At the end of 2021, the building of the National Library of Estonia (RaRa) at Tõnismägi was closed for reconstruction. This extensive work has now been completed, and on 1 September 2025, the contractor will hand the building over to RaRa. In connection with this, the temporary premises at Narva Road 11 will be closed on 3 September and the National Library can begin its long-awaited move back to its own building, where by now the majority of our collections have already been transferred.
Readers will continue to have access to the library’s e-services, as well as the branch library located in the Solaris shopping centre in the city centre and the Repository Library at Suur-Sõjamäe 44b. The open collection previously located at Narva Road will become available for lending through book lockers starting in November.
In May 2027, the National Library of Estonia will open the doors of its Tõnismägi building to the public. The educational centre area and conference spaces will already be open earlier, offering educational programmes and events from this autumn. The building’s exterior has largely been preserved during reconstruction, but significant visible changes have been made to the interior. A tower hall for events has been built on the 8th floor, terraces on the 6th and 7th floors, as well as an amphitheatre at the back of the building. The public space of the building will be larger, with 15,000 m² available for creative work, study, and leisure activities.
The library’s activities are planned around four main focus areas:
Knowledge Centre – The National Library’s central mission is to collect, preserve, and provide access to publications in Estonian and related to Estonia, as well as to offer public library services. We will create more opportunities for interaction than before, while also providing quiet spaces for focused work.
Educational Environment – The entire Tõnismägi building will be shaped as an educational environment where school and university education, hobby education, and LIS education intersect on a shared cooperation platform. A key part of RaRa’s educational environment is diverse educational programmes. Through information and media literacy training, we connect the library’s activities with general education and lifelong learning. A number of partners will also contribute activities (e.g. makerspace, robotics classroom), and the building is open for exploration to curious children, young people, and knowledge-seeking adults alike.
Cultural Environment – Exhibitions and events will be organised to present the library’s collections or topics of cultural significance. The cultural environment will also include a theatre and cinema operating in the Tõnismägi building.
Event Centre – The goal is to strengthen the library’s role as a community hub where people, ideas, and culture come together. RaRa will feature rooms of various sizes and purposes, enabling the organisation of a wide range of events – from small workshops and discussions to larger conferences and performances.