SOLICITATION, OFFER AND
AWARD
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1.
Certified for National Defense under BDSA Reg 2 and/or DMS Reg. 1
|
RATING N/A |
PAGE A-1
OF 88 PAGES |
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2. CONTRACT NO.
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3. SOLICITATION NO. RFP S-LC00026
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4. TYPE OF
SOLICITATION Negotiated (RFP)
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|
5. DATE ISSUED
February 18, 2000 |
6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE
NO. | |
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7. ISSUED BY The Library of
Congress Contracts &
Logistics Service-FEDLINK 101 Independence
Avenue, SE Washington, DC
20540-9414 |
8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item
7) | |
|
NOTE: In sealed bid
solicitations, "Offer and offeror" mean "bid and
bidder." | ||
|
SOLICITATION9. Sealed offers in original
and 3 copies for furnishing the supplies or services in The Schedule will
be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the
depository listed in block 7, until 12:01 P.M. EDT 3/23/00 CAUTION-LATE submissions,
modifications, and
withdrawals: See
Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all
terms and conditions contained in this
solicitation. | ||
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10. FOR INFORMATION
CALL:
|
A.
NAME Janice
Aiken |
B. TELEPHONE NO. (Include
area code) (NO COLLECT CALLS) (202)
707-0462 FAX (202)
707-0485 |
|
11. TABLE OF
CONTENTS | ||
(%)
Section
Description
Page(s)
Part I -
The Schedule
X A.
Solicitation/contract form A
1-2
X B.
Supplies or services and prices/costs
B 3-15
X C.
Description/specifications/work statement
C 16-32
D. Packaging and marking D 33
X E.
Inspection and acceptance E
34
X F.
Deliveries or performance F
35
X G.
Contract administration data G 36-45
X H.
Special contract requirements H 46-48
Part II -
Contract Clauses
X I.
Contract clauses I 49-58
Part III -
List of Documents, Exhibits and Other
Attachments
J. List attachments
J
59
Part IV -
Representations and Instructions
X
K.
Representations, certifications and other statements
of offerors K
60-75
X L.
Instructions, conditions and notices to offerors L
76-85
X M.
Evaluation factors for award
M-86-88
SOLICITATION, OFFER AND
AWARD
OFFER (Must be fully completed by
offeror)
|
NOTE: Item 12 does not apply
if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid
Acceptance Period. | |||
|
12. In compliance with the above, the
undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within ____ calendar days
(90 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror)
from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all
items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item,
delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the
schedule. | |||
|
13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAY (See
Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8) | |||
|
10 Calendar days
______ % |
20 Calendar days
______ % |
30 Calendar days
_______ % |
____ Calendar days
______ % |
|
14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS (The
offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for
offerors and related documents numbered and
dated: | |||
|
AMENDMENT NO. |
DATE |
AMENDMENT NO. |
DATE |
|
15.A NAME AND ADDRESS OF
OFFEROR |
16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON
AUTHORIZED
TO SIGN OFFER | ||
|
Code:
Facility: DUNS
NUMBER
____________________ 15.B Telephone No. (Include Area Code)
_____________________ 15.C [ ] Check if remittance address is
different from above. Enter
such address in schedule. | |||
|
17. SIGNATURE |
18. OFFER
DATE: | ||
|
AWARD (To be completed by the
Government) | |||
|
19. ACCEPTED
AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED
|
20. AMOUNT
AWARDED |
21. ACCOUNTING
AND
APPROPRIATION | |
|
22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL
AND OPEN COMPETITION [ ] 10
U.S.C. 2304(c) ( )
[ ] 41 U.S.C. 253
(c)(0) | |||
|
23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN
ITEM __________: (4 copies unless otherwise
specified) | |||
|
24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item
7) |
25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE
BY | ||
|
26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER
(type or
print) |
27. UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA (Signature of Contracting
Officer) | ||
|
28. AWARD DATE
| |||
IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this
Form or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written
notice.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EXCEPTION TO STANDARD FORM 33
(REV. 4/85)
PART I - THE
SCHEDULE
SECTION B ‑ SUPPLIES
OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS
PRICES ARE FIRM AND
NOT SUBJECT TO
INCREASE FOR THE
PERFORMANCE PERIOD
OF THIS BASIC
ORDERING AGREEMENT (BOA).
FEDLINK CUSTOMERS
MAY SIGN BASIC
SOFTWARE AND
DATABASE LICENSE
AGREEMENTS, HOWEVER,
INCONSISTENCIES
WILL BE RESOLVED BY
ORDER OF PRECEDENCE
AS STATED IN FAR
52.215-8. STANDARD
CONTRACTOR ORDERING
FORMS ARE NOT
APPLICABLE TO
FEDLINK USERS.
CATALOGS OR
BROCHURES PROVIDED BY THE
CONTRACTOR ARE TO BE
USED FOR REFERENCE
PURPOSES ONLY. PRICES, SERVICES,
TERMS, AND
CONDITIONS, FOUND THEREIN
DO NOT APPLY TO THE
EXTENT THAT THEY
MODIFY OR CONFLICT
WITH THE PRICES,
SERVICES, TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF
THIS BASIC ORDERING
AGREEMENT (BOA).
IT IS HEREBY
CERTIFIED THAT THE PRICES
PROVIDED HEREIN DO
NOT INCLUDE THE
PROVISION FOR THE
SALE, LEASE, OR RENTAL
OF EQUIPMENT. THE SERVICES SPECIFIED
IN SECTION B OF THIS
AGREEMENT ARE THE
ONLY ONES THAT WILL
BE PROVIDED DURING
THE PERFORMANCE
PERIOD SPECIFIED.
IT IS HEREBY
CERTIFIED THAT THE
MACHINE-READABLE
VERSION OF SECTION B
PRICING IS IDENTICAL
TO THE PRINTED
SECTION B PRICES IN
EFFECT DURING THE
TERM OF THIS
AGREEMENT. ALL MODIFICATIONS
TO SECTION B
PRICING, DURING THE TERM OF
THIS AGREEMENT,
SHALL BE PROVIDED
IN BOTH PAPER AND ELECTRONIC FORMAT
AS DESCRIBED IN
SECTION L.3.2.
_________________________________________________
Signature of
Certifying Officer
Base Year: FY2001
B.1. LOT 1 - FIRM
ORDER SERVICES - SUBJECT, FORMAT, OR SOURCE SPECIALIZATION
The Publisher List
Price is the price which the publisher has established and announced in
its
catalog and/or other
trade publications. This price shall not include freight pass
through.
Vendors may
subdivide categories to make pricing more precise (e.g., break Non-English
Language
materials down by
language.)
1100
CUSTOMER SPECIFIC VOLUME DISCOUNT:
1101
Cumulative orders over
$______________, additional ______ % discount on all
orders.
1102
Cumulative orders over
$______________, service fees waived.
1200
PUBLICATIONS
1210
SUBJECT SPECIALIZATIONS - Indicate a discount or service
fee
as a percent change
from publisher's list price. For
categories
priced as net (i.e.
simple pass-through of publisher's list price),
indicate 0%
discount.
1210a General
a.1.
% Discount (-) or % Service fee (+):
a.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210b Juvenile and Young
Adult.
b.1.
% Discount (-) or % Service fee (+):
b.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210c Business, Economics, and
Finance.
c.1. %Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
c.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.3. 11 - 25 copies _________
______ _________ _______
c.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210d Legal Publications.
d.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
d.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210e Medical and Allied Health
Publications.
e.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee(+):
e.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210f Scientific/Technical
Publications.
f.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
f.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210g Social
Science/Humanities.
g.1. % Discount (-)
% or Service fee (+):
g.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1210h Other Subject Specialization
(Specify).
h.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee:
h.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220
FORMAT OR SOURCE SPECIALIZATIONS
Indicate a discount
or service fee as a percent change
from publisher's
list price. For categories priced
at
net (i.e. simple
pass-through of publisher list price)
indicate 0%
discount.
1220a Trade, Trade
Paperback.
a.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
a.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
a.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220b Textbook, Textbook
Paperback.
b.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
b.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
b.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220c Mass Market
Paperback.
c.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
c.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
c.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220d Reference.
d.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
d.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
d.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220e Reprints/Back Issue
Sets.
e.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
e.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
e.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220f Audio-Visual.
f.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
f.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
f.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220g Multimedia.
g.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
g.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
g.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220h Non-English
Language.
h.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
h.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
h.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220i Out of Print.
i.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
i.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
i.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
i.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
i.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
i.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220j Association, Society
Presses.
j.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
j.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
j.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
j.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
j.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
j.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220k Foreign Presses.
k.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
k.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
k.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
k.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
k.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
k.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220l
Government Documents.
l.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
l.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
l.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
l.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
l.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
l.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220m Small Presses.
m.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
m.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
m.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
m.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
m.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
m.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220n University Presses.
n.1. % Discount (-)
or % Service fee (+):
n.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
n.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
n.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
n.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
n.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1220o Other Format or Source Specialization
(Specify).
o.1. % Discount (-) or % Service fee
(+):
o.1.1. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
o.1.2. 2 - 10 copies __________
______ _________ _______
o.1.3. 11 - 25 copies __________
______ _________ _______
o.1.4. 26 - 100 copies __________
______ _________ _______
o.1.5. 101 + copies __________
______ _________ _______
1300
ORDERING
1310 Online Ordering __________
______ _________ _______
1400 DELIVERY
1410 Rush delivery __________
______ _________ _______
1420 Special delivery __________
______ _________ _______
1500
SUPPORT SERVICES
1510
Additional Mini-Network Services
__________
______ _________ _______
1600 OTHER CHARGES
(SPECIFY)
Base Year: FY 2001
This Lot may only be
offered by vendors that also provide firm order services under Lot
1.
Prices shall be
expressed as a deep percentage discount off publisher's list price per title, as
appropriate.
Publisher list price is the price the publisher has established and announced in its catalog and/or other trade publication. This price shall not include freight pass through.
2100
CUSTOMER SPECIFIC VOLUME DISCOUNT:
2101 Cumulative orders over $_____________, additional _____ % discount on all orders.
2102 Cumulative orders over $_____________, service fees waived.
2200
APPROVAL PLAN ORDERING PROFILE CATEGORIES
2210 Subject Based
Profile.
% Discount (-) or %
Service fee (+):
a. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b. multiple copies __________
______ _________ _______
2220 Source Based
Profile.
% Discount (-) or %
Service fee (+):
a. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b. multiple copies __________
______ _________ _______
2230 Country or Region Based
Profile.
% Discount (-) or %
Service fee (+):
a. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b. multiple copies __________
______ _________ _______
2240
Language Based Profile.
% Discount (-) or
Service fee (+):
a. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b. multiple copies __________
______ _________ _______
2250 Other Profile
(Specify).
% Discount (-) or %
Service fee (+):
a. single copy __________
______ _________ _______
b. multiple copies __________
______ _________ _______
2600 OTHER CHARGES
(SPECIFY).
Base Year: FY 2001
B.3. LOT 3 - LEASING
PLAN SERVICES
This Lot may only be offered by vendors that also provide firm order services under Lot 1.
Publisher list price is the price which the publisher has established and announced in its catalog and/or other trade publications. This price shall not include freight pass through.
Provide a copy of lease/license agreements to be used with LC/FEDLINK customers.
3100
LEASING PLAN PUBLICATION CATEGORIES.
Indicate categories
offered.
3110 Subject Based
__________
______ _________ _______
3120 Format or Source Based __________
______ _________ _______
3130 Profile Based
__________
______ _________ _______
3200
LEASING PLAN SERVICE TYPES
3210 Title Selection Leasing Plan (specify unit
price) __________ ______
_________
_______
3220 Profile Leasing Plan (specify unit price) __________
______ _________ _______
3230 Option to Purchase __________
______ _________ _______
3240 Discount off net price __________
______ _________ _______
3300
DELIVERY
3310 Rush delivery
__________
______ _________ _______
3400
SUPPORT SERVICES
3410 Additional Services __________
______ _________ _______
3500 OTHER CHARGES
(SPECIFY)
Base Year: FY 2001
B.4. LOT 4 - TECHNICAL
AND/OR ORDER PROCESSING SERVICES
This Lot may only be
offered by vendors that also provide firm order services under Lot
1.
4100
CUSTOMER SPECIFIC VOLUME DISCOUNT:
4101
Cumulative orders over $______________, additional _____ % discount on
all orders.
4102
Cumulative orders over $______________, service fees
waived.
4200 BASIC TECHNICAL
PROCESSING
Pricing shall be
unit based and shall include all costs for materials, labor, overhead,
etc.
Specify types/grades
of materials and indicate price differences as
appropriate.
4210 Physical Processing (per unit) __________
______ _________ _______
4211 Circulation Kit (per kit) __________
______ _________ _______
4212 Barcode labels (per set) __________
______ _________ _______
4213 Security Device (per device) __________
______ _________ _______
4214 Coverups (per coverup) __________
______ _________ _______
4215 Binding Reinforcements (per volume) __________
______ _________ _______
4216 Other Physical Processing Options (Specify) __________
______ _________ _______
4221 Cataloging Data in Electronic Form (per
record) __________ ______
_________
_______
4222 Cataloging in Print Form (per card set) __________
______ _________ _______
4223 Other Cataloging Processing Options
(Specify) __________ ______
_________
_______
4230 Complete Technical Processing (per
title/volume) __________ ______
_________
_______
4300
COMPUTER-BASED ORDER PROCESSING SERVICES
4310 Software for local use __________
______ _________ _______
4320 Access to vendor system __________
______ _________ _______
4400 OTHER CHARGES
(SPECIFY)
SECTION C - STATEMENT OF
WORK
C.1.
BACKGROUND
C.1.1. DESCRIPTION OF THE FEDLINK
PROGRAM. The Federal Library and Information
Network (FEDLINK) is a nationwide network, or consortium, of federal libraries,
information centers and other federal offices whose purpose is to provide
contracting, financial management, professional development and library support
services to its members so that they are better able to fulfill their crucial
mission of keeping the Government and the nation informed. Since the program's inception in 1973, a
key element of FEDLINK service has been centralizing and simplifying the
information procurement efforts of the federal library and information center
community.
C.1.2. FEDLINK PROCESS. Through formal procurement methods, the
Library of Congress (LC or the Library) establishes Basic Ordering Agreements
(BOAs) for commercial information products and services. Federal agencies are allowed to use the
LC/FEDLINK BOAs by entering into an interagency agreement (IAG) with LC to
"join" FEDLINK. Federal agencies
may not unilaterally cite an LC/FEDLINK BOA; a valid IAG with LC is
required. In addition to simplified
contracting for libraries, researchers, legal offices, and other units, FEDLINK
also offers fiscal support to member agencies. Members may transfer funds to LC to pay
for the agency's expenditures under an established LC/FEDLINK BOA. LC/FEDLINK examines and pays invoices
and provides account statements to transfer pay members. Alternately, members may establish a
direct invoice payment relationship with vendors. Section G of this solicitation details
FEDLINK transfer pay and direct pay finance options; the IAG and delivery order
process; and invoicing and payment procedures.
C.1.3. FEDLINK SERVICES. LC/FEDLINK BOAs cover a broad range of
commercial information services and products. These include subscriptions to online
and CD-ROM database retrieval services, gateway access services, membership in
bibliographic utilities, subscriptions to periodicals, and the acquisition of
books and other library materials.
All types of libraries and other federal offices use FEDLINK
services: general and technical
libraries, legal offices, training centers, public affairs offices,
laboratories, researchers, and so on. In FY99, federal agencies procured over
$113 million through LC/FEDLINK BOAs.
This solicitation for books and library publications acquisitions
services is issued on behalf of the more than 1,000 activities that participate
in FEDLINK. Libraries, information
centers and other federal offices that use information services or acquire
publications are included in the broad terms "library" or "member" in this
RFP.
C.1.4. FEDLINK BENEFITS. Centralization through FEDLINK benefits
individual federal agencies and their libraries, the information industry, and
the Government as a whole. By
consolidating their purchasing power, federal agencies gain favorable Government
pricing and volume discounts from the industry. Federal libraries and information
centers benefit from the terms and conditions of FEDLINK contracting vehicles,
which are specifically geared toward the reference, technical processing, and
publications acquisitions requirements of information service operations. FEDLINK's centralized procurements
enable the industry to respond to a uniform set of technical requirements and
provides a focused point of contact in the customer community. Finally, information services
procurement becomes more efficient overall by reducing agencies' redundant
contracting efforts.
C.1.5. AUTHORITY FOR FEDLINK
SERVICES. Organizationally, FEDLINK is a program
of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) and is managed
by the Library of Congress (LC). LC
operates the FEDLINK program under the authority of the Economy Act (31 U.S.C.
'' 1535 and 1536), in
accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Parts 17.5, and 16.703. Under this procurement vendors shall not
provide the following services or products for any customers: computer or telecommunications
equipment, software development or programming, telecommunication systems
development or installation, database development or implementation, furniture,
supplies, or personnel services.
FEDLINK is recognized by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and
the General Accounting Office (GAO), both of which have encouraged the program's
development and use by federal agencies.
C.1.6. QUALIFYING VENDORS. Vendors shall supply publications as
ordered in an effective and efficient manner, and shall also provide a variety
of associated services that support the execution and administration of library
acquisitions operations, and certain options in delivery and physical processing
of materials. Libraries and other
federal offices centralize the acquisition of books and library publications
through qualified firms in order to reduce the Government's time and labor
investment in acquiring information needed to support agency missions. Accordingly, vendors who qualify for the
FEDLINK program will be those who demonstrate a thorough understanding of the
technical requirements of the library acquisitions services described herein;
who have the required experience and facilities to provide efficient, quality
services; whose past performance demonstrates reliability and professionalism;
and whose prices represent cost savings for the Government and the FEDLINK
membership.
C.1.7. INSTRUCTIONS FOR
PROPOSALS. Detailed directions for the format and
scope of proposals are given in Section L of this RFP. Vendors must demonstrate in their
proposals an understanding of the technical requirements of the offered
lot(s). Vendors should supply
sample materials (catalogs, system documentation, management reports, invoices,
etc.) to illustrate the narrative description of their services required by
Section L, but shall not submit such materials in lieu of narrative
description. Vendors should provide
lists of the publishers they
commonly deal with, and supply information about discounts to which
FEDLINK customers are entitled or fees associated with supplying certain
publisher's materials. FEDLINK's
goal is to establish BOAs that provide the best value to the Government by
enabling FEDLINK members to buy the publications needed in their particular
agencies from the vendor that provides the best product and service for the
least cost.
C.2. SCOPE OF WORK - FEDLINK
BOOKS AND LIBRARY PUBLICATIONS ACQUISITIONS.
This Request for Proposal (RFP) is for services from vendors who can supply books and library publications (non-serial publications) and associated acquisition support services to federal libraries, information centers, and other federal offices. Such vendors are commonly called "book jobbers" in the information services industry. This solicitation is divided into four lots which define four different but related aspects of books and library publications acquisitions. Vendors must offer products and services under Lot 1 in order to be considered for a BOA under this RFP. Vendors who provide firm order services under Lot 1 may also offer under optional Lots 2, 3, and/or 4. Each lot follows the same basic organization, with descriptions of the service required by the lot, the publications to be supplied, and the order and delivery process. Responses must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the technical requirements of each offered lot.
C.3. GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Publications. Materials covered by this RFP include
books and other publications that are complete in one part, or, are intended to
be completed in a finite number of separate parts. This contrasts with "serial"
publications such as magazines, journals and newspapers, which are not covered
by this RFP. Varied publishing
formats and/or media such as books, reports, treatises, encyclopedias, atlases,
sound recordings, videotapes, CD-ROMS, audio-visual materials, reprints, etc.,
are acceptable under this RFP.
(b) Firm Orders. Under the basic lots of this RFP,
vendors will supply publications in response to firm orders from FEDLINK
customers. A firm order is a
one-time order for a specific title or titles in a specific number of copies (in
contrast to a subscription or open standing order.) Vendors typically will supply requested
materials from in‑house stock or acquire items as needed directly from the
publisher. Most of the publications
categories in this RFP refer to items commonly available in the United States,
but some categories, such as foreign press publications, concern non-domestic
materials. Further definitions of
key terms used in this RFP are listed below.
(c) Physical Requirements of
Publications. The vendor shall supply publications in
the customer's choice of the bindings or format offered by the publisher, i.e.
cloth, paper, or library binding, loose-leaf, hardbound, or other issued
format. All materials shall be new
and in mint condition. The vendor
shall supply the latest edition of all publications unless the customer
specifically requests another edition.
Unless otherwise specified, the vendor shall supply publications as they
are available domestically. Foreign
press materials shall be supplied in the requested foreign version.
C.3.1. REQUIRED FIRM ORDER SERVICE - LOT
1. Vendors must offer products and services
under Lot 1 in order to be considered for a BOA under this RFP.
(a) Subject Area
Specialization. Vendors may specialize by subject area
of publication and identify the types of materials they are prepared to supply
within each subject area. Thus, for
example, a vendor might specialize in scientific and technical publications and
might supply trade, scholarly, textbook, audio-visual, non-English language,
association press and university press materials on sci-tech subjects. Vendors may specialize in more than one
subject area. Providing materials
in a "General" category is one of the possible
specializations.
(b) Source or Format
Specialization. Alternately, vendors may specialize by
format or source of publication and then identify the subject areas in which
they can provide materials. Thus,
for example, a vendor might specialize in trade publications in all subject
areas except juvenile/young adult; in textbooks in all subject areas; or in
foreign press publications on business, scientific, medical, and legal
subjects. Vendors may specialize in
more than one format/source area.
C.3.2. OPTIONAL SERVICES - LOTS 2, 3, AND
4. Vendors who provide firm order services
under Lot 1 may also offer under optional Lots 2, 3, and/or 4.
(a) Lot 2 - Approval Plan
Service. Under an approval plan, vendors
automatically supply publications to the customer "on approval" in accordance
with a customer-specific collection ordering profile. Customers may approve and retain
supplied materials, or return items deemed unsuitable for addition to the
collection. The customer only pays
for the publications retained.
Instead of shipping books to the customer automatically, vendors may send
selection tools (catalogs, descriptive title lists, or notification slips) that
list publications within the scope of the library's profile. The customer then chooses items from the
selection lists. The approval plan
ordering profile typically specifies the library's primary subject areas and
collection intensity (e.g. comprehensive), and other collection parameters such
as format, language, place of publication and price range. Approval plans are intended to improve
library efficiency and effectiveness in buying materials in routine collection
areas or in esoteric subjects.
Approval plans provide important pre-purchase information concerning new
and/or forthcoming titles and eliminate the need for libraries to place
individual orders.
(b) Lot 3 - Leasing Plan
Service. Vendors lease or license books or other
library publications in response to orders for specific titles (as in Lot 1,
above) or according to a customer profile (as in Lot 2). The customer leases publications from
the supplier instead of buying them, and retains an option to purchase leased
items at a reduced price when the term of the lease is over. The publications are supplied in
shelf-ready condition. The leasing
plan is a way for a library to expand the resources available to its users by
obtaining popular titles as needed, without having to buy multiple copies for
its permanent collection. Leasing
also extends the shelf life of heavily-used titles.
(c) Lot 4 - Technical and/or Order
Processing Services. The vendor may provide technical
processing for materials supplied under this solicitation, performing physical
processing or cataloging in order to supply materials to the customer in
shelf-ready condition. The vendor
may provide a computer-based order processing system for the customer to make
the acquisitions control process more efficient. However, no computer equipment may be
provided under LC/FEDLINK BOAs.
C.3.3. BASIC ORDERING PROCESS. Basic requirements of the process by
which FEDLINK customers will order books and library publications are described
below. Additional specific
requirements for firm orders, approval plans and leasing plans are described in
Lots 1, 2, and 3.
(a) Order Communication. Vendors shall accept orders via multiple
methods of communication. These shall include US mail, telephone, and
telefacsimile transmission, and may also include electronic mail, general
commercial online systems, or the vendor's own computerized system. Response must clearly state methods of
order communication accepted.
(b) Online Ordering. The vendor may provide a basic
method of online ordering which may be used at the library's discretion. As a minimum, the contractor's system
shall meet the following requirements for library
ordering:
(1) Dial
Access. Real time online via dial access and
standard equipment. The system must allow the library to connect to the
contractor's computer, transmit an order to the contractor's computer, and
receive confirmation of the order, communicating through open phone lines or a
standard value added telecommunications network (i.e., not only contractor's
leased/dedicated lines).
(2) Standard
Equipment. The contractor shall not require the
ordering agency to procure specific, single-use equipment for the system. Instead, the ordering agency must be
able to use either an asynchronous terminal with a modem, or any IBM compatible
microcomputer with modem to access the system.
(c) Cancellation Notices. The vendor shall provide written
cancellation notices by U.S. mail or electronic mail to the customer for all
orders canceled by the customer and for all items the vendor cannot supply. Notices shall be supplied within five
working days of the date the user cancels the order or the date the vendor
determines the item cannot be supplied.
The cancellation notices will show, at a minimum, the vendor's name, the
order number, the title, the date of cancellation, reason for cancellation, and
the address to which the item would have been shipped.
C.3.4. DELIVERY. Materials shall be delivered in a timely
manner, shipped in durable packing (i.e., containers and clean filling), labeled
appropriately, and identified with packing slips that list the items, quantity
and purchase order number of materials in the shipment. All approval plan and leasing plan
shipments shall be clearly identified as such and shall be clearly numbered to
reflect the month and fiscal year of the order/shipment. All materials shall be shipped on a
regular frequency, as mutually agreed upon between the vendor and the
customer.
(a) Shipment. Publications shall be shipped f.o.b.
destination. The vendor shall ship
items picked from in-house stock within five working days of receipt of the
customer's order. Drop shipments
directly from the publisher to the customer, without inspection by the vendor,
shall be an exceptional delivery process, used for rush orders or other special
circumstances.
(b) Shipping
Charges. The Government shall not be charged for
shipping, except:
(1) Charges for registered mail
for priority overseas shipment shall be reimbursed to the vendor.
(2) Charges for special
delivery services (e.g., Federal Express, UPS, Overnight Mail, etc.) for rush
orders shall be reimbursed to the vendor upon invoicing, provided the user
approved the use of the rush delivery method in advance.
(3) Rejected items, those not
approved for addition to the collection, under firm orders, approval plans or
leasing plans, shall be returned to the vendor at the Government's expense. Items returned at the expiration of a
lease shall be returned at the Government's expense. But, items returned due to vendor error
may be returned at the vendor's expense.
(c) Tracing and Lost
Materials. If 30 days have elapsed from the date of
shipment, and the ordering agency has not received the items ordered, upon
notice the contractor shall trace shipments and report status to the
customer. Lost materials not
recovered by tracing shall be replaced at no additional cost to the
customer.
C.3.5. ACQUISITIONS SUPPORT
SERVICES. Customer support is an essential
component of services offered through the LC/FEDLINK program. Vendors shall provide responsive,
knowledgeable support to the federal libraries, information centers, and other
federal offices that are their FEDLINK customers. Basic elements of customer support are
described below.
C.3.5.1. CUSTOMER SUPPORT - ALL
LOTS.
(a) Support
Representative. The vendor shall designate an individual
to serve as a point of contact (POC) for FEDLINK customers. This individual shall be familiar with
the terms of the LC/FEDLINK agreement and FEDLINK processes, and shall
understand the publications acquisitions needs of federal libraries and
information centers. This
individual shall have the ability and authority to answer questions and resolve
problems.
(b) Telephone
Support. The vendor shall provide a toll free
telephone number, and shall appoint a POC for FEDLINK customers for inquiries
about orders, problems, or other information. The vendor shall provide telephone
service, at a minimum, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, EST, but
additional hours are recommended.
(c) "Mini-Network"
Support. Many federal libraries are organized
into a headquarters/field‑site system similar to a large public library or
university system with many branch units administered through a main library
office. Some "mini-networks" have
strong central control systems, others are comprised of relatively autonomous
libraries whose funds are simply managed from a central FEDLINK account. In still other situations, a federal
library may be responsible for ordering materials for the entire agency -
library copies as well as office copies of publications. Vendors must use extra care in managing
orders for such mini-network customers, particularly in the following
areas:
(1)
Addresses. The vendor shall maintain extensive and
accurate lists of ship-to addresses, updating them as the customer deems
necessary. Items shall be delivered
to the appropriate ship-to address.
(2) Order
coordination. The vendor shall coordinate orders from
multiple sites, associating them with the delivery order that represents the
customer's central FEDLINK account.
(3) Billing
coordination. The vendor shall coordinate billing, to
generate invoices for multiple sites against the customer's central delivery
order/account.
(4) Management reports.
The vendor shall generate management
reports which summarize the acquisitions activity of the mini-network. Such reports shall have the same
characteristics defined for basic reports, below. In addition, reports should include
summarized information on multiple copy orders, discounts, and
expenditures. As an illustration,
individual titles ordered in multiple copies should be listed only once with the
number of copies, price, discount, and extended price totaled. The vendor shall work with mini-network
customers to define reports as necessary.
C.3.5.2. CUSTOMER REPORTS - LOTS 1, 2, AND
3. The
vendor shall provide a status of orders report, outlined below, free of charge
to firm order, approval plan, and leasing plan customers. The report is not intended to replace or
duplicate the title-specific information provided on shipping lists and
invoices, but is intended to track the customer's overall ordering
activity. The customer will use
this report to certify orders placed/received and will forward the report to the
Library of Congress FEDLINK Fiscal Operations office. Other, additional reports for the
customer may be supplied, but are optional. Any costs for optional reports must be
identified in the vendor's offer. A
separate Quarterly Summary Report shall be provided to the LC Contracts and
Logistics Services office as required in Section H.
(a)
Frequency. The report shall be provided to the
customer at least quarterly. To
improve their acquisitions management, customers may request that the report be
provided on a monthly basis. This
report shall be received by the customer within 30 calendar days after the end
of the particular reporting period.
(b) Format. Paper is the required basic format for
reports, but machine-readable and other formats, such as a data file or online
query, are encouraged as well.
(c) Content. The basic quarterly status
of orders report shall be a year-to-date cumulative listing of the status of all
of the customer's orders, open and closed.
A monthly report need not be year-to-date accumulation. Reports shall include the following
data:
(1) Identification
information: customer ordering office; FEDLINK ID; LC
delivery order number; ship-to address or ID.
(2) Order information: customer's order number; order date;
number of items in the order; total amount of order; identification of
individual authorized to place the order; fund code if supplied by the
customer.
(3) Status information: status of order, e.g. open, shipped,
closed, backordered, canceled.
(d) Sorting Order. Sorting shall be available
on the following keys: order
status; order number; order date; fund.
The Order Management Report shall be sorted first by order
number.
(e) Totals. The report shall show the
total number and cost of items on each order and the grand total for all orders
on the report, including quantity ordered, list price, discount, service charge,
and extended price. Subtotals by
order status shall be provided.
C.3.6. DEFINITIONS. The following definitions are provided
to clarify FEDLINK usage of common terms in the books and publications
acquisitions industry.
(a) Annual Period. Reflects the federal fiscal year,
October 1 through September 30, unless otherwise noted.
(b) Approval Plan. An arrangement whereby a vendor
automatically supplies materials potentially required by a library as they are
published, in accordance with a detailed profile of the library's collection
needs. The library may return any
publications deemed unsuitable for addition to the collection and is only billed
for items retained. An approval
profile typically specifies the library's subject areas and collection
intensity, and other collection parameters such as format, language, place of
publication and price range.
Approval plans improve library effectiveness and efficiency by providing
important pre-purchase information about new and/or forthcoming titles and
eliminating the need for libraries to place individual orders in either routine
or esoteric collection areas.
(c) Association Publication. A publication issued by, or under the
auspices of, an association or institution, including proceedings, monographs,
and memoirs.
(d) Back Issue. A single issue of a serial publication
preceding the current issue. A
"back file" is a set or file of old issues of a serial.
(e) Binding. The device or covering used to cover
and/or fasten the covering of a book.
(f) Books and Library Publications
(Non-Serial Materials). Publications that are complete in one
part or are intended to be completed in a finite number of separate parts. This category includes disparate
non-serial publication formats such as books, reports, treatises, encyclopedias,
atlases, sound recordings, videotapes, audio-visual materials, reprints,
etc. This contrasts with "serial"
publications such as magazines, journals and newspapers, which are not covered
by this RFP.
(g) Edition. All copies of a bibliographic item
produced from substantially the same type image or from an original physical or
electronic pattern or prototype; the form in which a work is produced, such as
original, revised, reprint, textbook, etc.
(h) Firm Order. A one-time order for a specific title(s)
and number of copies, in contrast to a subscription or standing
order.
(i) Format. Those materials that are described by
similar general appearance and physical makeup, including size, proportions,
quality and style of paper and binding, typographical design, etc.; the medium
in which a publication is presented.
(j) Leasing Plan. The library leases publications from a
supplier instead of buying them, retaining an option to purchase leased items at
a reduced price when the term of the lease is over. The leasing plan is a mechanism for
libraries to obtain popular titles without having to buy multiple copies for the
permanent collection.
(k) Library. Libraries, information centers and other
federal offices that use information services or acquire publications are
included in the broad term "library" in this RFP.
(l) Library Binding. A strong binding designed for heavy
library use.
(m) Multimedia. An item containing two or more
categories of materials no one of which is identifiable as the predominant
constituent of the item.
(n) Network. Refers to people and organizations, not
to computer or telecommunications networks.
(o)
Out-of-Print. Not obtainable through the regular
market because the publisher's/producer's stock is exhausted. Out of print is to be distinguished from
"out of stock", a term used to indicate that the item is not available from the
publisher or jobber's inventory at the present time but probably will be
later.
(p) Profile. A description of the significant
features of the collection areas of special interest to the library, such as
academic discipline, country or region of publication, or language. The profile serves as a basis for
approval plan or leasing plan orders and is developed by the FEDLINK member in
collaboration with the vendor.
(q) Publisher List Price. The list price is the one the publisher
has established and announced in its catalog or other trade publications. List price shall not include freight
pass through.
(r) Reprint. A new impression of an edition or a new
edition from a new setting of type, for which an impression of a previous
edition has been used as a copy; a separately issued article, chapter, or other
portion of a previously published larger work, usually a reproduction of the
original.
(s) Serial Publication. A publication in any medium issued in
successive parts bearing a numerical or chronological designation and intended
to be continued indefinitely.
(t) Subscription. The arrangement by which, in return for
a sum paid in advance, a periodical, newspaper, or other serial is provided for
specified numbers of issues or a specified period of time.
(u) Standing
Order. A general order to a vendor or a
publisher to supply the volumes or parts of a particular title or type of
publication as they appear, usually until otherwise
notified.
(v) Trade book.
1. A book produced by a commercial
publisher for sale to the public primarily through bookstores, as distinguished
from a textbook edition, subscription book, or a book meant for a limited public
because of its technical nature, specialized appeal, or high price.
2. Any high discount (more than 40 per cent) book regardless of subject
matter or type of publisher. [American Library association
Glossary].
C.4. SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS
C.4.1. LOT 1 - FIRM ORDER SERVICE - SUBJECT
AREA, FORMAT OR SOURCE
SPECIALIZATION
C.4.1.1. SERVICE DESCRIPTION. Under Lot 1, Firm Order
Service, vendors shall supply books and other library materials in response to
firm orders from FEDLINK customers.
Customers may place firm orders for traditional monographs - single
volume print books - or for other non-serial publications in varied formats and
physical media. Vendors may supply
publications from in-house stock, or acquire them directly from the publisher or
other appropriate source. Vendors
must offer services under Lot 1 in order to be eligible to offer services under
Lots 2, 3, or 4. Vendors
shall specialize by subject area, format or source of publication and shall
identify the types of materials they supply within their specializations. Vendors may specialize in more than one
area. Thus, for example, a vendor
might specialize in scientific and technical publications and might supply
trade, scholarly, textbook, audio-visual, association press and university press
materials on sci-tech subjects; or a vendor might specialize in trade
publications in all subject areas except juvenile/young adult; in textbooks in
all subject areas; or in foreign press publications on business, scientific,
medical, and legal subjects. The
chart provided as Attachment 1 identifies the options available. Vendors shall specialize in one or more
of the subjects, formats or sources identified, i.e. by column (subject) or by
row (format or source). Within each
specialty the vendor shall indicate the publications supplied. Please attach this form to your section
B pricing proposal.
C.4.1.2. PUBLICATIONS
PROVIDED.
C.4.1.2.1. SUBJECT
SPECIALIZATION. Vendors shall supply publications in at
least one of the following subject areas:
(a)
General.
(b)
Juvenile, Young Adult.
(c)
Business, Economics, Finance.
(d)
Legal.
(e)
Medical and Allied Health.
(f)
Scientific and Technical.
(g)
Social Sciences and Humanities.
(h)
Other. Vendors may identify other specific
subject areas of expertise.
C.4.1.2.2. FORMAT OR SOURCE
SPECIALIZATION. Vendors shall supply publications in at
least one of the types below:
(a)
Trade, Trade Paperback.
(b)
Textbook, Textbook Paperback.
(c) Mass
Market Paperback.
(d)
Reference.
(e)
Reprints, Back Issues.
(f)
Audio-Visual.
(g)
Multimedia.
(h)
Non-English Language.
(i)
Out-of-Print.
(j)
Association, Society Presses.
(k) Foreign
Presses.
(l)
Government Documents.
(m) Small
Presses.
(n)
University Presses.
(o)
Other. Vendors may identify
other specific publication types, formats, or sources of
supply.
C.4.1.3. FIRM ORDER SERVICES.
C.4.1.3.1. ORDER TYPES. Vendors shall process regular firm
orders, backorders, and rush orders.
Standing orders are not allowed under BOAs established based on this
solicitation.
(a) Regular Firm Orders. Most publications shall be delivered to
the customer within 30 days of receipt of the customer's order. These shall be considered regular
firm orders. The vendor shall promptly notify the
customer when an item cannot be obtained within the regular 30-day timeframe, so
the customer may identify an alternate source for the publication in a timely
manner.
(b) Firm Order Backorders. Items which cannot be delivered within
30 days of receipt of the customer's order, but which the vendor can supply,
shall be treated as backorders.
Upon receipt of a backordered item from the publisher, the vendor shall
ship it to the customer within five working days.
(c) Rush Firm Orders. The vendor shall provide a method and
identify timeframes for rush handling of orders for titles the customer requires
on short notice. Rush orders shall
be available both for publications supplied from the vendor's stock and for
items acquired as needed from publishers.
C.4.1.3.2. ORDER DATE. The order date of all orders shall be
the date the customer sends the order to the vendor, not the date the vendor begins
processing the order (e.g. entering the order in a computer system, requesting
the item from a publisher, etc.)
All items shall be billed in accordance with the customer's order
date. Because the customer's order
date indicates the fiscal year of obligated funds, accurate recording of the
order date is particularly critical at the end of the fiscal year.
C.4.1.3.3. CATALOG. The vendor shall provide customers with
a catalog or other listing of publications he can supply and/or a list of
publishers or other sources that he can access.
C.4.1.3.4. PRE-ORDER SERVICES. Before placing an order, the customer
may request the vendor to provide estimates of publisher's list price, vendor's
discount category or service fee, and availability of the item (forthcoming,
in/out of print, in stock, etc.)
C.4.1.3.5. ORDER COMMUNICATION. Vendors shall accept and confirm orders
and cancellations through multiple communication methods. These shall include US mail, telephone,
fax transmission, electronic mail, commercial online systems, or the vendor's
own online system. Online ordering,
if available, shall be used at the library's discretion. At a minimum, the vendor's communication
methods, especially in regard to online ordering, telecommunications, and order
cancellation, shall meet requirements detailed in Section C.3.3., above.
C.4.1.3.6. RETURNS. Customers shall be able to return items
that were supplied in error (wrong fills) or items that were received in
unacceptable condition. Customers
shall not be charged for, materials, shipping or processing for returned
items.
C.4.2. LOT 2 - APPROVAL PLAN
SERVICE
C.4.2.1. SERVICE DESCRIPTION. Under Lot 2, Approval Plan Service, the
vendor shall automatically supply books and library publications to the customer
"on approval" in accordance with a customer-specific collection ordering
profile. Customers will approve and
retain acceptable items, and reject and return those deemed unsuitable for
addition to the collection. The
customer only pays for the publications retained. The cumulative value of all items
selected under an approval plan shall not exceed the transfer pay customer's
delivery order or blanket purchase agreement funding level or the direct pay
customer's purchase order amount.
Instead of shipping materials automatically, the vendor may send
selection tools (catalogs, descriptive title lists, or notification slips) that
list publications within the scope of the customer's profile. From these materials the customer will
select items to be shipped. All
approval plan materials shall be shipped to the customer at the vendor's
expense, but rejected items shall be returned to the vendor at the Government's
expense.
The approval profile
typically specifies the library's subject focus areas and collection intensity
(e.g. comprehensive), and other collection parameters such as format, language,
place of publication and price range.
Approval plans are intended to improve library efficiency and
effectiveness by providing important pre-purchase information concerning new
and/or forthcoming titles and eliminating the need for libraries to place
individual orders in either routine or esoteric collection areas.
C.4.2.2. APPROVAL PLAN ORDERING PROFILE
CATEGORIES.
C.4.2.2.1. SUBJECT BASED.
C.4.2.2.2. SOURCE BASED.
C.4.2.2.3. COUNTRY OR REGION BASED.
C.4.2.2.4. LANGUAGE BASED.
C.4.2.2.5. OTHER. The vendor may specify an approval plan
based on
other
factors.
C.4.2.3. APPROVAL PLAN SERVICES.
C.4.2.3.1. TYPES OF APPROVAL PLANS. Two basic styles of approval
plan shall be available: automatic
shipments or choice from selection tools.
(a) Automatic Shipment Approval
Plan. The vendor shall identify, acquire, and
ship materials that fit the customer's collection profile. Each shipment shall be considered a
separate order under the approval plan.
The customer shall have a sufficient period of time to review the
shipment and decide which materials to approve and retain for the collection and
which to reject and return to the vendor.
The customer shall affirmatively indicate approval of items retained in a
manner specified in the profile.
The vendor shall invoice the customer only for the items
retained.
(b) Selection Tool Approval Plan. The vendor shall provide
selection tools that cover publications within scope of the customer's
collection profile. Selection tools
are typically catalogs, descriptive title lists, notification slips. They may be provided in print or machine
readable form, as established in the customer's profile. The customer will clearly annotate the
selection tools or will prepare a consolidated request list indicating which
items the vendor should supply on approval. The vendors shall acquire and ship the
materials the customer identifies.
The customer shall have a sufficient period of time to review the
shipment to decide whether to retain or reject materials. The vendor shall invoice the customer
only for the items retained.
C.4.2.3.2. APPROVAL PLAN ORDERING
PROFILE. The vendor and the customer together
shall develop an ordering profile that reflects the customer's collection
development requirements. The
vendor and customer shall review the profile at least semi-annually and adjust
it as appropriate.
(a) Documentation. The vendor shall provide the customer
with written procedures that fully describe the customer's profile, the process
by which the vendor will identify and supply materials in accordance with the
profile, and the customer/vendor procedures for operating the plan.
(b) Time Frames. The customer and the vendor shall
establish a regular schedule for shipment of publications and a reasonable time
frame for review/selection of materials.
(c) Approval Procedure. The profile shall identify a specific
procedure for the customer to approve items to be retained for the
collection.
(d) Parameters. The profile should cover one or more of
the publication categories identified above and shall address at least the
following parameters:
(1) Collection intensity,
comprehensiveness.
(2) Format(s) of
publications.
(3) Price limit for individual
items.
(e) Number of Copies. One copy per title shall be shipped,
unless the customer specifies otherwise.
C.4.2.3.3. ORDER DATE. The customer order date for approval
plan publications orders shall be:
(a) Automatic Shipment Plan: the dates on which the vendor ships
materials specified in the customer's ordering profile. It is critical that all vendor shipments
be uniquely identified, and that the identifier reflect the fiscal year and
month of the shipment. No automatic
shipments shall be made after the end of the fiscal year.
(b) Selection Tool Plan: the date the customer sends a selection
list to the vendor. It is critical
that all selection list orders be uniquely identified, and that the identifier
reflect the fiscal year and month of the order.
C.4.2.3.4. RETURNS. Customers shall be able to return items
that were supplied in error, that are out of scope of the customer's profile, or
items that are not in acceptable condition. Customers shall not be charged for
materials, shipping or processing for returned items.
C.4.3. LOT 3 - LEASING PLAN
SERVICE
C.4.3.1. SERVICE DESCRIPTION. Under Lot 3, Leasing Plan Service, the
vendors shall lease or license non-serial publications to customers in response
to orders for specific titles or according to a customer profile. The customer leases publications from
the supplier instead of buying them, and retains an option to purchase leased
items at a reduced price when the term of the lease is over. The term of the lease shall be
specified, and shall not exceed one calendar year. Lease publications shall be supplied in
shelf-ready condition. The leasing
plan is a mechanism for a library to expand the resources available to its users
by obtaining popular titles as needed, without having to buy multiple copies for
the permanent collection. Leasing
also extends the shelf life of heavily-used titles.
C.4.3.2. LEASING PLAN PUBLICATION
CATEGORIES. Vendors may establish leasing plans that
provide materials in categories similar to Lots 1 and 2 of this
solicitation:
C.4.3.2.1. SUBJECT BASED. Individual Title
Orders.
C.4.3.2.2. FORMAT OR SOURCE BASED. Individual Title
Orders.
C.4.3.2.3. PROFILE BASED. Automatic
Shipments.
C.4.3.3. LEASING PLAN SERVICE.
C.4.3.3.1. TYPES OF LEASING PLANS. The vendor shall provide at
least one of the following types of leasing plan:
(a) Title Selection Leasing
Plan. The vendor shall supply the customer
with a catalog or other listing of titles available for lease. Titles typically are assigned a credit
or "coupon" value (with more popular titles worth more.) The customer is entitled to a quantity
of title credits commensurate with the amount of the customer's lease. The customer selects individual
titles to be supplied under the lease and the vendor draws down the total coupon
amount accordingly. The vendor
bills for items on lease to the customer.
(b) Profile Leasing Plan. The customer and vendor may develop a
profile that establishes categories of materials required by the customer. The vendor automatically supplies
materials that match the profile, and bills the customer for the items
supplied.
C.4.3.3.2. LEASING PROCESS AND PROCEDURES.
The vendor shall provide the
customer with written documentation that fully describes the leasing plan's
operating procedures, including:
identifying and selecting materials to be provided, placing individual
orders or developing a profile, returning items at the end of the lease period,
purchasing items, billing practice.
The customer and the vendor shall establish a regular schedule and method
for shipment and return of publications.
C.4.3.3.3. OPTION TO PURCHASE. The vendor shall offer the
customer the option to purchase leased items at a reduced rate at the end of the
lease period.
C.4.3.3.4. RETURNS. Customers shall be able to reject and
return items that were supplied in error, e.g. are out of scope of the
customer's lease profile, or items that are not in acceptable condition. The customer's lease shall not be
charged for rejected items, materials, processing or shipping. At the expiration of the lease customer
shall return all items that will not be purchased.
C.4.4. LOT 4 - TECHNICAL AND/OR ORDER PROCESSING
SERVICES
C.4.4.1. SERVICE DESCRIPTION. The vendor may provide technical
processing for materials supplied under this solicitation, performing physical
processing or cataloging to supply materials to the customer in shelf-ready
condition. The vendor may provide a
computer-based order processing system for the customer to make the acquisitions
control process more effective and efficient.
C.4.4.2. BASIC TECHNICAL
PROCESSING. The vendor may physically process and/or
provide cataloging data for the publications he supplied under Lots 1, 2, or 3
of this solicitation in order to make the items shelf-ready for the customer's
collection. Extensive physical
processing (e.g. format conversion, archival or conservatorial processing) and
original cataloging are out of scope of this solicitation. Technical processing options shall be
priced on a flat per item basis.
C.4.4.2.1. PHYSICAL PROCESSING. The vendor shall physically process
materials supplied by the vendor under Lots 1, 2, or 3 of this
solicitation. Items shall be
processed in accordance with a profile of the customer's requirements as
developed by the customer and the vendor.
The profile shall specify the extent of processing, and the formatting
and placement of items (such as call number, spine labels and barcode
labels). The vendors shall identify
the materials to be used in physical processing, such as the type, grade, size
and make of spine labels. The
following physical processing options may be supplied:
(a) Circulation Kit. At a minimum, a circulation kit shall
consist of: cataloging data, a book
pocket, a circulation card, and a spine label.
(b) Barcode Labels.
(c) Security Strips.
(d) Coverups.
(e) Binding Reinforcements.
(f) Other. The vendor may specify other physical
processing options.
C.4.4.2.2. CATALOGING PROCESSING. The vendor shall supply a
set of catalog cards or MARC output for publications supplied by the vendor
under Lots 1, 2, or 3 of this solicitation. Cataloging data shall be supplied in
accordance with a profile of the customer's requirements for descriptive and
subject cataloging and classification.
(a) Cataloging Parameters. The customer shall have the option of
receiving Library of Congress, Sears, or National Library of Medicine subject
headings and Library of Congress, Dewey, or National Library of Medicine call
numbers.
(b) Cataloging Data in Electronic
Form. Computer‑readable cataloging output
shall be available on 3.5" DOS diskette, and may also be available on tape,
through electronic mail or Internet transfer, or other distribution
channel.
(c) Other Cataloging Processing
Options. The vendor may offer cataloging
processing options developed in cooperation with the membership bibliographic
utility organizations.
C.4.4.2.3. COMPLETE TECHNICAL
PROCESSING. The vendor may offer complete physical
and cataloging processing of publications supplied under Lots 1, 2, or 3 of this
solicitation. Complete processing
shall consist of a combination of the elements identified under C.4.4.2.1. and
C.4.4.2.2., above.
C.4.4.2.4. DELIVERY. Publications processed under this lot
shall be delivered in accordance with the specifications in the lot under which
they were ordered - Lot 1, 2, or 3, above.
The vendor shall specify standard periods needed for technical processing
activities. This time may be added
to the normal 30-day delivery time frame for regular firm orders.
C.4.4.3. COMPUTER-BASED ORDER PROCESSING. The vendor may provide
acquisitions control software for the customer to operate on his local computer
system or may provide the customer with online access to order information on
the vendor's own central system.
The vendor may provide training in its order processing system, as
needed. The vendor shall provide
the customer with detailed documentation on its order processing system that
addresses the system's technical requirements (computer equipment, operating
system, access requirements, etc.), functional capabilities (title lists, order
placement, order tracking), and operating procedures. No equipment shall be offered for lease
or sale and no software or database development shall be performed under
agreements and contracts resulting from this solicitation.
SECTION D - PACKAGING AND
MARKING
D.1
PACKING.
D.1.1.
CONTAINERS. All shipments shall be packed in durable
containers which meet U.S. Postal Service packaging requirements and are able to
withstand rough handling. All voids
within the boxes should be filled with clean dunnage
materials.
D.1.2.
LABELING.
Each
box shall be marked with the Library of Congress BOA number, LC delivery order
number, contractor shipment number, and the number of boxes in the shipment for
that address.
D.1.3.
PACKING SLIP.
A packing slip shall be
enclosed with each shipment. Sample
packing slips should be provided with response. At a minimum, packing slips shall
indicate for each shipment:
D.1.3.1
IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION.
a. Contractor name and
address.
b. Library of Congress BOA
number.
c. LC Delivery order number.
d. FEDLINK ID code.
e. Ship to name and address, including
code.
f. Ordering
individual.
g. Date of shipment.
D.1.3.2. ORDER INFORMATION.
a. Library purchase order
number.
b. Order
date.
D.1.3.3. ITEM
INFORMATION.
a. Title.
b. Number of copies.
c. List price.
d. Discount rate/service
charge.
e. Extended
price.
SECTION E - INSPECTION AND
ACCEPTANCE
E.1.
NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
NOTICE: The following
solicitation and/or contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby
incorporated by reference:
FEDERAL ACQUISITION
REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1)
52.246-2
INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES - FIXED PRICE (AUG 1996)
52.246-4
INSPECTION OF SERVICES - FIXED PRICE (AUG 1996)
SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR
PERFORMANCE
F.1.
NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
NOTICE: The following
solicitation and/or contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby
incorporated by reference:
FEDERAL ACQUISITION
REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1)
52.242-15 STOP-WORK ORDER
AUG 1989
52-247-34 F.O.B. DESTINATION NOV 1991
F.2.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE. The period of performance of this Basic
Ordering Agreement shall be from date of award through September 30 of each
fiscal year. The Library reserves
the right to exercise the option to renew this Basic Ordering Agreement for a
second through fifth year with the mutual consent of the Contractor and as may
be in the Library's best interest.
The contracting officer shall provide written preliminary notice of
intent to renew at least 60 days prior to BOA expiration, in accordance
with FAR 16.703. All option year pricing will be
negotiated.
F.2.
PLACE OF DELIVERY. The place of delivery is F.O.B.
destination in accordance with FAR 52.247-34.
F.3.
OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE BOA. The Library reserves the right to extend
the term of this Basic Ordering Agreement with the mutual consent of the
Contractor and as may be in the Library's best interest. The contracting officer shall provide
written preliminary notice of intent at least 60 days prior to BOA expiration,
in accordance with FAR 16.703 and
FAR 52.217-9. All option year
pricing will be negotiated.
SECTION G - CONTRACT
ADMINISTRATION DATA
G.1. LC/FEDLINK BASIC ORDERING
AGREEMENTS.
G.1.1. BASIC ORDERING AGREEMENTS (BOAs). The contractual instrument
issued pursuant to this solicitation is to be classified as a Basic Ordering
Agreement (BOA) pursuant to FAR 16.7.
The BOA is a result of a public advertisement to solicit contractors to
provide Books and Library Publications Acquisitions necessary for the members in
the FEDLINK program. BOAs are
negotiated to achieve the lowest possible price and most favorable terms and
conditions using the procedures followed by the Library of Congress (LC). Contractor sales volume is considered to
be an important element to achieve maximum discounts in each BOA.
G.1.2. MODIFICATION INSTRUCTIONS.
G.1.2.1. Constant Pricing and Discount. For the period from date of
award through September 30 of each fiscal year, the vendor shall maintain
constant pricing and discount schedules under this BOA.
G.1.2.2. Addition of Services. For the life of the BOA, the
contractor shall offer no services other than those specified in this BOA unless
specific application is made to the LC Contracts & Logistics Services to
modify this BOA to incorporate additional services. Any new services which are approved by
the LC Contracting Officer shall be officially added to the BOA by
modification. Submit requests for
approval to modify the BOA to:
The Library of
Congress
Contracts & Logistics
Services-FEDLINK
101 Independence Avenue,
SE
Washington, DC
20540-9414
G.1.3. CONTRACTOR CORRESPONDENCE WITH FEDLINK
MEMBERS.
G.1.3.1. FEDLINK Related Publications. Any vendor correspondence,
announcements, notification of offering, etc. which reference services offered
through the LC/FEDLINK BOA shall be submitted to LC/FEDLINK for approval. Submit correspondence for approval
to:
FEDLINK Fiscal
Operations
Attn: Vendor Services
Coordinator
The Library of
Congress
101 Independence Avenue,
SE
Washington, D.C.
20540-4935
G.2. MEMBERS' USE OF THE FEDLINK
PROGRAM.
G.2.1. FEDLINK SERVICES. The FEDLINK program provides
both contracting and fiscal support to federal agencies and organizations
authorized to use federal sources of supply. Such offices are termed "members"
of FEDLINK. Registered members are authorized to use
the LC/FEDLINK BOAs established
under the program and may elect to transfer funds to LC to pay invoices for
usage under the BOA. LC/FEDLINK
charges members a fee for participation in the FEDLINK program.
G.2.2. REGISTRATION. Members indicate their
intent to use LC/FEDLINK BOAs, choose whether they intend to transfer service
dollars to LC, and establish the funding level for their services by submitting
an annual registration form for the FEDLINK program. Registration forms may be submitted
throughout the fiscal year, until a cutoff date specified by
FEDLINK.
G.2.3. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS. LC/FEDLINK initiates an
Interagency Agreement (IAG) between LC and the member agency for services and
funding as indicated on the member's registration form. After the agency signs and returns the
IAG, the LC Financial Services Directorate (LC/FSD) invoices the agency for the funds
obligated to LC and LC/C&L issues official delivery orders/authorizations to
the vendors listed on the IAG in the amounts specified on the IAG. Members may request amendments to their
IAGs throughout the year (until a cutoff date specified by FEDLINK), and thus
may add or delete services and/or change funding levels. Based on information in the IAG and its
amendments, LC/C&L issues an official delivery order/authorization to the
vendor; upon receipt of the delivery order/authorization the vendor may initiate
service for the member.
G.2.4. COPY OF BASIC ORDERING AGREEMENT
(BOA). Upon written request of the
member or their authorized representative, the contractor shall provide members
who use the contractor's services with one copy each of the contractor's current
BOA with LC/FEDLINK. BOA copies
supplied shall be identical to the signed original.
G.2.5. ACCOUNT OPTION.
G.2.5.1. Transfer Pay. Under the transfer pay
option, members transfer both appropriate annual fees and estimated annual
service dollars to LC via the executed IAG. When member funds have been received at
LC, LC/C&L notifies the vendor to begin service to the member by issuance of
a formal delivery order. LC/FEDLINK
will then process and pay invoices from the member's account.
G.3. TRANSFER PAY
ACCOUNTS.
G.3.1. INITIATING TRANSFER PAY
SERVICES.
G.3.1.1. Delivery Order. LC/C&L will issue to
contractors a delivery order for each FEDLINK member using the contractor's
service in the transfer pay mode under the LC/FEDLINK BOA. The official LC delivery order indicates
that the contractor may begin services for the member under the terms of the
current BOA. LC/C&L may also
issue delivery order modifications which reflect amendments to members' IAGs -
to change services or adjust funding levels, for example. The contractor shall not provide
services to the member in excess of the "not to exceed" (NTE) dollar amount
indicated on the original delivery order or as amended by any delivery order
modification. The Government shall
not be liable for services or products provided which exceed the NTE dollar
amount. Authority to provide
service under an LC delivery order expires on September 30, 2001 and each
subsequent September 30 for each option year exercised.
G.3.1.2. Initiating Service. The contractor shall not
initiate, renew, cancel, or convert to the LC/FEDLINK BOA any service for any
FEDLINK member until a delivery order for that member for that service for the
current fiscal year has been received.
The contractor shall contact the member to initiate service immediately
upon receipt of the LC delivery order.
G.3.1.3. Member Identification. Subsequent to receipt of the
delivery order, all contractor correspondence and oral communication with
FEDLINK regarding members shall identify the member by the FEDLINK ID, IAG
number, and delivery order number for the member as indicated on the LC/FEDLINK
delivery order.
G.3.1.4. Notification to FEDLINK. Within ten working days of
receipt of delivery order from LC/C&L, the contractor shall provide FEDLINK
Fiscal Operations (FFO) in writing the account identification or user
identification assigned to the member by the contractor which will indicate
acceptance of the order. If vendor
refuses to accept an order, the delivery order should be so noted and returned
within ten (10) days. Customer
identification should be sent to the following address:
FEDLINK Fiscal
Operations
ATTN: Vendor Services
Coordinator
The Library of
Congress
101 Independence Avenue,
SE
Washington, DC 20540-4935
G.3.2. TRANSFER PAY INVOICE INSTRUCTIONS. An invoice is the
contractor's bill or written request for payment under the contract for supplies
delivered or services performed. An
invoice shall be prepared and submitted
to FEDLINK Fiscal Operations
(FFO) for review and processing.
Invoices which do not meet the specifications listed below will be
considered defective, will be rejected, and returned to the contractor without
payment. Rejected invoices will be
accompanied by a form indicating the reason for the rejection and may be
resubmitted when the condition(s) causing the rejection have been
corrected. FEDLINK will forward
approved invoices to the LC Financial Services Directorate (LC/FSD) for
payment. All proper invoices
(except summary invoices) and all detailed usage reports shall include
information and be formatted as specified below.
G.3.2.1. Invoices shall be submitted to the
following address:
FEDLINK Fiscal
Operations
ATTN: Invoice Processing
Library of
Congress
Washington, DC 20540-4935
G.3.2.2. Information required on
invoice:
G.3.2.2.1. Contractor identification information
required on all invoices:
< Name and address of the
contractor.
< LC/FEDLINK BOA Number.
< Two-character FEDLINK Service ID assigned to
the contractor.
< Name and address of contractor's official to
whom payment is to be mailed or sent via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) (shall
be the same as that in the BOA or in a proper notice of assignment approved by
LC/C&L.)
< Name (where practicable), title, phone number
and mailing address of person to be notified in event of defective
invoice.
G.3.2.2.2. Member identification information
required on all invoices:
< Name and address of agency using
service.
< Delivery order number.
< FEDLINK ID and FEDLINK IAG
number.
G.3.2.2.3. Order information required on all
invoices:
< Invoice number. Invoice number should uniquely identify
the invoice.
as specified
below.
< Invoice date in mm/dd/yy
format.
< Order date in mm/dd/yy format. Order date is the date the FEDLINK
member placed the order with the vendor.
< Order number.
< Contract line item number, where practicable,
or descriptive information sufficient to identify Schedule B item which
corresponds to invoiced item.
< Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit
price, and extended price of supplies delivered or services
performed.
< Any other information or documentation required
by other specific requirements elsewhere in the BOA (such as evidence of
shipment).
< Percent of discount applicable to individual
FEDLINK members as specified elsewhere in the BOA.
< An invoice copy submitted as replacement for an
original shall be certified as a duplicate original
G.3.2.3. Number of Copies. For each FEDLINK transfer
pay user, the contractor shall provide to FEDLINK not less than one original and
one copy of each summary invoice and not less than one original and one copy of
each detailed usage report (in support of the invoice).
G.3.2.4. Invoice Physical Format Criteria. Invoices delivered to
LC/FEDLINK shall meet the following physical criteria:
G.3.2.4.1. Individual
invoice sets shall be attached so that all copies and/or pages of the original
invoice remain contiguous.
If
contractors supply photocopies of any pages, i.e. to supplement a multi-part
invoice, then all invoice photocopies shall be attached to the original
invoice.
G.3.2.4.2.