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ELM Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM)?

Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) is supported by appropriations from the Minnesota Legislature to provide Minnesotans with access to electronic information. Funds were appropriated to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and Minnesota Department of Education for MINITEX and State Library Services respectively to provide electronic access to general information databases.

The Legislative intent for this appropriation is to provide the best possible access to information resources across the educational spectrum (including K-12, higher education, state government and public libraries) on a statewide basis. Access is possible both in the library and remotely from home, businesses and classrooms, or computer laboratories.

What databases are in ELM?

15 databases are available in ELM.

EBSCO (5 databases)

  • Academic Search Premier
  • Business Source Premier
  • Regional Business News
  • MasterFILE Premier
  • EBSCO MegaFILE

Gale (7 databases)

  • InfoTrac Student Edition (High Schools)
  • InfoTrac Junior Edition (Middle Schools)
  • Junior Reference Collection
  • Discovering Collection
  • Kids InfoBits
  • ¡Informe!
  • Professional Collection

NetLibrary (1 database)

  • NetLibrary Shared Collections

OCLC (1 database)

  • WorldCat (The OCLC Online Union Catalog)

ProQuest (1 database)

  • ProQuest Newsstand Complete

Detailed information about all 15 ELM databases is available on the Product Highlights page.

How long will we have access to the ELM databases?

All databases in ELM will be available through June 30, 2009. We will need to do a Request for Proposal before 2010 because state policy requires one after five years.

Do I need to re-register for ELM?

No, you do not need to re-register for ELM. Only libraries that have never registered for ELM before need to complete the registration form.

In the event that when you access the database links you are prompted for your customer ID and password, please complete our IP address change form. EBSCO will make IP changes within one business day.

What do I need to do to set up access to the new databases?

Detailed instructions are available on our "Set Up ELM Access" page.

What is the MEIR Task Force and who was on it?

The MEIR (MINITEX Electronic Resources Information) Task Force was made up of librarians from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and included librarians and media specialists from public and private four-year academic institutions, community and technical colleges, the University of Minnesota and its coordinate campuses, public and state government libraries, and school media centers.

Is my library eligible for ELM databases?

The current license covers the following Minnesota institutions: school media centers (K-12), public libraries that are members of regional public library systems, college and university libraries, and state and federal government libraries.

I think my library is registered for access, but I can't find the welcome messages.

Contact Elly Gustafson-Held at MINITEX (ellygh@umn.edu / 612-624-1081 / 800-462-5348) to request duplicates of each vendor's welcome message.

Is ELM training available?

Our Reference Services librarians offer training on the ELM resources via webinars and hands-on, on-site workshops. Hands-on training sessions are offered periodically at local libraries and Wilson Library (University of Minnesota). Announcements of upcoming training opportunities are posted to library listservs such as MINITEX-News, MEMO-L and METRONET.

To see what workshops are currently offered, please visit the Reference Services Training Opportunities Web page. To have training brought to your library system or school district, contact MINITEX Reference Services at 800-462-5348.

Finally, we work with library organizations to provide training at conferences and other professional development opportunities.

Are there tutorials or user guides available for the ELM databases?

A list of links to tutorials, user guides and help sheets for the ELM databases is available on our Web site.

Who can I contact for more information?

Rita Baladad, Electronic Resources Librarian
MINITEX Library Information Network
15 Andersen Library
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0439
Toll Free: 800-462-5348
Phone: 612-626-8252
Fax: 612-625-3569
Email: rita@minitex.umn.edu

Mary Parker—Associate Director
MINITEX Library Information Network
15 Andersen Library
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0439
Phone: 612-624-1024
Toll Free: 800-462-5348
Fax: 612-624-4508
Email: m-park1@umn.edu