We recommend that you first acquaint yourself with the Archival Information System AIS to search for records. You can find there reference codes which consist of the name of the abbreviation and the collection (fonds), inventory and item numbers (e.g. EAA.1.2.3). All our records have already been described there. You can search by a person's name, a place name etc. (the titles are usually in the same language as the records, i.e. in German, Russian, Estonian etc.), you can also use * instead of some letters which may vary. Then you will see titles of the records which contain these keywords and when you click on a title, you can see which fonds does this document belong to (i.e. by which institution it was once created) and where is it being preserved now. You can also see whether it has already been digitised — if there is a blue link "Vaata dokumenti" (= View the document), this is a link to the image in the Saaga portal. You can also make a reading room loan order or a copy order directly via the link "Telli" (= Order) which can be seen in the AIS entries (e.g. see EAA.854.1.34). The records can be ordered to the respective reading rooms in Tartu, Tallinn, Valga or Rakvere. Please notice the location of the reading room!
Placing an order via VAU. First, please click on the tab "Orders" —> type in the first reference code —> choose "Order type": Loan —> choose the "Purpose" —> and then click on the button "Add", after that you can continue entering your other orders and lastly you should confirm them (you can do it all at once if you tick the small box in front of the "No.") — then the orders will reach the reading room staff. You can see the state of your orders there as well (tab "Orders" —> subtab "Sent").
Please read more about ordering copies here.