National Library of Estonia (Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu, RaRa)

Overview

The National Library of Estonia (Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu, abbreviated RaRa) is a public-law institution serving as the custodian of Estonian national memory and heritage. It is one of the few national libraries in the world that also functions as its country's parliamentary library, supplying information services to the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) and other constitutional institutions.

History

The library was established as a parliamentary library on December 21, 1918, when Estonia's Provisional Government created a State Library with around 2,000 titles, initially housed in two rooms of the Toompea Castle parliament building. It gained legal deposit rights in 1919. Under Soviet occupation it operated as the State Library of the Estonian SSR, and in 1953 was renamed for Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, author of Estonia's national epic Kalevipoeg; foreign links were severed and restricted-access collections grew during this period. The institution took its current name in 1988, and Estonia's 1991 restoration of independence brought a democratic reconfiguration, including the dismantling of its collection of banned books under Director General Ivi Eenmaa. A purpose-built library on Tõnismägi hill in Tallinn, designed by architect Raine Karp and begun under Soviet-era planning, was completed in 1992-1993 as one of Estonia's largest cultural buildings. The National Library of Estonia Act, adopted in 1998, governs the institution today. The Tõnismägi building underwent a major reconstruction in the 2020s and was recognized as Best Restored Architectural Monument in Public Ownership in 2025.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

RaRa's archival collection preserves one permanent copy of every publication issued in Estonia since 1918, extending to Estonian-language works from 1861 and foreign-language works from 1831, totaling roughly 550,000 items. Its Rare Book Collection includes about 27,000-28,000 volumes and 150 manuscripts, among them eight incunabula and the oldest Estonian-language publication, Heinrich Stahl's Leyen Spiegel (1641-1649). The library manages the digital archive DIGAR, which since 2018 has captured all publications issued in Estonia in digital form, and the Estonian Web Archive.

Access and Usage

The National Library is open to everyone and lends books, sheet music, and audio recordings; it serves as Estonia's centre for library and information science, compiles the national bibliography, and administers international standard numbers. Its Minu Raamatukogu (MIRKO) service lets users borrow physical books from libraries nationwide and pick them up via parcel machine or courier.