The new exhibition in the library’s 2nd-floor reading area features a selection of ex libris works by Estonia’s legendary calligrapher Villu Toots, created between 1963 and 1989.

The works on display were almost lost to history. Discovered near a dumpster in Tallinn, they were rescued by well-known ex libris enthusiast and bibliophile Olaf Esna, together with Anu Karjatse, a calligrapher and teacher at the Tallinn Folk University, who carefully sorted and studied them, resulting in this exhibition.

Villu Toots (1916–1993) was Estonia’s most renowned calligrapher and lettering instructor, who laid the foundation for a school of calligraphy that nurtured generations of new artists. His works gained international recognition, and he authored several essential textbooks on the art of calligraphy. Toots studied painting and graphic arts at the Pallas Art School. In 1965, he established a calligraphy school at the Tallinn Culture University with a three-year curriculum. His work was continued by Heino Kivihall in 1983, who later passed on the leadership of the calligraphy studio to his student Anu Karjatse in 2018.

The display is complemented by books from the TalTech Library collections that were compiled by Villu Toots. The exhibition is open until the end of 2025.