by Nick Banitt
Quick Summary
The MNLINK platform changed on April 30, 2024, after 20 years of service. Some updates are coming soon for library users and staff.
April 30, 2024, launched a new MNLINK service, replacing the underlying interlibrary loan platform which had been in place since 2004.
The changes significantly revised the scope of the end user search with a database of library records provided by each of the participating MNLINK libraries. Content from the eLibrary Minnesota collection is planned for integrated searching, but currently it is a work in progress.
We have received a lot of good feedback from users and staff about usability issues. We are working on improving the search facet options, creating a more robust user account with more clarity about what statuses mean, providing more detail about the number of active requests and requests allowed, and adding the ability for the user to cancel a request without staff mediation. Some of these changes will be available sooner than others.
The underlying interlibrary loan program is interoperable with each of the participating library systems to provide real time user authentication and streamline workflows for the processing staff. We are working with library staff around Minnesota to identify situations where improvements can be made. The work may often require working with multiple vendors and libraries to determine which interoperable communications need to be changed.
Please keep sharing your questions and suggestions for MNLINK!
