What is changing, and why? 

The Rialto marketplace is growing to better align with the needs and priorities of our academic library community. 

Globally, we are seeing changes in how librarians acquire content: shifting away from using multiple purchasing models, purchasing directly from publishers, and prioritizing methods that enable them to deliver simpler, cost-effective and equitable access for their end users.   

In response to these trends, we are also making changes to Rialto. Rialto will expand from a selection and acquisition tool to an informed fulfillment solution, backed by analytics and recommendations to help libraries make the best decisions for their institution and users. 

We will also be making shifts in other areas of our Books business, which includes phasing out one-time perpetual purchases of print books and ebooks on Ebook Central. 

Does this mean that Rialto is going away? 

No. Rialto will remain an ebook marketplace for publishers and aggregators platforms. We will also significantly expand the Rialto offering with tools that enhance collection development capabilities and library workflows. Rialto will leverage data at scale within the Library Open Platform and through AI-based analysis and recommendations to transform the way collections are managed, driven by data and strategic insights.  ​ 

Will I still be able to buy books through the Rialto marketplace? 

Yes, Rialto will continue to offer ebooks from the existing publisher-direct platforms, and we look forward to expanding our publisher partnerships in the future. Print books will be available for purchase in Rialto through June 30, 2026. Ebook Central ebooks will be available for single-title purchases through June 30, 2026.   The Rialto marketplace will remain available for publisher-direct ebook purchasing. There will be no change here. 

What will happen to Ebook Central titles that I have already purchased on Rialto? Will I lose access?  

The ebooks that our customers have already purchased from us will remain theirs, in perpetuity. They will continue to maintain access to the Ebook Central content they have purchased with ownership rights under the existing terms of those purchases. 

What will happen to Ebook Central License Upgrades? 

We will continue to allow purchase of license upgrades, including automated upgrades to perpetual purchases on Ebook Central, indefinitely. This means that libraries can upgrade owned ebook titles on Rialto, even after June 30, 2026.

What about Ebook Central EBA and DDA programs? Will I still be able to run these in Rialto? 

Evidence-Based Acquisition (EBA) will come to a close on Ebook Central. For customers who are currently running an Ebook Central EBA through Rialto, your 2024 or 2025 program will continue running until the end date. You will be able to make your final selections at that time. After that time, renewals options will be unavailable. 

Libraries with an existing Ebook Central DDA program in Rialto may run their program through June 30, 2026. After this time, Ebook Central DDA pools will be deactivated in Rialto.

Please visit our dedicated support page for more information and actions your library should take before these programs are no longer available.  

What about DDA and EBA programs from other publisher-direct platforms that are offered via Rialto (JSTOR DDA, EBSCO DDA, Taylor & Francis EBA)? Will I still be able to manage these in Rialto? 

Rialto will continue to offer JSTOR and EBSCO DDA. Customers will not need to make any changes to their plans. 

Evidence based acquisition programs from Taylor & Francis 2024 or 2025 programs will continue running until the end date. You will be able to make your final selections at that time. Our Delivery Manager will contact your institution one month before closure to initiate closure activities. 

The below tables summarize the status of DDA and EBA programs in Rialto: 

Our library has a Rialto Selection Plan for print and/or Ebook Central. What actions will I need to take to re-configure our plans or transfer them to another provider? 

Your library may need to modify existing profiles to account for the removal of print and Ebook Central (single title and DDA) values. As Rialto will continue to support publisher-direct platforms and EBSCO/JSTOR DDA, no adjustments are necessary for these related queries. 

 All Rialto administrators have access to recommendation, selection plan and ranking profiles. Title alert profiles are created and modified per user, though admins are able to view all the profiles created. Please assess your profiles and perform any necessary modifications. If needed, contact your Content and Workflow Strategy Consultant for assistance. 

I only use Rialto for Ebook Central purchasing right now. How can I use Rialto moving forward?  

Rialto offers ebook content from many other publishers and aggregators, with over 2 million unique titles. You can use Rialto to purchase from any of our other publisher-direct platforms. We also look forward to growing our publisher partnerships to bring you more publishers in the future. 

 In addition, we will be expanding Rialto beyond purchasing to help you make informed fulfillment decisions. The new areas covered by Rialto foster collaboration across departments, ensuring that decisions about acquisitions and collections are informed by diverse perspectives and aligned with the broader goals of the institution. This reflects a more inclusive and strategic approach to collection management, empowering the entire institution to play a role in shaping its resources.  

What other actions will I need to take as part of the changes to Ebook Central and print in Rialto? 

We have a comprehensive support page with important dates and instructions for your library.  

What will Rialto look like moving forward? 

Rialto will expand from title selection and collection development to an informed fulfilment solution, empowering libraries to make the best decisions for their institutions, better support student needs and ensure timely, cost-effective access to essential resources. Our vision for Rialto includes enhancing the marketplace with broader publisher coverage, data-driven collection insights, and AI-powered recommendations. 

What are your plans for implementing these changes? 

We plan to work closely with the community throughout the year to understand your needs and gather insights. We will establish a focus group to refine our objectives and strategy, and by the end of 2025 we look forward to introducing our first phase of enhancements to support the new Rialto vision. 

What happens to the Rialto roadmap for 2025? 

The 2025 roadmap will be adjusted according to the new Rialto vision and plans for enhanced functionality. We will work with the community during this time to communicate our plans. 

Will we still have a Rialto Product Working Group? 

Yes. The Rialto Product Working Group will remain, and we look forward to continuing our regular meetings with the group and staying in close communication. 

What will happen to the CERV enhancement voting process for Rialto? 

We will continue to support the CERV enhancement process. We will be reviewing enhancements from the previous cycle and adjust as needed according to the new Rialto vision. 

What will happen to the Rialto Idea Exchange? 

The Rialto Idea Exchange will remain in place. We are reviewing existing ideas and will continue sharing status updates with the Rialto working group. 

Will my library be charged for Rialto now that it is part of the Ex Libris product family (in the Clarivate A&G Software Group)? 

No. Rialto will remain available for Alma libraries at no additional charge. 

Will Rialto’s integrations with other Ex Libris services, such as Rapido and Leganto, be impacted by these changes? 

No - Rialto will continue to support these integrations as it has always been (and remains) part of the Library Open Platform. Now that Rialto is part of the Clarivate A&G Software Group, these workflows and efficiencies will be strengthened even further. 

My library is in the middle of our Rialto implementation. How will this change impact us? 

We will continue to support Rialto implementations that are already in progress. Your technical project manager will be in touch to discuss next steps. 

My library has signed up for Rialto, but we have not yet begun our implementation. What does this news mean for us? 

We will continue to support new Rialto implementations. Based on Clarivate’s decision to extend the timeline for Print and Ebook Central title-by-title purchasing through June 30, 2026, we will continue to support new Print account set ups (including shelf ready services) and Ebook Central DDA setups. DDA programs through JSTOR and EBSCO will also continue to be supported.  

The March 4th 2025 announcement will not impact the previously shared decision to stop supporting new EBA programs (including Taylor & Francis and Ebook Central). 

Is there any connection between Rialto and Collecto? 

At last year’s ELUNA and IGeLU annual meetings, we debuted Collecto - a centralized and unified environment to manage all collection development workflows. Collecto will now be folded into Rialto, creating a truly comprehensive solution. These new collection development capabilities being developed in Rialto will not require using or purchasing from the marketplace and will be available for all Alma libraries who choose to use them. 

Who do I contact with my Rialto questions? 

Please reach out to Rialto support or your technical project manager.