No. 11

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Scientific information as the cornerstone of a knowledge -based society

  • Jüri Järs

    director of the Tallinn University of Technology library

Being responsible for its quality, comprehensiveness and availability has been the primary task of academic libraries ever since they were established.

Just ten years ago, academic libraries considered developing information and communications technology and creating an integrated library system the most important item on the agenda. Now information needs and information seeking behavior have risen to the fore, along with procurement and mediation of electronic information resources and raising information literacy. The article covers changes in the legislative regulation of academic libraries, requirements for academic libraries, procedures for naming academic and archives libraries and public funding of libraries through ministry of education and science. An overview is given of the assembling of a standard collection compilation, and major developments in academic libraries. Thanks to state financing and joint procurements of electronic resources through the ELNET Consortium, the supply of academic information has improved markedly in the last few years. In 2004 the full texts of more than 15 000 magazines and nearly 20,000 e-books could be accessed. Magazines formed nearly 90% of the total periodical titles. Unfortunately, many different interfaces and search systems must be used to search for e-resources, which lengthens the time spent on searches and without adequate poor preparation will not give a comprehensive result. To compensate for this deficiency, a common information portal for academic libraries is planned, which allows metasearches – a search of all accessible e-resources simultaneously through one interface.

Full article in Estonian

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