University of Tartu Library

Estonia’s leading research library – the University of Tartu Library is located in close proximity to Vanemuine Theatre. The institution, providing a wide range of reading opportunities for nearly 40,000 registered users, also opens its doors as part of the Open House Tartu event.
Today’s library building is the first building in Tartu to be designated as a cultural monument, built during the Soviet era. The new functionalist style building, completed in 1982, was designed by Kalju Valdre and Mart Kalling, and soon became a favorite study spot for Tartu University students. The building was renovated between 2016 and 2018.

The library, whose predecessor can be considered the Academia Dorpatensis library (1632-1710), marks its true birthday as the year 1802, when the university in Tartu was reopened. It currently contains 3.7 million items, of which 1 million are accessible to everyone in the open stacks. Visitors can explore the building, which besides books, also houses many noteworthy items. For example, there is Mall Tomberg’s tapestry, Aet Andresma-Tamme and Mare Soovik-Lobjakas’s large glass chandelier “Incunabula” in the atrium, and 500 glass domes on the building’s roof.

Photo: Kevin Loigu