Public_Library_Survey_Statement_of_Objectives.docx

Public Library Survey Statement of Objectives

Background

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. IMLS’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. The agency’s grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) supports the agency in its efforts to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. Specifically, OPRE’s role is to:

· identify national needs for and trends in museum, library, and information services;

· measure and report on the impact and effectiveness of museum, library, and information services throughout the United States, including the impact of Federal programs;

· identify best practices; and

· develop plans to improve museum, library and information services of the United States and to strengthen national, State, local, regional, and international communications and cooperative networks.

Through an interagency agreement with the United States Census Bureau, OPRE gathers data on the status of public libraries in the United States through the Public Library Survey (PLS). The agency collects PLS data from approximately 9,000 public libraries with approximately 17,000 individual public library outlets in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and outlying territories (the PLS data submitters). PLS data includes information about library visits, circulation, size of collections, public service hours, staffing, electronic resources, operating revenues, expenditures, and number of service outlets. Currently, the agency collects PLS data over the internet via a web-based reporting system. OPRE uses PLS data to publically report statistics and trends. PLS data collected and statistics reported are useful to researches, journalists, the Public, and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels.

Currently, the agency collects PLS data starting in January and ends in August on an annual basis. After the data collection, the agency analyzes the data which can take several months. This is currently a manual process where the agency reviews data for anomalies or missing data and resolves those issues through collaboration with the PLS data submitters. Afterwards, the agency prepares the PLS data report. This process is time and labor consuming.

Scope of Work

The Contractor shall develop an electronic information gathering system to automatically collect, store, analyze, and report public library survey data submitted by libraries nationwide.

Objectives Comment by Christopher Mettee:

At a minimum, this SOO supports the following objectives:

Task 1 – PLS Data Gathering

1.1.1 Develop a secure, web-based, information gathering tool so that each PLS data submitters may submit PLS data.

1.1.2 Provide a seamless transition so that PLS data submitters will not need to alter their business processes or data formatting standards.

1.1.3 Use an intuitive design for the information gathering tool so that PLS data submitters can learn how to submit information without any additional training.

1.1.4 Allow flexibility to enable PLS data submitters to submit data in alternative formats. An example would be data submission through an Application Programming Interface (API).

Task 2 – PLS Data Analysis

1.1.5 Improve data processing time post collection down from two months.

1.1.6 Enable real-time and automated statistical analysis of collected data. Comment by Christopher Mettee: We need to elaborate here.

1.1.7 Identify, document, and resolve data-related issues (e.g. unusual historical variances, missing, or otherwise anomalous data) in submitted data.

1.1.8 When resolving data-related issues, provide high quality customer service to PLS data submitters and agency employees during local business hours.

Task 3 – PLS Data Reporting

1.1.9 Allow the agency to dynamically view, access, and manipulate data through an API. Comment by Christopher Mettee: What do you mean by dynamically? Comment by Christopher Mettee: Do we need the ability to manipulate data?

1.1.10 Provide the agency with the ability to run canned and customized reports using statistical analysis.

Constraints Comment by Christopher Mettee: If there are any additional constraints, please list.

General Constraints

(a) The Contractor will not have access to the existing developed information gathering tool. It must develop its own or modify a commercial item. The Contractor shall host the information gathering tool on a Federal Information Processing Standards 140-2 and FedRAMP-compliant cloud server.

(b) Any information system developed by the Contractor shall meet industry standards for information security for external facing webpages.

(c) The information system must comply with the requirements of Section 508 of the Disability Act.

Task 1 – PLS Data Gathering Constraints

(a) PLS data submitters use a specific format to submit their PLS data. Attachment ___ include samples of data files submitted. Comment by Christopher Mettee: We need to provide examples of what the data looks like coming in.

(b) The agency shall have administrator rights to add or remove PLS data submission capabilities.

Task 2 – PLS Data Analysis Constraints

(a) Data processing time is measured from the end of the collection to the issuance of the draft report.

(b) The Contractor shall perform data analysis or develop automated tools in accordance with standard commercial practices through SAS-certified statisticians.

(c) The Contractor will have access to prior year PLS data. The Contractor shall use this data to perform a trend analysis to identify anomalous data. Anomalous data is any data that deviates from historically submitted data by a margin of plus/minus 25-percent. … Comment by Christopher Mettee: Can we provide additional details about what sort of statistical analysis and resolution we require?

(d) The Contractor shall assume that local business hours constitutes 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local prevailing time of the PLS data submitter or IMLS employee.

Task 3 – PLS Data Reporting Constraints