Muudatusi ja arenguid Tartu Ülikooli raamatukogu kogude arenduse valdkonnas aastatel 2010–2021

Changes and Movements in the Development of the University of Tartu Library Collections in 2010–2021Regarding collections development, the years 2010–2021 were characterised by constantly shrinking sums for the acquisition of library materials, leading to the reduction in the number of copies acquired and causing the cancellation of subscriptions, as well as bringing about the reduction in the volume of publications exchange with research libraries in abroad. All in all, the collections development activities were seriously restricted by the scarcity of the acquisitions budget. Due to the completion of new university buildings and moving of university faculties and institutes to new locations, large amounts of older historical publications, periodicals and students’ research papers were handed over to the library. Processing of these materials has been extremely time and labour-consuming, since all the materials need checking against the catalogues and the library’s capacity in cleaning these materials and making necessary repairs is lacking. As several major library renovations fell into this period, excessive amounts of time and energy were spent in making all kinds of renovation-related preparations,reorganisations and tidying up

Läti Vabariigi ja Eesti Vabariigi riigipeade vastastikkused visiidid 1925. ja 1933. aastal ja nende kajastamine ajalehtedes

dc.description.ur

Esimene teadusraamatukogude visioonikonverents Eestis

The First Estonian Vision Conference of Research Libraries On 1 November 2022, the first-ever vision conference dedicated to the future of research libraries was held in Estonia. The event marked the national year of libraries and the significant anniversary of the University of Tartu Library. Approximately 100 participants from various libraries, with 75 of them on-site and the rest online, engaged in discussions about the most critical issues in the development of research libraries and sought to set goals for the future. The conference began with presentations in English, focusing mainly on open science. The first speaker was Ragnar Siil, founder and CEO of Creativity Lab, a think tank for international cultural policy and creative economy, and President of the European Network of Cultural Policy Designers. Rector of the University of Tartu Toomas Asser emphasised the vital role of libraries in a democratic society, noting that while university libraries have for centuries been responsible for preserving, managing, and providing access to research and cultural collections, the digital age has expanded their benefits and accessibility. Eva Mendez, a renowned expert in open science, discussed the challenges in front of traditional scientific publishing practices, emphasising the „publish or perish” model and the need for open science to enhance the quality of research and global understanding. She highlighted the importance of flexibility in adapting to changing research practices, in leveraging contemporary technologies, and in amending intellectual property laws to better align with societal interests and scientific goals. Kristjan Luukas Ilves, the Deputy Chancellor for Digital Development at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Estonia, stressed the significance of improving user experience, ensuring data quality and accessibility, and fostering the culture of open data. He underlined the importance of data security and the need for comprehensive data structures and technology and management skills development. MIT Libraries’ experiences in the United States provided an example of effective change management. Erin Stalberg and Heather Sardis discussed MIT’s principles, emphasising the importance of the digital shift, open research, data management support, strategic human resource development, diversity, equity, and inclusion. They encouraged Estonian research libraries to develop strategies for change management. MacKenzie Smith from the University of California, Davis, discussed the evolving role of research libraries.While traditional libraries focused on their collections, today, the emphasis is on the user and their needs in a digital world. She suggested that research libraries should invest more in digital services, recruit IT experts, and utilise linked data. Smith also emphasised the growing importance of artificial intelligence and encouraged libraries to experiment with AI-based solutions. In conclusion, the conference addressed three questions about the future of libraries: their names (with most favouring „libraries”, but also considering alternatives), required skills for librarians (with data management topping the list), and the possibility of conducting research without libraries (with responses divided between „yes” and „partly”). The second part of the Vision Conference began with a presentation by Andres Kollist, the Director of Tallinn University Academic Library, discussing the understanding, ownership, value, and price of information in the context of the rapidly changing information landscape. He stressed the role of libraries in helping users assess, search, and find quality information in an environment often filled with information noise and misinformation. Martin Eessalu, Head of a research infrastructure at the Ministry of Education and Research, provided an overview of the collaboration between the state and research libraries and outlined future perspectives. The Estonian Research and Development and Innovation Strategy „Research and Development and Innovation 2021–2035” prioritises the continuity of data archives, research libraries, and access to essential research databases. The government recognises the importance of making data and resources more accessible and promoting the open data culture. Aija Sakova, an expert in literature and Manager of Business Cooperation and Knowledge Transfer at Tallinn University, discussed the seemingly contrasting roles of research libraries. She highlighted the library’s timeless role as a sanctuary for reflection and intellectual exploration, at the same time emphasising the need for libraries to evolve and become change agents in the data-driven world, supporting research data management, open science, and data literacy. Tanel Alumäe, professor at the Tallinn University of Technology, presented the project „Estonian Text Summarizer”, focusing on text summarisation and computer-assisted navigation in large text corpora. Summarisation systems automatically generate concise summaries from extensive texts, making it easier to navigate and comprehend large volumes of text. He discussed the challenges and opportunities of developing such systems, highlighting the importance of training data, noise handling, and the potential of artificial intelligence in information retrieval. Olga Einasto, Head of the Service Department at the University of Tartu Library, highlighted the importance of communication in libraries, tracing the evolution of communication processes in libraries from the Gutenberg era to the digital age. She emphasised that libraries have transformed from authoritative institutions to open and participatory learning environments, adapting to societal changes and realising the need for finding balance in their communication and power relationships with readers. Liisi Lembinen, Director of Development at the University of Tartu Library and the main organiser of the conference, expressed her hope that the conference provided inspiration and a clearer vision of the expectations for research libraries and their future direction for all participants. The conference aimed to benefit not only library professionals but also anyone interested in the future of research libraries. It addressed a wide range of topics, from the changing information landscape to the evolving role of libraries in the digital age, and the importance of open science and data management

Remondikümnend raamatukogus

A Decade Full of Renovations at the University of Tartu LibraryThe library building, which entered its 40th year of functioning on 22 February 2022, had already for many years been urgently needing renovation. Some partial renovations had been made a few years earlier. In 2012, under the CO2 emissions quotas project, the library ventilation system was renewed, all windows were replaced and the roof and the front of the building were provided with thermal insulation; in 2013, the renovation proceeded to the reading rooms of the humanities and social sciences and a lift was installed in the building. However, because of the poor safety situation of the collections and people and due to the regulations of the Rescue Board, it was necessary to undertake a major renovation of thewhole building. Large-scale preparations for the renovation took several years. The process, planned to be done by stages which should have closed the library for users for only a few months, started in summer 2016. In reality, for different reasons it took two years and it was completed in August 2018. Although we were not able to get everything that we had wanted, for example, the 24/7 area, both the users and the staff members are all very happy with the renewed library

Liina Espenberg 60

Liina Espenberg 6

The Role of Estonian Diplomatic Representatives and Envoys in the Formation of Relations between Estonia and Latvia in 1919–1940

dc.description.ur