GUCO_-_Museum_Inventory_Q_A_0001.pdf

Q&A

National Park Service

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Rehouse and 100% Inventory of GUCO Museum Collection

RFQ 140P5126Q0012

Many of the contractor questions are redundant, which indicates a lack of understanding of the nature of this project. I hope the following additional details provide some clarification.

Inventories of this type are fairly straightforward. This collection is not large and most of the objects that require documentation through this project are also not large. There is no need to expect that rehousing efforts will take hours per object, many of them simply need to be put in labeled bags or trays. We don’t have specific counts/percentages of what objects need rehousing, that’s kind of the point of this project. The government will provide the contractor with a spreadsheet that includes all objects to be inventoried, their counts and current locations. The contractor will be responsible for searching for those items, confirming or correcting object locations, confirming or correcting object counts, noting condition issues (these should be limited to issues that are obvious – ie the object is broken, there is active corrosion, etc), rehousing needs (is the object loose in the cabinet, does is need to be bagged/labeled, does it need a specialized cavity mount). Object information should also be compared to Accession data. A digital list of Accessions will be provided, the contractor will also have access to physical Accession files. We know there are numbered/cataloged objects that may not have been entered into the database and, therefore, may not be on a database-generated spreadsheet. Objects in this category should be listed (with all the same data categories) on a separate tab in the excel file. Any missing objects should be marked as missing on the spreadsheet. After investigation (completing a physical search and review of the accession files) missing objects should be noted on a separate list – this can be a new tab on the main spreadsheet. The government will also provide the contractor with a copy of the park’s Scope of Collections Statement (SOCS). Objects that are clearly out of the park’s scope (ie not from or related to the Revolutionary War) should be marked on the main spreadsheet and listed on a separate tab within that same excel file. Any inventory requirements not elaborated on here are very specifically listed and described on page 3 of the SOW. The contractor will not have access to the park’s MCMS database and is not expected to update any of this data in that database. The contractor is not expected to move forward with any deaccessioning actions. During the inventory, only objects that are flagged as out of scope or in need of rehousing should be photographed. Photography for the entire collection is not required or expected. Archival material does not need to be photographed unless it falls into the categories of out-of-scope or in need of rehousing. As the SOW states, contractor may utilize groupings for photographs where appropriate. If one catalog record includes 10 individual objects, and is considered out-of-scope, those objects can be photographed as a group.

Object counts listed in the table on page 2 are from the Collections Management Report.

This data is automatically generated by the government collections database. The numbers are so high, especially for archives, because the counts reflect individual objects, not necessarily individual catalog records. The counts for archives are for each sheet of paper, which is why one might perceive a discrepancy between the counts in that table and the number of records at the FRC. The counts listed below that table are accurate. We do not have a count of uncataloged material, otherwise, that would have been provided. We also can’t provide an estimate of potentially missing objects. All available information about the collection has been provided.

The park is unlikely to be able to facilitate a pre-bid site visit at this time, but park staff will provide photographs of the current storage space and a few example cabinet drawers/shelves. This should be sufficient to give the contractor a reasonable understanding of current conditions at the park.

The park is working on coordinating options for additional work space within the park Visitor Center so that contractors have sufficient room for inventory and rehousing efforts.

The collections storage room is quite small, no more than 2-3 people can be in the space.

There is no publicly available wi-fi in the VC, so the government recommends utilizing hotspots and/or working from saved copies of the inventory.

The answers to the questions below reflect information not specifically addressed above.

1. Given the time and travel costs Phase 1 requires, is the NPS receptive to an alternative invoicing schedule? (Ex: invoicing for a portion of the project after the Preliminary Site Visit to help defray some of the project startup costs.)

Yes, if the contractor would like to propose an alternate pay schedule for NPS review, they are welcome to do so.

2. To convey final project deliverables, are USB flash drives acceptable instead of external hard drives?

Yes, flash drives are an acceptable alternative

3. Regarding the Collection Management Report (CMR) included on page 2 of the

SOW:

a. Approximately how many collection items are individually cataloged photographs?

Considering this is a Revolutionary War park, and photography wasn’t invented yet, there are only two photographs in the collection – neither of them are from the park’s period of significance. There are archeological project photos (at SEAC), plant inventory photographs (likely at CUPN or Mammoth Cave) and other park programming photos at the FRC. None of the RMR photographs are individually cataloged.

b. Are the individually cataloged photographs included in the archive totals or are they cataloged as a different collection type (such as history)?

The two photographs at the park (one is an ambrotype) are cataloged as History and not included in archive totals. Photographs related to park projects, particularly those at SEAC and the FRC will be cataloged as archives

c. Can the NPS provide an approximate linear footage for the archival collections?

Our typical calculation is 1600 sheets (items) per linear foot

4. Does the FY24 GUCO Collection Storage Plan offer any estimates for the number of collection items needing re-housing?

Noting specific item counts for rehousing was not in the SOW for the storage plan but the plan does note there are items loose on shelving. The CSP can be made available after contract award. The contractor will be able to make determinations of rehousing needs during Phase I of the project.

5. What groupings of objects does NPS-GUCO classify as natural history objects? Do archaeological objects fall within natural history objects?

Archeological objects are cataloged as archeological objects. Natural history objects include paleontological material, herbaria specimens, pinned insect specimens etc

6. When flagging items for rehousing, potential deaccession, or label issues, would you prefer a physical tag in addition to a digital flag on the spreadsheet or is the latter sufficient?

This can be left to the contractor’s preference

7. In coordinating with the sites the contractor will not be visiting personally, will the contractor be directing staff to complete the inventory steps or will we simply be incorporating inventory information already compiled by those institutions?

The government can facilitate initial contact/email introductions

8. For the objects on loan at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History and North Carolina State University: Are they currently on exhibit or in storage at those institutions?

As far as we know, the objects are in storage

9. What is the protocol for inventorying objects that are currently on exhibit in the GUCO Visitor Center (and possibly elsewhere)? Will they be inventoried in place (with exhibit cases opened under park staff supervision) or temporarily removed?

Objects on exhibit will be inventoried in place. The government will open cases as needed to provide access.

10. What does verification of collections at SEAC, MACA and UNC Wilmington specifically entail?

Collections managers/curators at each institution can be provided with a list of objects with that institution as their location. Contractor will be responsible for asking the institution contact if the objects are present and in good condition.

11. Please share the Statement of Condition Standards (SOCS) for our review, as this information is critical for accurate bid pricing.

The Statement of Condition Standards is not a government document and is not referenced anywhere in the SOW. The acronym SOCS refers to the Scope of Collections Statement, which will not be helpful for accurate bid pricing.

12. SOW, p.9 link does not work for referenced website "Directors Orders". Please provide the document or working weblink.

Google to the rescue: Director's Orders and Related Guidance - Policy (U.S. National Park Service) https://www.nps.gov/subjects/policy/directors-orders.htm https://www.nps.gov/subjects/policy/directors-orders.htm

13. Per 411 DM 1, are any "working collections" included in the total collection count or are they excluded from this scope of work?

The park does not have any working collections

14. Per 411 DM 1, are any "acquisitions or collections records/archives" included in the total collection count or are they excluded from this scope of work?

Accession and catalog records are not cataloged, and therefore not included in the collection count

15. Please clarify for bidders if digital photography is allowed. The referenced Appendix K of the National Park Service Museum Handbook Part II is dated 2000 and A.8 indicates that digital photography is not acceptable.

Yes, that section of the Museum Handbook is out of date. Given that all project deliverables were requested in digital format, please use digital photography.

16. How does the NPS define completion of a “100% inventory” in cases where objects are missing, undocumented, or cannot be physically verified?

As long as a thorough search for the missing objects can be documented, that is sufficient for the inventory.

17. What specific criteria will be used by the COR to determine acceptance of the inventory and rehousing deliverables?

The inventory needs to be complete, well documented, and must include all data specified on page 3 of the SOW. Rehousing efforts will be accepted based on the appropriateness for each object/material type. The COR/SME will be available for consultation on appropriate housing for objects.