RFP for eLibrary Minnesota (ELM) Now Live

Over the past year, Minitex and the Shared E-Resources (SER) Task Force have been working toward the next statewide e-resource collection for Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. That collection is branded eLibrary Minnesota (ELM) in Minnesota. We thank you for sharing your feedback about the current collection and what would be important to consider for the next phase. 

Minitex is pleased to share that the statewide e-resource RFP is now live. The RFP, issued by the University of Minnesota on behalf of Minitex, outlines the project scope, technical and accessibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and timeline for selecting and implementing the next contract period, with a target go-live date of July 1, 2026. 

The next major opportunity for community input will come during the trial database and feedback phase of the RFP. All vendors that respond with proposals will be asked to provide trial access to the entire Minitex community for the e-resources they propose. Minitex will ask for your feedback on them. We anticipate that these trial and review activities will take place in early 2026, after the proposal deadline and initial SER Task Force review window. Stay tuned! More specific dates and instructions will be shared in Minitex News and on the Minitex website, https://minitex.umn.edu/services/elibrary-minnesota, as the schedule is confirmed.

Thank you for the many ways you’ve already contributed to this process—through surveys, conversations, and service on the SER Task Force. Your expertise and feedback continue to shape the next ELM collection and ensure that it meets the evolving needs of students, educators, and lifelong learners across our region.