Tallinn University of Technology

About the Library

About the Library


The main function of Tallinn University of Technology Library is to serve TalTech, other higher education institutions, research institutions, government agencies and companies. To fulfil this role, the Library acquires, preserves and makes available literature on the fields of technical-, exact-, economic- and social sciences and humanities research, teaching and production for research, teaching and production purposes.

As a central scientific library, TalTech Library:

  • collects, preserves and makes available publications of original and mediated information in its area of responsibility (see collections);

  • is the center for interlibrary loans in its area of responsibility;

  • is a cataloging center in its area of responsibility;

  • processes, analyzes and distributes information on documents and databases within its area of responsibility;

  • develops cooperation with other libraries and information centers in the same or adjacent disciplines in Estonia and abroad.

Library in numbers 2019-2023

Project LibOCS: University libraries strengthening the academia-society connection through citizen science in the Baltics is funded by Erasmus+ for years 2022–2024. The aim of the project is to increase the knowledge of librarians in the Baltic research libraries in order to raise their awareness about open and citizen science and facilitate cooperation between the academia and society.

Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian libraries are represented in the project. Tallinn University of Technology Library is participating as one of the research libraries in Estonia together with the University of Tartu Library.

Read more about LibOCS at the project’s website https://www.libocs.ut.ee/

LibOCS
Funded by the EU

Tallinn University of Technology Library participates in the following organizations:

  • ELA - Estonian Librarians Association

  • ELNET – Consortium of Estonian Libraries Network

  • BALTECH – Baltic Sea region university consortium for Science and Technology

  • Biblioteca Baltica - an association for all libraries with collections and programs on relevance to the heritage of the Baltic Sea Region

  • IATUL - International Association of University Libraries

  • UNICA - Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe

ProjeCt "Braintree"

  • Architects: Eero Endjärv, Priit Pent, Mattias Agabus, Illimar Truverk   

  • Interior Architects: Hannelore Kääramees and Kristi Lents

  • The project was led by Margus Jaago (Bucoma OÜ)

  • Builder: AS Oma Ehitaja. Project Manager: Erik Lillepalu; Object Manager: Jaanus Erm

  • Funding: EU Structural Funds and TalTech funding

  • Cost of the building: 210 million kroons (13.42 million euros)
Toetajad

  • 1919 – Tallinn College of Engineering Library was established (Pikk 20)

  • 1932 – The library moved to Kopli (Vene-Balti 16, nowadays Kopli 101)

  • 1936 – Tallinn Technical Institute was created; the library reorganised as the Institute's library

  • 1938 – renaming the university as Tallinn Technical University brought about a name change for the library as well, and it was known as Tallinn Technical University Library (Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli raamatukogu)

  • 1941, 1944–1989 – the library was known as Tallinna Polytechnic Institute’s Library

  • 1955 – the library moved to bigger space in the Old Town (Lai 5)

  • 1960 – the library started listing TPI bibliography

  • 1961 – the library started offering regular bibliography courses to students

  • 1967 – the library started to receive legal deposit copies of Estonian

  • 1968 – xerographic copy service set up for library; the first methodic material published for readers

  • 1972 – The departments of Scientific Literature and Bibliography moved to the new library building opened on April 28 in Mustamäe (Ehitajate tee 5), which also included 150-seat reading room

  • 1975 – beginning of compiling personal bibliographies of renowned academics and scientists

  • 1977 – beginning of managing and processing the library’s stock on a computer

  • 1980–1991 – the library took part in compiling the retrospective bibliography of Estonia

  • 1983 – the first scientific conference “Fondide kujundamine ja propaganda” (Collection planning and propaganda) was held

  • 1986 – two-day scientific conference “Õppe- ja teadustöö raamatukogulik-bibliograafiline ja infoteenindamine” (Library-, bibliographic- and information services for studies and research) was organised to celebrate TPI’s 50th anniversary

  • 1989 – beginning of the compilation of the retrospective bibliography of Estonian scientific articles - national scientific conference “Raamatukogude osa tehnikahariduse ja tehnikauuringute arengus Eestis” (The role of library in technical studies and technical research in Estonia) was held to celebrate the library’s 70th anniversary

  • 1990 – the library became a member of the International Association of University Libraries (IATUL)

  • 1991 – beginning of creating databases on a computer

  • 1992 – the collections of books, journals and product catalogues and the related departments of the Estonian Technical Library were united with TUT Library during the reorganisation of the Estonian Technical Library - by the decree of the Government of the Rupublic of Estonia, the library became the central technological library in Estonia

  • 1994 – since the library building at Lai 5 was returned to its rightful owner, the library moved in the university dormitory building in Mustamäe and older literature was relocated to Eesti Hoiuraamatukogu in Lasnamäe
    - broadband connection was set up in the library’s main building at Ehitajate tee 5
    - international scientific conference The Integration of European Technological Libraries was organised to celebrate the library’s 75th anniversary - Konrad Kikas, a long-time director of the library (since 1961) left the office on 31 December

  • 1995 – Meelis Ideon elected as the new library director
    - TTÜR named the central scientific library by the regulation of the Minister of Culture and Education
    - Beginning of the annual overview exhibitions of TTÜ lecturers’ and researchers’ publications

  • 1996 – Electronic book security system by 3M installed in the main library
    - the library’s first web page opened

  • 1997 – the 7 major scientific libraries in Estonia, including TUTL, purchased a joint integrated library system INNOPAC (USA) through ELNET Consortium
    - beginning of the publication Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli Raamatukogu Töid

  • 1998–1999 – the library staff participated in the EU’s distance learning programme DEDICATE, which was followed by organising information searching skills courses for master’s students by the library in 2000

  • 1999 – Jüri Järs started his work as library director on 18 January
    - Scientific conference “Muutuv ülikooliraamatukogu” organised to celebrate the library’s 80th anniversary
    - Information system INNOPAC implemented by all member libraries of the ELNET Consortium. End of adding entries to the card catalogue, beginning of adding book records to the online catalogue - beginning of virtual library project
    - electronic information search training carried out via the library’s web page
    - first time access to paid full text e-journals and in 2003 to e-books databases

  • 2000 – the practical part of bibliography course for students can be taken online for the first time

  • 2002 – by the order of the Government of Estonia, six libraries, including TTÜ Library, were titled scientific libraries
    - the library became a member of Bibliotheca Baltica, an organisation uniting all types of libraries in the Baltic Sea area
    - the library started participating in the libraries workgroup of the BALTECH Consortium, an organisation for universities in the Baltic Sea region
    - the library started participating in the library seminars of the UNICA Scholarly Communication, a network for the libraries of European capitals
    - beginning of the subject librarians’ annual summer school
    - The first personal archive formed in the library – personal archive of Boris Tamme, TTÜ rector and academician

  • 2003 – the library implemented electronic circulation system
    - first time access to e-book databases, which enabled the readers to use thousands of monographies and reference books

  • 2004 – the library was no longer a support unit in the university, it was restructured as a TUT research and development unit and was added to the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research’ research and development institutions register - International scientific conference “Ülikooliraamatukogu täna” (University library today) to celebrate the library’s 85th anniversary

  • 2005 - TUT Library’s open access Digital Collection was created - creating the Estonian Biographical Database of Librarianship (ERBA) in cooperation with other libraries started

  • 2006 – project “Ajupuu” won the first prize in the competition for the best architectural solution for the library’s new building. Authors: architechtural bureau Agabus, Endjärv & Truverk Arhitektid OÜ, architects Eero Endjärv, Priit Pent, Mattias Agabus, Illimar Truverk and interior design by Hannelore Pihlak. The winners were contracted to create a project for the new building
    - the first colleague of the year elected

  • 2008 – creating software for the library’s information kiosks started. The first module was Open Stack Guide, a topographic search system for the library’s open stack collection

  • 2009 – the new library building on the corner of Akadeemia tee and Ehitajate tee was completed in June, built by AS Oma Ehitaja. Library services were opened to public on 7 September. Festive opening and the library’s 90th anniversary celebrations took place on 11 November with the conference “Ülikooli raamatukogu teadmistepõhises ühiskonnas” (University library in a knowledge-based society)
    - the library of International University Audentes (IUA) merged with TUT library
    - TUT Rectorate decided to add TUT Museum and TUT Publishing under the library’s rule starting from 20 July
    - video “Per Libros ad scientiam: TTÜ Raamatukogu 90” depicting the construction process of the new library building (director Georg Jegorov)

  • 2010 – the library made the first study videos about using the self-service devices and an interactive learning object about how to use the online catalogue ESTER
    - the library started to plan information searching skills courses in the e-learning environment Moodle
    - creation of the collection of Professor Paul Kogermann, first rector of TUT
    - BALTECH Network seminar “E-resources and e-services in practice” organised in cooperation with the university’s Department of International Relations
    - Architects of the library’s building received a state cultural award for the architectural solution and interior design - Jüri Järs received an acknowledgement award in the area of Folk Culture of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

  • 2011 – the last part with an index of the 4-part bibliography „Eesti tehnikaartiklid 1918-1944“ about the years from 1941–1944 was published
    - the first information searching skills e-course in Moodle for students of chemistry
    - video “How to behave in the library” was made in cooperation with Filmiklubi Tipikas
    - director Jüri Järs was awarded the Order of the White Star Fourth Class for his contribution in developing librarianship in Estonia

  • 2012 – The library received its first devices for the visually impaired through SA Archimedes Primus programme – video magnifiers and text-to-speech reading devices
    - The library participated in organising the Erasmus Staff Training Week in TTÜ for the first time

  • 2013 – the library started using e-book platform EBL (Ebook Library, later Ebook Central), which includes over 365 000 e-books by the world’s leading scientific publishers
    - bibliography „Tallinna Tehnikaülikoolis kaitstud väitekirjad 1936–2000“ (Dissertations defended in Tallinn University of Technology 1936–2000) completed

  • 2014 – beginning of inserting TUT diploma works, bachelor’s- and master’s theses and dissertations to Digikogu
    - Estonian Information Technology Foundation for Education acknowledged the course “Keemiainformaatika” with the quality badge for e-courses
    - TUT Museum became an independent structural unit on 1 July

  • 2015 – DataCite Estonia Consortium created by TTÜ and ohter universities. The library is a certified representative of TTÜ in the consortium
    - beginning of offering full binding service for theses, that includes printing the PDF file and binding the material

  • 2016 - E-resources portal Primo opened to library users
    - the library participated in the international library services quality assessment survey LibQUAL+

  • 2017 – university’s structural reform changed the library’s status from a research and development unit to a management and support unit. TUT Museum was merged to the library’s structure

  • 2018 – 24/7 study room/night library opened for members of TTÜ

  • 2019 – Tõnis Liibek became the new library director after Jüri Järs left the position

  • 2020 – the library switched to RFID technology, which changed the book’s processing, loaning and returning

    Compiled by Signe Ringo