Attachment A5- Questions and Answers.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 15 KB Posted
- Attached to
- BARD Email Support to NLS Patrons and Libraries
- Solicitation number
- 030ADV25R0009
- Issued by
-
Library of Congress
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document for Solicitation 030ADV25R0009 from the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) regarding BARD email support services.
Key clarifications include: patron identity verification will be done through BARD account lookup; contractors can choose their own braille display for terminal usage while NLS will provide eReaders for patron equipment; statistics gathering is currently done manually without specialized tools; service hours are confirmed as 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST Monday through Friday (12-hour period); resumes will not count toward the 10-page limit for Technical Approach and can be included in a separate addendum; and email support requests received after 5 PM will be addressed the following business day since NLS staff typically don't work after 5 PM.
View the file
Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 030ADV25R0009 0001.pdf | ||
| Attachment A6 - Example Historical Transactions Oct 2023-Sept 2024.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment A3 - Administrative Policy.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment A5- Questions Template.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment A4- Background on Systems.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment A1 - Sample Statistics Report.xls | XLS spreadsheet | |
| Attachment A2- Email Templates.docx | DOCX document | |
| 030ADV25R0009.pdf |
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Questions
| Questions and Clarifications for Solicitation 030ADV25R0009 | ||||
| Page # | Section Number | Reference Text | Questions or Other Observations | Library of Congress Response |
| Att. A3 | After verifying identity of the patron | How will this be accomplished? | By looking up a patron's BARD account and verifying the address therein. Account information is available via the BARD administrative site. | |
| 18 | C11 | Contractor shall provide...braille display… | Are there specific requirements for the type of braille display? | Distinction should be made between braille displays for terminal usage and eReaders furnished as NLS equipment for patron reading purposes. Contractor will supply and choose braille display for terminal usage of their choice. |
| 18 | C10 | Government Furnished Equipment | Can 3rd party players/braille displays be provided to ensure staff are familiar with them? | Contractor will be furnished with eReaders that are issued as part of the NLS program as patron reading equipment. |
| Att. A1 | BARD Statistics -- Sample Statistics Report | Is there a statistics gathering tool available for staff to use during day to day work? I.e., a spreadsheet with dropdowns containing selectable categories? (An example would be the tool used by TX1A during the pilot of the reading disability certification pilot, which contractor assisted NLS in developing during her tenure at TX1A.) | No, the current data is manually entered according to predetermed request types. | |
| 8 | C.4.1 | Provide service across a 12-hour period from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST, each day, Monday through Friday. | In F.2 LC52.215-5 PLACE AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (JAN 2019) (page 20), it states that “ The contractor is responsible for determining its hours of operation in fulfilling the requirements of this contract. The Library’s standard operating hours are from 8:30 AM through 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays”. Also, C.5.1 Schedule has in the first row, “Response to request for support sent via nlsdownload@loc.gov, received between 5pm and 8am the following business day”, implying after 5 PM is after hours. |
Given that past iterations of the RFP have requested a nine-hour window request for this service, can the Library of Congress clarify the service hours requested? A 25% increase in service would impact contractor pricing. The clause lists standard Library of Congress (LOC) staff working hours so the contractor understand the hours of operation for Government employees and can plan accordingly. In Section C.7.1 list the POC's for after business hours for the Library staff.
The C.5.1 reference is to notify the contractor that after 5pm for LOC staff is after hours. LOC staff at NLS do not usually work after 5pm and query to the email nlsdownload@loc.gov will be addressed the following day if submitted after 5pm.
| 1 | 1 | 1. Requisition Number: SEE SCHEDULE | Is there a Requisition/Contract Number that a contractor should reference in the proposal? Or is the Solicitation Number sufficient? | The solicitation number is your identification. |
| 59 | L.1 LC52.215 | Technical Approach Section should not exceed 10 pages. Resumes count towards the page limit. | Given the average resume length and the robustness of staff proposed coupled with the entirety of a technical approach response, this page stipulation appears limiting. Can the Library of Congress allow a separate appendix for resumes to allow a contractor to fully explain and showcase their technical services? For reference previous soliciations have allowed 20 pages for the Technical Approach. | Resume's will be accepted within an addendum and not contribute to the 10 page limit for Technical Approach. Make sure to identify specifically the Addendum section in the proposal submission. |
&F &A 11.18.2024
Page &P of &N
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .