Integration and Catalog Specifications Summary

This technical specification document outlines the current information technology infrastructure and integration requirements for Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), which operates sixteen library locations across nine cities and three non-profit organizations in Washington County, Oregon. WCCLS currently maintains Polaris 8.0 as its integrated library system with both staff and Leap client interfaces, utilizing the Acquisitions module for EDI ordering via FTP. The organization requires vendors to integrate with multiple systems including BiblioCore discovery layer, Overdrive, and OCLC, with connections established through the Polaris API, SIP2 with secure tunneling, and Z39.50 protocols for holdings synchronization. All bibliographic records must be maintained in Unicode/UTF8 format with OCLC numbers and meet a minimum of Encoding Level 7 standards, with WCCLS making adjustments to Fixed Field codes and descriptive fields to support full display in BiblioCore.

Vendors responding to WCCLS's request for proposals must demonstrate technical capability to support the centralized collection management system and be willing to extend pricing and contract discounts not only to WCCLS but also to twelve partner agencies within the Cooperative who may establish independent accounts and relationships with the vendor. The combined annual ordering volume from WCCLS and partner libraries is anticipated to match the FY25-26 ordering volume, and selected vendors must commit to the quoted service levels and discounts for a minimum contract period, with flexibility for WCCLS to award either single or multiple contracts across various material formats and shelf-ready services.