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Report regarding a resolution authorizing purchase agreements with distributors Baker & Taylor, LLC, Brodart Co., and Ingram Library Services, LLC, and a consulting services agreement with Midwest Tape, LLC, to supply library books and audiovisual materials and services. (Adam Elsholz, Assistant Library Director)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing purchase agreements with distributors Baker & Taylor, LLC, Brodart Co., and Ingram Library Services, LLC, and a consulting services agreement with Midwest Tape, LLC, to supply library books and audiovisual materials and services including processing, cataloging, and collection development.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The Library Department purchases most new items, including books, DVDs, audiobooks, and music CDs, for its collections from wholesale distributors who maintain large inventories of titles from many publishers and producers. Obtaining books and media through these suppliers offers many advantages over purchasing from individual publishers including:
• Greater discounts over retail prices (usually around 43%)
• Larger and more varied inventories to serve our diverse population
• Value-added services, including the physical processing of books and audio visual items
• Greater use of technologies needed to communicate with library databases and systems like electronic bibliographic materials for the Library’s catalog.
In order to obtain the best pricing from competing vendors, the Library issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Library Materials and Services, including Processing and Cataloging, covering both adult and children’s collections, receiving responses from six vendors. After an evaluation process by a five-member evaluation team that included reference checks from other libraries and software demonstrations, four vendors were rated as qualified to become part of a pool of vendors supplying materials and services to the Library.
Draft purchase agreements have been arranged with Baker & Taylor, LLC, Brodart Co., and Ingram Library Services, LLC to supply books and services through June 30, 2025 for a not-to-exceed amount of $300,000, with an option for two one-year extensions. A draft consulting services agreement has been arranged with Midwest Tape, LLC to supply audiovisual materials including DVDs, Blu-rays, audiobooks and music CDs, for an amount not to exceed $500,000 through June 1, 2026, with an option for a one-year extension. The not-to-exceed amounts are enough to account for the library’s budgeted dollars for books and audiovisual materials and services as well as any additional grant opportunities, including those supporting the New Main Library’s opening day collections.
Library staff will be able to order materials and services from any of these vendors selected for the pool. Vendors who are able to perform according to the requirements set out in the agreements will be considered for one-year extensions.
The evaluators scoring the proposals were Library staff members Adam Elsholz, Han-Ching Wong, Stacy Lein, Brian Malibiran and Kathryn Alexander. The cumulative scorecards for each vendor are as follows:
|
Vendor |
Overall Score |
|
Backstage Library Works |
58.2 |
|
Baker & Taylor, LLC |
92.6 |
|
Brodart Co. |
95.8 |
|
Cengage Learning, Inc. |
86.0 |
|
Ingram Library Services |
93.4 |
|
Midwest Tape, LLC |
97.8 |
The option to deliver the books and media circulation-ready with physical processing completed (applying RFID tags, barcodes, stickers, and inventory control software) and cataloging information provided by the supplier will allow us to get our materials to our patrons more quickly.
In fiscal year 2018-2019, the Library spent $95,787 with Midwest Tape and $161,663 with Baker and Taylor. These costs include several grants to purchase library materials in high demand areas. Our “not to exceed” request in this staff report is meant to cover any additional grant opportunities as well as the “opening day collections” for the New Main Library.
FISCAL IMPACT
Authorizing the use of these vendors for more than the existing purchase authority will provide efficiencies for the Library Department. These agreements do not obligate the City to purchase any minimum amount of goods or services from any vendor. There are sufficient funds in the Library budget to implement this recommendation.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
The acceptance of purchase agreements with distributors Baker & Taylor, LLC, Brodart Co., and Ingram Library Services, LLC, and a consulting services agreement with Midwest Tape, LLC, will allow for efficient services that support the development of the library’s collection to make a wide variety of materials available to South San Francisco residents and library cardholders, improving services provided to the community. This will contribute to the City’s Strategic Plan Priority #2: Quality of Life.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing purchase agreements with distributors Baker & Taylor, LLC, Brodart Co., and Ingram Library Services, LLC, and a consulting services agreement with Midwest Tape, LLC, to supply library books and audiovisual materials and services, including collection development, cataloging, and processing.
Attachments:
1. Purchase agreement between the City of South San Francisco and Baker & Taylor, LLC
2. Purchase agreement between the City of South San Francisco and Brodart Co.
3. Purchase agreement between the City of South San Francisco and Ingram Library Services, LLC
4. Consulting services agreement between the City of South San Francisco and Midwest Tape, LLC