ATTACHMENT_I_-_SOW_Library_Subscriptions_Services.pdf

ATTACHMENT I – STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Introduction The National Science Foundation (NSF), hereafter “the Foundation,” is an independent federal agency established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-

75) “To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare and to secure the national defense by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering.” With an annual budget of over $7.0 billion, the Foundation is the funding source for approximately 24 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. NSF is also the major source of federal backing in many fields such as mathematics, computer science, and social sciences.

The National Science Foundation, Office of Information and Resource Management (OIRM), Division of Administrative Services (DAS) plans, directs, and coordinates all activities relating to the NSF Library. The primary objective of the NSF Library is to serve as the information resource center for the Foundation by providing access to resources and services in support of the mission of the Foundation

Objective The objective of this requirement is to provide purchasing services for a variety of library media including but not limited to: serials subscriptions, databases, and other print and electronic media from domestic and foreign publishers and/or vendors as described below.

Definition of Terms

a) Electronic Journals. The term Electronic Journals means a regular publication distributed in digital form via the World-Wide Web.

b) Publisher Price. The term Publisher Price means the lowest established publisher list price for the given subscription period at the time of order acceptance by the publisher.

c) Serial. The term Serial means any publication issued in successive parts, usually (though not always) at regular intervals, and intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials include:

periodicals, magazines, journals, proceedings, transactions, and numbered monographic series and other serially published works. Serials are available in print and online formats.

d) Subscription. A Subscription is an agreement between the Contractor and a publisher to purchase or renew a serial or periodical, regardless of format, for a specific period of time at a specified price. Renewing subscriptions may require handling transfer of renewals from one publisher to another publisher.

Requirements Library Media Purchasing Services

The Contractor shall provide purchasing services for a variety of Library media from domestic and foreign publishers and/or vendors. Those services shall include the following:

a) Subscription renewals for both print and electronic journals.

b) New subscriptions for both print and electronic journals.

c) Transfer renewals.

d) Cancellation of subscriptions.

e) Modification in subscriptions - to include increases and/or reductions at individual journal, collection, or database level.

f) Claiming- for management of print subscriptions delivery.

g) Purchasing of other library media as needed.

Electronic Access

The Contractor shall ensure that access to all electronic subscriptions is made available through IP authentication, utilizing the range of IP addresses owned and provided by the National Science Foundation.

Best Price Available to the Government

Discounts offered by the publishers and vendors that the Government may be eligible for are encouraged. At all times, the Government must be charged the lowest of the available prices. The Contractor’s service charge shall be clearly identified and included in the price proposal submitted. No additional costs such as administrative charges or markups to Library media, at any level, may be applied.

Established Subscription Period

The Contractor is required to place subscriptions at any time during the year unless prohibited by the publisher. Most subscription periods cover the calendar year, i.e., Jan. 1 – Dec. 31.

Placing Orders

The Contractor shall enter all new and renewal orders within five working days after receipt of the confirmed title list from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Delays are allowed only by prior written agreement. If the Contractor has agreements with publishers that establish terms for batching orders and/or payments, then the orders must be entered and confirmed within the original five-day period but can be released in accordance with the publisher agreements.

Title List Order Placement

a) Orders should not be placed based on the Title List provided for Request for Quote (RFQ) unless the Vendor is instructed by the COR in writing to do so.

b) The COR has the right to make changes to the list prior to order placement. The Contractor shall not place orders based on the pre-order price quotation list without the COR's approval.

c) The Contractor shall organize the list into the format of an Annual Renewal List and provide a copy in electronic format to the COR, at a minimum as a comma delimited file, with the print option available by request. The list shall contain the following minimum information:

1. Title

2. ISSN

3. Publisher

4. Quantity

5. Subscription period

6. For electronic journals, the tier/level of the current subscription, if available

7. Delivery Format

8. Publisher price

9. Notes (identifying if subscription is a package, collection, or customized)

d) The COR will review the renewal list, make necessary changes, and return it to the Contractor. The Contractor shall revise and reformat the renewal list, incorporating all changes into a final confirmation list, and submit the confirmation list to the COR for final approval.

e) The COR will review the confirmation list for accuracy, make any edits or other changes, and confirm the list to the Contractor as the final title list. The COR may elect to waive the final confirmation list, i.e. the second review.

Renewal Orders in Option Years

a) Unless otherwise agreed to in writing between the Contractor and the COR, within 90 days prior to subscription expirations or a mutually agreed upon date, the Contractor will provide a completed list of previously ordered subscriptions as indicated in the annual renewal list, including any additional parts or titles that are now a part of the original ordered subscription including new additions to publisher package subscriptions.

b) The COR may include changes to the list and will return it to the Contractor for renewal/order. Modifications made by the COR may include but are not limited to:

increases or reductions due to usage metrics; and substitutions for ceased, delayed, canceled titles, or for titles that have been changed by the publisher in a significant way.

c) Upon receipt of the authorization to proceed from the COR and receipt of the confirmed final annual renewal listing, the Contractor will place the orders/renewals. If the COR does not authorize and return the list to the Contractor; subscriptions on the list will not be renewed. The preferred method of transmittal of this list between parties is via e-mail.

Subscription Status Information

Upon request, the Contractor shall provide the COR in writing of any irregularity or change in status, such as: non-cancelable, slow, irregular, discontinued, order direct, not due for renewal at this time, period restricted, establishing contact with publisher, publication temporarily suspended, foreign title, estimated price, and price increased since last renewal published price.

Publisher/Vendor Training

The Publishers or Vendors shall provide platform or system training and/or documentation at no cost to the Foundation.

Continuations Items

The Contractor shall supply, upon request and at no charge, a listing by title showing estimates for continuations items that will be included on renewal lists. This list is for planning purposes only.

Payment to Publishers

The Contractor must have the financial capability to prepay publishers for serial subscriptions.

The Contractor shall pay all serial subscription orders in advance, as required by the publisher.

Upon request, the Contractor shall provide to the COR proof of payment of any order invoiced.

The Contractor’s financial capability will be reviewed during the proposal process and may be reviewed during the life of the contract. Failure to maintain adequate financial responsibility could result in the cancellation of the contract.