continuing professional training.

In the Law Reading Room readers can find documents on Estonian as well as other countries law, international legislation and international organisations.

The Reference Reading Room provides reference and information services that are not included in the tasks of the special reading rooms.

From 1997 a Public Internet Access Point has been operating in the library; alongside with access to the Internet visitors can use e-mail and text processing services.

Long-term interrelations with other countries have resulted in the foundation of reading rooms of several foreign countries at the National Library – the French, German, Austrian, Swiss, Swedish and Nordic Countries reading rooms that promote the culture, economics and political trends of these countries in Estonia. In addition to providing reader services in reading rooms the librarians organise various seminars, meetings with writers, and compile exhibitions, etc.

Rare Books

Every library takes pride in its rare books. The collection of rare books of the National Library of Estonia dates back to 1944. The core of this collection was obtained from the libraries of the Tallinn City Gymnasium, the Alexander Gymnasium, the Pärnu Museum and St. John's Church in Narva. Books were also purchased from private collections of Baltic-German noblemen, from Russian private collections, and from second-hand bookshops.

At present, the collection includes unique and characteristic itmes, some with master imprints and some anonymous publications of the 15^th-20^th centuries, printed in Western Europe, Estonia, and Russia. The chronological border-line used for determinig rare Estonian publications is 1860, for rare Russian publications – 1825, and for rare West European publications – 1800.

Several of these items mark high artistic achievement delivering the impression of the style and trends of book-binding of their time. In addition to old books the collection also includes unique publications of cultural historic and bibliophilic value – the first prints of the works of ackowledged men of letters, publications signed by prominent persons, editions of which single copies have been preserved for today, books notable for their excellent binding work or print quality. The collection also includes a few manuscripts acquired by the National Library.

The oldest book in the rare book collection is a work of Lambertus de Monte, a theologian from Cologne, – Copulata super tres libros Aristotelis De Anima... (Cologne, 1486).

The oldest Estonian publications in our rare book collection originate from the 17^th century – a research paper in German language by Friedrich Menius, professor at the Tartu University, ─ Historischer Prodromus des Lieffländischen Rechtens und Regiments (Dorpat, 1633), and Heinrich Stahl’s book of sermons Leyen Spiegel (Reval, 1641-1649) with parallel text in Estonian and in German.

Our valuable Baltica collection includes the 16^th and 17^th centuries publications about Estonia, the works of the 18^th century well-known researchers and writers of Baltic-German origin as well as the works about Estonia by marginal authors, and the 18^th and 19^th centuries legislative documents.

The rare book collection of the National Library has lasting cultural historic and preservation value. It serves, first and foremost, educational and research purposes.

Fine Arts

The National Library of Estonia has continuosly acquired and provided access to world wide art, music, theatre and film, focusing on national print and music output.

In addition to Estonian editions the art collection of the National Library includes books on art, applied art and architecture in foreign languages. The Estonian postcard and poster, as well as original art collections are voluminous, the latter also including book illustrations and book-plates of cultural historic value.

The music collection which include sheet music and sound recordings in addition to music literature, is one of the most capacious in Estonia. The sheet music collection houses more that 30 music manuscripts from the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the oldest item being the score of Handel’s opera Rinaldo originating from the year of 1711. The personal collections of grand masters of Estonian music – Cyrillius Kreek, Mart Saar, Tiit Kuusik, Hendrik Krumm and Eduard Tubin – are of great cultural historic value. In addition to reference and information services, the music room offers possibilities to listen to music, use the piano, borrow sheet music.

Section of theatre and film information provides information to theatres, film studios, art associations, and other interested persons. The section has contributed to the staging of numerous plays in Estonia.

Cartographic Information

Maps printed in Estonia and maps of Estonia from different periods predominate in the map collection. In addition to these items, the National Library has also acquired maps and atlases of neighbouring countries, of Europe and the world, as well as cartographic reference literature. The oldest maps in the collection originate from the 16^th and the 17^th centuries. The collection includes unique major works of Baltic-German cartographers and the first Estonian national cartographic publications from the 19^th century. The National Library has also acquired modern digital maps alongside with hard copies.

Preservation

Everything that has been used, wears out. The collections of the National Library of Estonia have been preserved over 30 years.

In 1998, the National Library initiated a project THULE – the first joint undertaking for preserving the collections of Estonian research libraries. It aims to maintain, protect, restore and value Estonian book.