1919
Tallinn College of Engineering Library was established (Pikk 20)
1920
Lecturer Artur-Aleksander Pihlak was elected as the first librarian
1932
1936
The library moved to Kopli (Vene-Balti 16, nowadays Kopli 101)
Tallinn Technical Institute was created; the library reorganised as the Institute's library
1937
The exchange of books with domestic and foreign research institutions and libraries began. The interlibrary loan (ILL) system was introduced
Karl-Eduard Heiste appointed the first Head of Library (1936-1940)
1940
50-seat reading room opened
1953
1955
1936
The library moved to bigger space in the Old Town (Lai 5)
Lembit Tepp was Head of Library (1953-1961)
1960
The library started listing TPI bibliography
1961
64-seat room opened
Konrad Kikas was Library Director (1961-1994)
1962
Beggining of regular user training for students
1960
1961
The Library Council started to gather regularly. Enno Siirde was Chairman of the Council (1962-1992)
1963
70 participants took part of the first readers conference "How to find the required literature and work with a book"
1966
The statues of TPI scientific information service were confirmed, defining the tasks regarding information activities for the library and for the faculties
The library started compiling study material on how to use bibliographies when doing research.
5-item series "Bibliograafia miinimum" published from 1968 to 1970 and 4-item series "Bibliograafia lühikursus" published from 1973 to 1977
1968
1966
Xerographic copy service set up for library readers
1969
1970
Graduates of TPI were employed as the first subject specialists who formed the Department of Information Services in 1975
1970
First use of teleprinter for ordering interlibrary loan items from Moscow and Leningrad
Bindery was founded
1974
1972
The departments of Scientific Literature and Bibliography moved to the new library building opened on April 28 in Mustamäe (Ehitajate tee 5), which also included 150-seat reading room. The Department of Coursebooks, interior departments and older scientific literature remained at the Lai street building
Study literature introduction days were organised to support studies; the days later developed into study literature information days for the academic chairs
The first information-related quiz for students
1972
1975
1977
Beggining of compiling personal bibliographies of renowned scientists
TPI Book club active at the library, organising events that were clearly national
1986
Two-day scientific conference “Õppe- ja teadustöö raamatukogulik-bibliograafiline ja infoteenindamine” organised to celebrate TPI’s 50th anniversary. Presentations also by participants from the university libraries of Moscow, Leningrad and Irkutsk
1989
Since 1990, the library gradually started to participate in the activities of international profesional associations and networks (IATUL, UNAL, ISIS-NIT, IUG, UNICA, BALTECH Consortium)
1990
Beginning of the compilation of the retrospective bibliography of Estonian scientific articles from 1918–2011; the 4-part bibliography was published 2008–2011
Beginning of the era of implementing information technology and creating databases
1991
1992
The collections of books, journals and product catalogues and the related departments of the Estonian Technical Library were united with TUT Library during the reorganisation of the Estonian Technical Library
1989
Scientific conference organised together with Eesti Infoinstituut to celebrate the library’s 70th anniversary. Presentations also by the participants from Finland and Germany
1992
By the decree of the Government of the Rupublic of Estonia, the library became the central technological library in Estonia
Since the library building at Lai 5 was returned to its rightful owner, the library moved in the university dormitory building in Mustamäe and older literature was relocated to Eesti Hoiuraamatukogu in Lasnamäe
1994
1992
1994
The library participated in organising the IATUL seminar “Teadus- ja tehnikakirjanduse üldine kättesaadavus” in Tallinn. The library received its first bibliography and reference databases on CD-ROMs as a gift from the UK, Finnish and Swedish libraries
1992
Swedish government grante 500 000 SEK worth of financial aid to the library for acquiring journals and CD-ROMs, creating information systems and for other expenses
International scientific conference “The Integration of European Technological Libraries” organised to celebrate the library’s 75th anniversary
TTÜR named the central scientific library by the regulation of the Minister of Culture and Education
1995
Electronic book security system by 3M installed in the main library
1996
Beginning of the annual overview exhibitions of TTÜ lecturers’ and researchers’ publications
1995
Beginning of the publication “Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli Raamatukogu Töid”, series A (scientific works) and B (bibliography)
1997
1996
The library’s first web page opened
1998
Jüri Järs started his work as library director on 18 January
Until year 1999 library staff participated in the EU’s distance learning programme DEDICATE, which was followed by organising special courses for end users in 2000
1999
1999
Scientific conference “Muutuv ülikooliraamatukogu” organised to celebrate the library’s 80th anniversary, presentation “TTÜR eile, täna, homme” for the university management, the library’s managerial staff’s reception in the Winter Garden of the Estonian National Opera, exhibitions “TTÜ Raamatukogu – ülikooliraamatukogu, tehnikakeskraamatukogu” and “TTÜ Raamatukogu 80: ajalooline pilguheit”
Information system INNOPAC implemented by all member libraries of the ELNET Consortium. End of adding entries to the card catalogue, beginning of adding book records to the online catalogue
1999
First time access to paid full text e-journals and in 2003 to e-books databases
1999
Electronic information search training carried out via the library’s web page
1999
Significant developments in the legislative regulations and state funding for university libraries. Changes in the Organisation of Research and Development Act took effect, stating the definition and tasks of scientific- and depository libraries, the state’s responsibility to finance the acquisition of scientific information for scientific libraries from the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research. The Ministry’s regulation stated the requirements for depository libraries and their formation prerequisites. By the order of the Government of Estonia, six libraries, including TTÜ Library, were titled scientific libraries
2002
2002
The first personal archive formed in the library – personal archive of Boris Tamme, TTÜ rector and academician
2003
2002
Beginning of the subject librarians’ annual summer school
INNOPAC circulation module installed, software for the library entrance developed to register user visits and analyse visitor data
2004
International scientific conference to celebrate the library’s 85th anniversary
2005
TTÜ Library’s open access Digital Collection was created
2006
The first colleague of the year elected – Raina Rohumaa, Head Librarian of the Department of Acquisition
Creating the Estonian Biographical Database of Librarianship (ERBA) in cooperation with other libraries started
2005
2008
Creating software for the library’s information kiosks started. The first module was Open Stack Guide, a topographic search system for the library’s open stack collection
2009
The new library building called Ajupuu was built, its authors were the architects Eero Endjärv, Priit Pent, Mattias Agabus and Illimar Truverk from AET Arhitektid OÜ and interior designers Hannelore Pihlak and Kristi Lents. Built by AS Oma Ehitaja. The building was opened to public on 7 September. Festive opening and the library’s 90th anniversary celebrations on 11 November
2009
Video “Per Libros ad scientiam: TTÜ Raamatukogu 90” depicting the construction process of the new library building (director Georg Jegorov)
2009
TTÜ Rectorate decided to add TTÜ Museum and TTÜ Publishing House Under the library’s rule
Estonian ID-card implemented as a library card
2009
2009
Self-service machines for loaning and returning books was installed in the library
2010
2010
BALTECH Network seminar “E-resources and
e-services in practice” organised in cooperation with the university’s Department of International Relations
The library participated in organising the Erasmus Staff Training Week in TTÜ for the first time
2012
2012
2015
The library received its first devices to the visually impaired – video magnifiers and text-to-speech reading devices
DataCite Estonia Consortium created by TTÜ and ohter universities. The library is a certified representative of TTÜ in the consortium
2016
2016
The library took part in the comprehensive international library services quality assessment survey LibQUAL+ via the Association of European Reasearch Libraries (LIBER)
E-resources portal Primo opened to library users
2017
2017
User registration and authentication system (KRAS) added to e-catalogue ESTER, enabling the reader to register as a library user via web and log in to My ESTER using an ID-card, Mobile-ID, TAAT service or username/password
In 2017 to 2018 four acoustic phone booths installed in reading area
A computer terminal for user registration installed at the library entrance for visitors who want to register as users themselves and reserve individual- and group study rooms
2018
24/7 study room/night library opened for members of TTÜ
2018
2019
Jüri Järs left the position of library director, his successor was Tõnis Liibek
