The Library of the Estonian Academy of Arts

Estonia avenue 7, Tallinn 10143
e-mail library@artun.ee
phones 626 7334 reading room, loan desk
           626 7340 director Elvira Mutt 
           626 7362 bibliographers

The size of collection (as at January 1st, 2010):
Items in total - 86054 printed matter - 85380 which 652 are manuscripts
(scientific research, defended MA and PhD theses / projects)
Audiovisual materials - 674

Registered readers - 3845 (as at January 1st, 2010)

The library was established in 1914 together with Tallinn School of Applied Arts. Since 1945 it has been a specialized university library. During its existence the library has been operating in the same house and for decades in very modest and cramped conditions. In 1997 the construction of new rooms for the library in the former gym began (architect Avo-Himm Looveer, interior design and furniture by Raul Järg and Toomas Korb). The aim was to design a modern library that would meet the needs of a university of the 21st century and provide specialty information also as a public service. The library cost 5.5 million kroons and was officially opened on September 12th, 2000. The library occupies an area of 650 square metres.

The entire collection (apart from manuscripts and fiction) is displayed on open stacks. There are 65 seats for reading, free internet, WIFI, possibilities of scanning and, for a fee, printing and making copies.
We serve the students, teachers and employees of the Academy, its alumni and people from outside the Academy.

The oldest book dates back to the 18th century and the oldest magazines to the 1890s. There are plenty of 20th century German, English and Russian periodicals and portfolios published before the 1940s.
The Library collects all items published by the Academy, scientific research, Estonian art and architecture. In other cases the content of the Academy’s study programmes is considered.

The Library generally collects reference books and textbooks of art, architecture, design, fine and applied arts, art theory and criticism, art history, semiotics, media art, modern theories, stage design, cinema and photography, cultural studies, religion and mythology, art technologies, nature.

The library provides access to several databases:
Electronic databases ESTER (electronic information system of Estonian libraries) – data since 1997, 50% of the total collection have been entered by the current moment; and
PROCITE – includes selected data of articles and periodicals.
Card catalogues – alphabetic and systematic, include books published before 1998.
Readers may also access the EBSCO electronic database.

The title of Academic Library was awarded in 2005.
The Academy’s library is a member of the Association of Estonian Arts Libraries.