Tallinn Central Library's (Tallinna keskraamatukogu) director of services Triinu Seppam-Saar said alcohol consumption-related incidents are a daily occurrence during the summer, at various libraries in the capital.

"We have a major problem in the Pelguranna area, for example, where not only is alcohol consumed on library premises, but we have also had to collect used syringes," Seppam-Saar said.

"We also have cases where a 'reader' who has consumed alcohol comes in, uses the computer while drinking, then yanks out the cables. Neither do the readers adjacent to them feel safe, nor is it a good example for the children and young people present at the library," she continued.

Seppam-Saar said the general rules of conduct in public places within the scope of the Law Enforcement Act should include a provision which specifically bans alcohol consumption in public libraries and on their premises. According to her, this would help raise awareness that drinking alcohol in public is not allowed.

"Naturally, people do ask where is it written that you can't consume alcohol in a library. When that discussion comes up, it would be great to be able to say: 'Look, it's written into the law.' As things are, we have to start explaining what a public space is and that drinking is not allowed there. Right now, that explanation is just more complicated," Seppam-Saar continued.

Other libraries nationwide which ERR spoke to say they have not been experiencing the same issues, however.

Kaiu Viimsalu, librarian at the Võru central library in South Estonia, said: "We haven't had a problem with that. Maybe a couple of intoxicated clients have come by, but generally there's no issue. Luckily things have been very calm here — we haven't had this type of customer, and no one has been seen consuming alcohol either."

Nonetheless, she thought regulation via the law might be a good idea, as the problem may occur more often in larger cities.

No major issues have been noted at the nearby Räpina public library, or at Jõhvi library in Ida-Viru County, either.

According to Annika Hramov, head of services at the Tartu city library, while cases of intoxicated visitors and empty bottles being found have been reported, everything has always been resolved peacefully.

The Ministry of Justice itself says that amending the Law Enforcement Act is not needed, on the grounds that libraries constitute public spaces, and so are covered by current law in the ban on alcohol consumption.

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