Libraries

Based on the needs of the users, the Estonian library network is comprised of public, school, research and professional libraries and the National Library of Estonia. The Ministry of Culture coordinates the development of the Estonian library network as a whole in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research, other ministries and local governments.

Despite their diverse tasks and various sectoral affiliations, Estonian libraries cooperate closely, based on international standards and Estonian guidelines.

Library services are used by every other Estonian resident, which makes libraries the cultural institutions with the largest number of customer contacts in Estonia. Information on the location of libraries and their websites can be found on this online map.

Legislation

The activities of libraries in Estonia are regulated by the Public Library Act, Preservation Copy Act, and the National Library of Estonia Act.

The activities of research libraries are regulated by the laws of public universities and the Research and Development Organisation Act, while the activities of school libraries are regulated by the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act.

The process for updating the Public Libraries Act is underway.

Virtual libraries

The state supports the digitisation of valuable literature and publication as e-books. Thanks to this, a large number of important literary works have reached the readers via the DIGAR digital archive of the National Library of Estonia.

• DIGAR is the user environment of the National Library of Estonia, which offers access to publications stored in the digital archives. These include e-books, newspapers, magazines, maps, sheet music, photos, postcards, posters, illustrations, audiobooks and music files. The books and periodicals are mostly in pdf or epub format, visuals in jpeg format, and audio recordings WAV format.
• The national lending platform My Library - MIRKO allows Estonian residents to borrow e-books, audiobooks and magazines for free. You can also order books from Estonian libraries that have joined the service by courier or parcel machine (the fee includes sending and returning books).
• The e-catalogues ester.ee, lugeja.ee and webriks.ee contain the records of Estonian libraries regarding books, periodicals, notes, sound recordings, e-resources, etc.
• The database of Estonian articles, i.e. the Index Scriptorum Estoniae (ISE), is a database of articles from newspapers, magazines, collections and serials, which is updated daily as a joint project of the libraries in the ELNET Consortium. The entire texts of many of the publications are available on DIGAR. Thematic databases are also created in this same environment. 

• The Red Book of Estonian Publications is a list of publications essential for Estonian cultural memory. Nominees were selected from the list based on their cultural value, availabity, preservation risks and condition.
• The Local History Portal is a system for storing the information on local history in Estonia’s public libraries. It enables you to search for articles and documents about various places and to read longer articles and encyclopaedic material. It is also available on the National Library’s portal.
• E-varamu is a portal that makes available the digitized and digital resources of Estonian memory institutions, i.e. the libraries, archives and museums.
• Europeana is Europe cultural heritage portal, which was initiated with the support of the European Commission. Its objective is to make the digital collections of European archives, libraries and museums accessible to the public through a single online environment.

Journal Raamatukogu

With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the professional journal Raamatukogu (Library) is published six times a year. The journal introduces new directions in librarianship and deals with problems and mediates information about the activities of libraries. Also published are articles on culture, literature, book history and publishing. The journal is published by the Estonian Librarians’ Association and the National Library of Estonia (ERÜ).

As of 2019, the journal is available in online publication on the issuu website and as a print-on-demand publication. Previous issues of the journal are available from the DIGAR digital archive.

Important partners

The Council of Public Libraries is an advisory body of the Ministry of Culture, which includes representatives of libraries and their founders, as well as other experts in the library field. The Council makes proposals and expresses opinions on issues related to the activities and developments of public libraries, for example, makes proposals for the development of targeted programs and projects related to public libraries.

Estonian Librarians Association (ERÜ) 
About 800 librarians and several libraries belong to the association. The association provides librarians the opportunity to have say in the development of librarianship. The association organises training and professional events and promotes the professional qualifications of librarians. The association publishes a yearbook and a journal called Raamatukogu (Library)., together with the National Library of Estonia. The association is member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). 

Estonian Library Network Consortium, i.e. the ELNET Consortium
A non-profit association established for the joint promotion of the public interests of libraries, which manages and develops the integrated library systems Sierra / Millennium and the e-catalog ESTER as well as ISE, the Estonian database based thereon. The consortium also manages and develops the Estonian dictionary of keywords (EMS).