12-Scope Description - Final.docx

RR – 250347 – Library Print, E-Books and Digital Resources Scope Description:

The Dallas Independent School District is seeking offers from qualified, experienced, and financially stable suppliers to negotiate and enter into multiple term agreements for the purchase, processing, delivery, and implementation of physical library books, digital books, and digital resources. These agreements will support the instructional, literacy, and library operational needs of campuses throughout the Dallas Independent School District.

The intent of this solicitation is to establish reliable, high-quality sources for library and classroom materials in both print and digital formats, along with the associated cataloging, processing, platform, and support services necessary to serve a large and linguistically diverse student population.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Physical Library Materials The supplier shall provide a broad and current catalog of physical library materials suitable for elementary, middle, and high school collections. Materials shall be available in hardcover library editions, standard hardback editions, and paperback editions. Requirements include:

1. High-quality bindings engineered for durability and repeated circulation in a school library environment.

2. Reinforced library-grade construction for titles intended for high-use collections.

3. Accurate matching of ordered titles, editions, and formats to campus specifications.

Shelf-Ready Library Processing All materials ordered for campus libraries must arrive in a fully shelf-ready format, requiring no additional handling by campus staff prior to circulation. Processing elements shall include, at minimum:

1. Affixing pre-printed, non-duplicate barcode labels to each item in District-designated locations.

2. Printing and affixing spine labels reflecting local classification variations.

3. Application of lamination or clear, protective Mylar dust-jacket covers for hardcover items.

4. Affixing campus-specific property stamps and collection-specific labels, such as Bilingual, Reference, and Texas Reading List designations.

Cataloging and Metadata Standards The supplier shall provide professional Machine-Readable Cataloging records that support direct import into the District's centralized library management system. Records shall meet the following standards:

1. Compliance with Resource Description and Access cataloging rules.

2. Inclusion of precise Dewey Decimal classifications.

3. Inclusion of Library of Congress Subject Headings.

4. Integration of local barcode data and campus-specific classification elements.

5. Delivery in a format that allows seamless, error-free import without manual reformatting.

Accuracy of MARC records and cataloging will be considered essential to acceptance of processed materials.

Classroom Sets and Supplemental Materials For materials that do not require library processing or MARC records, the supplier must demonstrate the capacity to package, box, label, and deliver bulk classroom sets. These deliveries shall be separated and sorted by grade level, department, or individual teacher order sheets, at no additional cost to the Dallas Independent School District. The supplier shall ensure clear labeling that allows campus staff to distribute materials directly to the intended classroom or teacher without additional sorting.

DIGITAL CONTENT AND E-BOOKS

Digital Platform Requirements The digital platform shall maintain full interoperability with the current tools used across the Dallas Independent School District. Requirements include:

1. Seamless integration with the District's library automation system.

2. Integration with existing digital reading platforms used by campuses.

3. Support for single sign-on through the District's authentication and identity management systems, allowing students and staff to access resources without separate credentials.

4. A user-friendly ordering and administration platform for library and District staff.

Flexible Digital Licensing Models The supplier must offer an array of flexible licensing formats to accommodate varied instructional and circulation needs, including:

1. Single-User or Single-Access licensing providing standard perpetual access.

2. Multi-User or Simultaneous-Access licensing supporting concurrent student reading, essential for grade-wide novel studies and thematic assignments.

3. Metered access or simultaneous-use bundles allowing a defined number of checkouts before license expiration.

Suppliers shall clearly describe the terms, renewal conditions, and access duration associated with each licensing model.

Multimedia and Accessible Formats The platform must support a variety of formats to serve diverse learners, including:

1. Digital e-books.

2. High-quality audiobooks.

3. Read-along files that pair narration with text.

4. Interactive graphic collections.

5. Titles translated to serve the language needs of the student population, with specific support for English and Spanish content.

Formats shall support accessibility features that accommodate students with varied reading levels and learning needs.

DISTRICT LIBRARY SERVICES DATABASES

Suppliers shall provide access to and support for specialized library services databases and instructional platforms that enhance student learning, library operations, literacy engagement, and curriculum support across the District. Requirements include:

1. Integration with District authentication systems where applicable.

2. Administrative reporting and usage analytics available to District library administrators, including circulation, access, and engagement metrics that support collection and program decisions.

3. Scalable access for all participating campuses regardless of enrollment size.

4. Ongoing technical support and content updates throughout the contract term.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND ACCOUNT SERVICES

The supplier shall provide responsive customer support and dedicated account services throughout the term of the agreement, including:

1. A designated account representative familiar with the needs of the Dallas Independent School District.

2. Timely order confirmation, status updates, and issue resolution.

3. Support for the ordering platform, including training and troubleshooting for District and campus staff.

4. Clear procedures for handling returns, replacements, damaged materials, and backordered titles.

DELIVERY AND PACKAGING

The supplier shall coordinate delivery to designated campus and District locations in a manner that reflects the sorting, labeling, and shelf-ready requirements described above. All physical materials shall be packaged to prevent damage during shipping, and deliveries shall be accurately documented to allow verification against orders.

COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

All materials, platforms, and services provided shall comply with applicable policies of the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Independent School District, including content review and material selection standards. Suppliers shall support the District's ability to review, select, and manage content in accordance with these policies and shall cooperate with any content evaluation or removal procedures established by the District.

PRICING STRUCTURE

Suppliers must complete the catalog discount matrix for each category in which they submit an offer. Pricing commitments shall address the following:

1. Physical books requiring processing and MARC records, expressed as a minimum percentage discount off the published catalog price for hardcover library editions, available hardback editions, or paperback editions, with all processing, MARC cataloging records, barcode and spine label integration, Mylar coverings, and any additional requested processing included in the price of the book.

2. Physical books that do not require processing or MARC records, expressed as a minimum percentage discount off the published catalog price for hardcover library editions and hardback editions.

3. Physical paperbacks that do not require processing or MARC records, expressed as a minimum percentage discount off the published catalog price.

4. Digital content platform access and annual hosting fees, expressed as an annual subscription flat rate fee.

5. Single-user and multi-user or simultaneous-access e-books, expressed as an average catalog percentage discount.

All pricing shall be firm for the applicable term, and any proposed escalation or adjustment provisions must be clearly identified and consistent with the terms of the resulting agreements.

Pricing Examples: Physical Library Books – Fully Processed, Shelf-Ready

· 100 hardcover library edition books, each fully shelf-ready with barcode labels, spine labels, Mylar covers, MARC catalog records, and campus-specific stamps/labels.

· Pricing is a percentage discount off the published catalog price. All processing and cataloging are included, no extra fees.

· Delivery must meet strict sorting, packaging, and documentation requirements for direct campus distribution.

Pricing Examples: Physical Classroom Sets – No Processing or MARC Records

· 250 paperback books, packaged as 25 sets of 10 for classroom use, no library processing or MARC records.

· Goods must be sorted by grade level/teacher order sheet, labeled for direct classroom distribution, and priced at a discount off catalog price.

Pricing Examples: Digital E-Books – Multi-User Simultaneous Access

· 100 licenses for a grade-wide novel in English and Spanish, with multi-user/simultaneous-access so an entire grade can read concurrently.

· Includes required integration with the district’s platform (TLC, OverDrive/Sora, Clever), with pricing as catalog discount and a flat annual platform/hosting fee.

Pricing Examples: Digital Resource Database Subscription

· Annual district-wide license for a library services database or instructional platform that integrates with all schools’ systems, includes administrative usage analytics, supports all campuses (regardless of size), and follows district authentication protocols.

· Pricing is annual flat rate; all updates, technical support, and new content included.

Pricing Examples: Diverse/Bilingual Physical Collection Refresh

· Mixed order of 750 physical library books (hardcover, paperback, and reinforced library bindings) across multiple languages (English, Spanish, other high-need).

· All titles processed and cataloged as required for library shelf-readiness, delivered to 10 campuses with sorting and campus-specific labeling. Price structured as percentage discount, and order includes special collection labels (e.g., Bilingual, Reference, Texas Reading List).

Questions:

1. For which specific categories are you submitting an offer: physical library books with full library processing and MARC records, physical books and classroom sets without library processing, digital content including e-books and audiobooks, or digital resource databases and instructional platforms, and have you completed the applicable pricing matrix for each category you are bidding on?

2. Describe the breadth and currency of your physical library materials catalog for elementary, middle, and high school collections, and specify how many titles you maintain in hardcover library editions, standard hardback editions, and paperback editions.

3. Explain the specific binding methods and reinforced library-grade construction techniques you use to engineer books for durability and repeated circulation in a school library environment.

4. How do you ensure accurate matching of ordered titles, editions, and formats to the campus specifications provided by the Dallas Independent School District?

5. Describe your process for delivering materials in a fully shelf-ready format that requires no additional handling by Dallas Independent School District’s campus staff prior to circulation.

6. How do you affix pre-printed, non-duplicate barcode labels to each item in the locations designated by the Dallas Independent School District, and what controls prevent barcode duplication?

7. Explain your capability to print and affix spine labels that reflect the local classification variations required by the Dallas Independent School District.

8. Describe your application process for lamination or clear, protective Mylar dust-jacket covers on hardcover items.

9. How do you affix campus-specific property stamps and collection-specific labels such as Bilingual, Reference, and Texas Reading List designations, and how are these designations communicated and confirmed with the Dallas Independent School District?

10. Confirm that your MARC records comply with Resource Description and Access cataloging rules and describe how you validate this compliance prior to delivery.

11. How do your MARC records include precise Dewey Decimal classifications and Library of Congress Subject Headings, and what is your process for ensuring accuracy?

12. Describe how your MARC records integrate local barcode data and campus-specific classification elements for the Dallas Independent School District.

13. Confirm that your MARC records support direct, error-free import into the centralized library management system used by the Dallas Independent School District without manual reformatting, and identify the file format you deliver.

14. What is your process and remedy when MARC records or cataloging are found to be inaccurate upon receipt by the Dallas Independent School District?

15. Describe your capacity to package, box, label, and deliver bulk classroom sets separated and sorted by grade level, department, or individual teacher order sheets, and confirm this sorting is provided at no additional cost to the Dallas Independent School District.

16. How does your labeling of classroom sets allow Dallas Independent School District campus staff to distribute materials directly to the intended classroom or teacher without additional sorting?

17. Describe how your digital platform integrates seamlessly with the library automation system currently used by the Dallas Independent School District, specifically the TLC Automation System.

18. Explain how your digital platform integrates with existing digital reading platforms used by campuses, including OverDrive Sora.

19. Describe how your platform supports single sign-on through the authentication and identity management systems used by the Dallas Independent School District, including Clever.

20. Describe the features of your ordering and administration platform that make it user-friendly for library and District staff of the Dallas Independent School District.

21. Describe your single-user or single-access licensing model, including whether it provides standard perpetual access and the associated terms and renewal conditions.

22. Describe your multi-user or simultaneous-access licensing model that supports concurrent student reading for grade-wide novel studies and thematic assignments.

23. Describe your metered access or simultaneous-use bundle licensing, including the defined number of checkouts before license expiration and the renewal terms.

24. For each licensing model offered, clearly specify the access duration, renewal conditions, and any restrictions that apply.

25. Describe the formats your platform supports, including digital e-books, high-quality audiobooks, read-along files that pair narration with text, and interactive graphic collections.

26. Describe the availability of titles translated to serve the language needs of the student population, with specific detail on your English and Spanish content offerings.

27. What accessibility features does your platform provide to accommodate students with varied reading levels and learning needs?

28. Describe the specialized library services databases and instructional platforms you offer that enhance student learning, library operations, literacy engagement, and curriculum support.

29. Explain how your databases integrate with the authentication systems of the Dallas Independent School District where applicable.

30. Describe the administrative reporting and usage analytics available to the library administrators of the Dallas Independent School District, including circulation, access, and engagement metrics that support collection and program decisions.

31. Confirm that your database access is scalable to all participating campuses of the Dallas Independent School District regardless of enrollment size, and describe how scaling is managed.

32. Describe the ongoing technical support and content updates you provide throughout the contract term.

33. Identify the designated account representative who will serve the Dallas Independent School District and describe that representative's familiarity with the needs of a large, linguistically diverse school district.

34. Describe your procedures for timely order confirmation, status updates, and issue resolution.

35. Describe the training and troubleshooting support you provide to District and campus staff for your ordering platform.

36. Describe your procedures for handling returns, replacements, damaged materials, and backordered titles.

37. Describe how you coordinate delivery to designated campus and District locations in a manner consistent with the sorting, labeling, and shelf-ready requirements of the Dallas Independent School District.

38. Describe how you package physical materials to prevent damage during shipping and how deliveries are documented to allow verification against orders.

39. Explain how your materials, platforms, and services comply with the policies of the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Independent School District, including content review and material selection standards.

40. Describe how you will support the ability of the Dallas Independent School District to review, select, and manage content, and how you will cooperate with any content evaluation or removal procedures established by the District.

41. Provide your minimum percentage discount off the published catalog price for physical books requiring processing and MARC records, confirming that all processing, MARC cataloging records, barcode and spine label integration, Mylar coverings, and any additional requested processing are included in the price of the book.

42. Provide your minimum percentage discount off the published catalog price for hardcover library editions and hardback editions that do not require processing or MARC records.

43. Provide your minimum percentage discount off the published catalog price for paperbacks that do not require processing or MARC records.

44. Provide your annual subscription flat rate fee for digital content platform access and annual hosting.

45. Provide your average catalog percentage discount for single-user and multi-user or simultaneous-access e-books.

46. Confirm that your pricing is firm for the applicable term, and clearly identify any proposed escalation or adjustment provisions and their consistency with the terms of the resulting agreements.

47. Describe your qualifications and relevant experience serving large and linguistically diverse school districts comparable to the Dallas Independent School District.

48. Provide evidence of your financial stability sufficient to fulfill a three-year agreement with two optional one-year renewal periods for the Dallas Independent School District.

49. Describe any prior experience providing physical library materials, shelf-ready processing, MARC cataloging, digital content, or library services databases to school districts of similar size and diversity.

50. Describe your capacity to support multiple term agreements across all four solicitation categories simultaneously if awarded, or explain how you will focus on the specific categories for which you are submitting an offer.

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