36E77618Q0062-001.doc

STATEMENT OF WORK

Electronic Resources Link Resolver Product A.

General Information

1.0

Introduction:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires an existing commercial off the shelf web based, electronic resources Link Resolver List product that will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system.

VHA’s goal is to ensure that the VA Library Network (VALNET) makes available at all sites the minimum of a high functioning, fully integrated, Link Resolver to manage and organize access to e-journals, aggregated e-journal databases, e-books, e-books packages, and other aggregated e-resource products.

Performance Period: One year award with four options years 1.1 Objectives The desired goals of the nationwide provision of a commercial Link Resolver Product are as follows:

1.1.1 Providing access nationwide to an e-resources management system in the form of a Link Resolver Product.

1.1.2 Initiating a nationwide, centralized purchase to capitalize on the economies of scale offered by vendors.

1.1.3 Negotiating one license/contract to decrease the current contracting and reviewing efforts that are required at the facility and/or VISN level and thereby avoid the costs and workload associated with multiple procurements.

1.1.4 Making this Link Resolver Product available through CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System), the VA’s Electronic Health Record, nationwide to insure consistent access at the bedside for all VHA health professionals and staff.

2.0 Scope of Work:

2.0.1 The vendor will provide requiring sites on the VHA network with access to a Link Resolver web-based product that is organized in an administration Parent/child account relationship. The Parent account will have a minimum of 150 child accounts, and up to 160 child accounts if needed.

2.0.2 Authentication will be through IP address validation, Athens authentication and management (EDUSERV), username and/or password, and any combination of these authentication methods on an enterprise basis.

2.0.2 An unrestricted number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer within VHA. It is required that all authorized remote users with VPN access have access to the product or an alternative access via Athens. This includes administrator access.

2.0.3 Link Resolver Products will de delivered with a set of datasets pre-loaded by the vendor. These datasets will be chosen by VHA from the vendors currently established datasets with in the Link Resolver Product. At a minimum, it will include ebooks and ejournals from: Elsevier, Oxford University Press, EBSCO, OVID, SAGE, Wiley, and all VHA nationally purchased resources listed in the current subscribed Link Resolver located at https://www.va.gov/LIBRARY/Find_Journals_and_Books.asp, as well as other “freely available ejournals and ebooks” datasets, as linked currently.

2.0.4 If the vendor wishes to have a license agreement in addition to a VA purchase order, the license must be included in the response to this proposal and approved by VA contracting and legal. If the vendor does not require a license agreement and will accept the purchase order, then a statement to that must also be included in the response to this proposal.

2.0.5 The product must also provide a means for interoperability of the separate medical center 150 user accounts listing/urls. This will allow all VA staff to view/search the resources of all other VA medical center sites’ holdings. The system will also provide a means by which data and datasets can be pushed and pulled by a master/parent administrator account.

2.1 Information Scope

The product must include:

2.1.1 The product will have a mechanism on the VA administrator’s function to enter and change significant portions of the vendor’s interface, including holdings data, custom urls, tracking status, and other link resolver options.

2.1.2 Ability to upload the e-resources’ holdings datasets into Linkout and Google Scholar.

2.1.3 Usage statistics must be on demand and available by individual product, database, and other e-resources levels that breakdown usage level by each interface subscribed.

2.1.5 Ability for a master administrator and additional secondary administrator rights must be available. Local administrator rights must also be assignable to one or multiple staff.

2.1.6 Within the branding, the product must allow for advanced webpage design, in both header and footer of webpage.

2.1.7 Includes resource finding aids to include comparables to (1) find by title, (2) find by subject, (3) find by title begins with, and other means of quickly linking to resources from the user interface.

2.1.8 A mechanism for including and updating local library print collections.

2.2 Usability

2.3.1 Navigation within the system is logical and is easy to use. There is fast access to e-books, e-journals and databases.

2.3.2 The product has “user friendly” help and direction aids.

2.4 Currency

2.4.1 The product undergoes continued enhancement and e-resource access products as existing e-resources or newly developed e-resources.

2.5 Access, content, support

2.5.1 Product is 508 compliant. (http://www.section508.gov/)

2.5.1.1 If product is not 508 compliant, vendor must describe measures being taken to bring product into compliance and date, within 12 months of contract award, that product will be 508 compliant. OR

2.5.1.2. If product is not 508 compliant and vendor must describe why no work is being done to make it 508 compliant.

2.5.2 Access to be granted through IP address validation on an enterprise basis, eliminating the need for users to enter identification, username and/or password.

2.5.3 An unrestricted number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer.

2.5.4 The product is compatible with most standard web browsers, which have cookies enabled. To insure privacy, the product uses session cookies rather than persistent cookies.

2.5.5 The product is compatible with the Windows environment.

2.5.6 All site content and support of the web site is the responsibility of the contractor. However, VA administrators will have access to change and develop the branded areas of the website themselves. This includes tech support to VHA users nationwide.

2.5.7 System downtime is minimal and VA project manager is notified when such occurs.

2.5.8 Ability to list each library’s print holdings, loadable by spreadsheet, such as excel, or some other database like Serhold.

2.5.9 This product must work independently from the VA computer network system. No software will be loaded onto the VA networked computers in order for this product to function.

2.5.10 Single point of contact for customer service issues is assigned to VA.

2.5.11 Questions are responded to on the same business day.

2.5.12 On demand usage statistics are available to the system administrator on an enterprise and individual level.

2.5.13 The contractor should offer training services. On an as requested basis, training session (web-based or live) will be set up to train VHA staff on use of the product. Specialized training sessions may be requested for VA library staff.

2.5.16 The vendor will also provide a list of functionalities not included in this SOW that the product provides its end users and administrators.

2.5.17 The product will have the capability of adding public notes to each resource. If the database or e-resource package includes multiple e-journals/e-books, adding a public note at the e-resource level will automatically add to the title level.

2.5.18 Vendor must provide an assigned VHA technical representative to assist library personnel with customer service, training, technical support, and other needs to optimize the functionality of this product fully. The vendor must supply the name and description of personal skills and technical background that makes this person qualified to act as a technical representative to VHA libraries. The representative also must hold an MLS or similar degree related to library and information services, previous experience in working in a library is highly desirable.

2.5.19 All 153 accounts must be fully implemented and available VA wide by 9/30/2018.