In the name of its members, ELNET Consortium conducts negotiations with leading scientific publishers to ensure Estonian researchers, academic staff and students seamless access to a wide range of major scientific databases.

The most efficient method for procuring electronic scientific information is the joint procurement of user licenses for scientific information databases. Joint procurements enable to save resources to a considerable amount if compared to individual procurements organised by research and development institutions. ELNET Consortium collaborates in the international library network EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) which has enabled to notably expand the scope of negotiations and achieve better conditions in concluding license agreements with eminent scientific publishers.

Joint procurement of scientific databases began over 20 years ago, since then the number of databases and subscriptions has increased and during recent years stabilised.

The procedure for financing scientific information is set up in the regulation No 2 of 17 January 2012 of the Minister of Education and Research „Principles for preparing a common acquisition plan for research libraries and procedure for applying for financing scientific information for research libraries, for the review of those applications and making decisions on financing“.

The purchase of scientific information for university libraries is financed from the state budget via the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research.

From 2014 till today, 62 per cent of the total amount allocated from the state budget for purchasing scientific information for research libraries has been spent on financing joint procurements for scientific information via the ELNET Consortium. In 2019, ELNET received 3,5 million euros for purchasing scientific databases.

The working group of joint procurements identifies the common interests of libraries and gives feedback on the necessity of trial databases. Joint negotiations for concluding agreements are initiated if there are several interested libraries and joint subscription appears to save resources compared to individual subscription.

Research libraries are entitled to submit applications via the ELNET Consortium for financing the joint procurements for electronic scientific information.

Additional information: Project Manager of Joint Procurements for Electronic Publications Marika Meltsas.