Tartu University Library is the oldest and biggest continuously working library in Estonia. Being the most universal Estonian research library, its collections contain materials on all fields of science taught at the university.

Fulfilling some functions of national library together with the Estonian National Library, the Estonian Academic Library and the Archival Library of the Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu University Library collects and holds printed and other documents published in Estonia, creating as complete collections of these materials as possible. Current Estonian National Bibliography was compiled at Tartu University Library in the 1920s and 1930s.

In 1958 the library was given the status of the ‘scientific library’ (according to the Soviet classification of libraries), resulting in better conditions for bibliographic work and research, and in the creation of restoration department at the library. The library started to publish regularly (collections of articles, bibliographies, catalogues of the collections, exhibition catalogues, since 1995 – yearbooks, etc.); and to organise scientific conferences (17 up to the present day) and seminars.

Tartu University Library is a member of the Consortium of Estonian Libraries Network (ELNET); the members of the Consortium use integrated information system INNOPAC and develop the unified e-catalogue ESTER. The library started using its own electronic catalogue INGRID in the end of 1994.

The size of the collections - 3 813 941 items (01.01.2002)

including:

12% of publications are in Estonian, 35% – in Russian, 30% – in German, 10% – in English, 13% – in other languages.

Library collections contain a large number of early prints and rare books: 48 incunabula, more than 2 000 Western European books from the 16th century, 241 books printed by the Elsevier publishing house, 50 16th-18th century publications in Cyrillic script, more than 800 18th century Russian secular books, more than 100 old Finnish prints and publications from other countries.

Rarities from the library collections

A letter of donation concerning real estate (1239) – the oldest document in the library

J. Gerson Tractatus de regulis mandatorum (Nürnberg, 1470) – the oldest printed book in Estonia

H. Stahl Hand- und Hauszbuch für das Fürstenthumb Esthen in Liffland Vol. I (Riga, 1632) the oldest Estonian language book in the library

M. Luther, Catechism (Königsberg, 1586) – the oldest Latvian language book in the library

Der olympische Eid (Mainz, 1976) – the smallest book in the library (6x6 mm)

The first scientific journal of the world Journal des sçavans (Paris, 1665)

Library staff (10.01.2005)

165  FTE, supporting staff  35.

Users about 40000
Library visits over 800 000
Loans over 750 400

The Library belongs to the following international organisations:

• Association of European Research Libraries (LIBER),
• Association of Libraries of the Baltic Area Bibliotheca Baltica,
• European Association of Health Information Libraries (EAHIL),
• International Association of Music Libraries (IAML),
• European Information Association (EIA) and its branch for Baltic and Nordic Countries.