The Estonian Library for the Blind

1
The Estonian Library for the Blind

• Marja Kivihall
• Seminar Putting Libraries for the Blind and
  Print Disabled on the Agenda
• Zagreb, February 27-28, 2008

2
Status

• Established in 1947 in Tallinn
• Branch of the Repository Library of Estonia
  since 2004
• Administered and funded by the Ministry of
  Culture

3
Holdings

• Audiobooks
• (1600 titles, 4200 copies)
• Braille books
• (500 titles, 1200 copies)
• Tactile books
• (20 titles)

4
Holdings

• Fiction forms the majority of collection
• Books are in the Estonian, Russian, English,
  German and Finnish language

5
Holdings

• Childrens literature is in the form of audio-,
  Braille and tactile books
• Our library received the first tactile book in
  2005

6
Production

• Yearly production
• 85 titles of audiobooks
• 70 titles of Braille books
• 8 titles of talking news-papers and magazines

7
Production

• The number of copies
• 10 copies of Estonian- language audiobooks
• 6 copies of Russian-language audiobooks

8
Patron groups

• 300 registered library users
• The main user group is formed by elderly people
• Library services are being used by patrons in
  Finland and Canada

9
Services

• Lending literature at the library
• Lending books and journals by mail
• Sending electronic news-papers by e-mail
• Interlibrary lending

10
Services

• Patrons can borrow at a time
• 5 audiobooks (for 1 month)
• 5 Braille books (for 2 months)
• 2 tactile books (for 2 weeks)

11
Cooperation

• Partners of interlibrary lending
• 10 public libraries in Estonia
• Library of Tartu Emajõe School
• Celia Library in Finland
• St. Petersburg Library for the Blind in Russia

12
Innovations

• Production of audiobooks on CD-s in mp3 format
• Making tactile maps and pictures for the Braille
  text-books

13
Innovations

• Digitation and restoration of old audiobooks
• Taking into use the Internet based electronic
  catalogue

14
Future plans

• Transition to the on demand lending system
• Project with the North-Estonian Society of the
  Blind and the Institute of the Estonian Language

15
Thank you for your attention!