Introduction

Contact

A. Lauteri 3
10114 Tallinn
Estonia
Tel +372 665 1307
Fax +372 631 3959
raamatukogu@ebs.ee

About the library

EBS Library is a special library, serving EBS students, teachers and staff. The collection is developed according to the needs of study programs and scientific directions in management, entrepreneurship, economics, public administration, marketing, information technology etc. On January 1st 2010 the library collection holds 7, 650 book titles (29, 400 copies) incl. 280 items available in online versions, 1,545 CD-ROMs, 54 videos, 6 DVDs and 50 periodical titles. 51% of the collection is in English, 46% in Estonian, 2% in Russian and 1% in other languages.

Library online catalogue is accessible through the Internet. We subscribe to business periodicals database ABI/INFORM Global on ProQuest Direct which permits access to  3,000 foreign periodicals’ full texts which contain articles on entrepreneurship, management, marketing and EBSCO databases which permits access to 21, 000 full texts on economics, social and humanitarian sciences. The databases are accessible also from outside the EBS local network, via ÕIS.

New users are registered in the library (1st floor, room 118). Reference books, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, textbooks, Bachelor, Master and Doctor theses by EBS students as well as periodicals can be used only in the reading room (5th floor, room 501). Library services are provided on the basis of the library rules. Every year the library organises courses for the first year students to introduce them the library services, databases and other useful information.

On payment of a small fee the library also allows clients from outside EBS to borrow books, use the reading room, computers and the video room.

An auditing of the library took place in January 2001 in order to improve the organisation of the library work, its funds acquisition and services’ performance.

In October and November 2001 EBS Library carried out a user study based on guidelines described in  Measuring Academic Library Performance, a practical approach made by IFLA and used internationally. The purpose of the study was to clarify the readers’ needs and obtain their suggestions concerning the library services.

In the years 2004, 2007 and 2008 the library carried out the user study on the information needs of EBS lectures and students. The purpose of the studies was to identify the information needs of  EBS lecturers and students, to obtain evaluations of books and periodicals, fields of acquisition, databases and to have suggestions for improving the library`s fund and obtaining the necessary information resources.  The analysis helped to focus the library’s development efforts, improve the acquisition policy and determine a marketing strategy.

The main goals, set in the library’s development plan for 2008 - 2010, are:

• development of the e-library;
• carrying out a study on satisfaction and usage of the library information resources, databases ProQuest, EBSCO, etc.;
• developing the practical e-course on information retrieval, compiling the instruction materials;
• making the library`s electronic catalogue available in English;
• updating the users education programs.