RFP LC09R7000.doc

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LC09R7000 FEDLINK Information Retrieval Services

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

OFFICE OF CONTRACTS & GRANTS MANAGEMENT

FEDLINK CONTRACTS

101 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE, S.E.

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20540 -9414

June 30, 2008 This Request For Proposal (RFP) #LC09R7000 is for the acquisition of or access to commercial off-the-shelf Electronic Information Resources for the Library of Congress (LC) FEDLINK program. The LC/FEDLINK program was established as a revolving fund under the Library of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act, P.L. 106-481 Section 103 (2 U.S.C. 182c). Under this authority, LC/FEDLINK can provide “the procurement of commercial information services, publications in any format, and library support services, ...related accounting services, ...related education, information and support services” to federal offices and to other organizations entitled to use federal sources of supply. Through FEDLINK, the Library of Congress shares its expertise in library and information services and consolidates the buying power of federal agencies. FEDLINK offers federal libraries, information centers and other federal entities information retrieval and library support services to help them fulfill their crucial mission of keeping the Government and the nation informed.

Contract Period: October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009 with four (4) one-year options. For proposals received after October 1, 2008, the contract period will be from date of award through September 30 of the fiscal year with one-year options available through September 30, 2013.

Proposal Acceptance Period: This is a standing solicitation continuously open for offers.

PROPOSALS SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED HEREIN. INCOMPLETE OFFERS MAY BE REJECTED WITHOUT FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

All proposals shall be delivered as follows:

Offerors shall return the complete solicitation package, original with 1 copy, via overnight express mail or handcarried in accordance with FAR 52.212-1. Offerors are advised that an offer in response to this solicitation is subject to physical examination, x-ray, or other inspection prior to acceptance at the location designated for receipt of offers. Inspection may be conducted by Government personnel or others acting on behalf of the Government. Any offer received at the address designated for receipt of offers after the date and time specified in this solicitation for receipt of offers shall be processed in accordance with the late offers provision of this solicitation.

For any hand-delivered offer, whether delivered by the offeror or a courier service, the offeror must allow sufficient time to accommodate inspection by designated security personnel. To facilitate this security inspection, initial delivery to an alternate office may be required prior to final delivery by the offeror to the address designated for receipt of offers. (CAUTION: Delivery to the security inspection point does not constitute timely delivery for receipt of offers.)

All packages shall be delivered to the following address:

The Library of Congress

Office of Contracts and Grants Mgt (OCGM)

FEDLINK Contracts Section

Attn: Charles Wilson, Contract Specialist

Proposal to RFP#LC09R7000 Enclosed

John Adams Bldg., 3rd Floor, Room LA-318

101 Independence Avenue, S.E.

Washington, DC 20540-9414

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CP.1

Table of Contents ii

CP.2

Proposal Instructions iii

Section A – Standard Form (SF) 1449

A.1 Standard Form 1449 (Rev. 4/2002)

A.2 Summary of Offer

Section B – Schedule of Supplies/Services (Block 19-24, SF 1449)

B.1.

Statement of Work

B.1.2.

Objective

B.1.3.

Scope of Contract

B.1.3.1 Lot 1 – Electronic Databases/Publications

B.1.3.3 Lot 2 – Document Delivery Services

B.1.3.5 Lot 3 – Vendor Associated Publications

B.1.3.6 Lot 4 – Specialized Access/Product Integration

B.1.4.

License Agreements

B.2.

Pricing Template

Section C – Contract Clauses and Addendum

C.1 Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative

C.2 Promotion of Contract

C.3 Cancellation of Contract

C.4 Contract Sales Criteria

C.5 Contract Sales Reporting Requirements

C.6 Guaranteed Minimum

C.7 Vendor Performance Customer Reporting Requirements

C.8 Use of Library of Congress Name

C.9 News Releases

C.10 FAR Clauses incorporated by reference

C.11 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items -- As Modified by the Library of Congress (FAR 52.212-4)

C.12 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Items. (FAR 52.212-5) C.13 Economic Price Adjustment – Standard Supplies (FAR 52.216-2) C.14 Ordering (FAR 52.216-18) C.15 Order Limitations (FAR 52.216-19) C.16 Indefinite Quantity (FAR 52.216-22) C.17 Option to Extend Services (FAR 52.217-8)

C.18 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (FAR 52.217-9)

C.19 Convict Labor –As modified by the Library of Congress (FAR 52.222-3) C.20 Notice to the Government of Labor Disputes (FAR 52..222-1) C.21 Privacy Act Notification (F.A.R.52-224-1) C.22 Privacy Act (F.A.R.52-224-2) C.23 Prompt Payment – As modified by the Library of Congress (FAR 52.232-25)

C.23 Disputes – As modified by the Library of Congress (FAR 52.233-1) C.21 Bankruptcy (FAR 52.242-13) Section D – Attachments

D.1 Attachment 1 – Basic LC/FEDLINK License Agreement D.2 Attachment 2 – Past Performance Evaluation Form and Instructions D.4 Attachment 3 – Past Performance Report from Dun & Bradstreet Section E – Solicitation Provisions and Addendum

E.1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Items (FAR 52.212-1) E.2 Evaluation—Commercial Items (FAR 52.212-2) E.3 Compliance with Section 508 E.4 Past Performance E.5 Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items (FAR 52.212-3) Section F – Contract Administration

F.1 FEDLINK Contracts F.2 Customer Use of FEDLINK Contracts F.3 Direct Express Procedures and Requirements F.4 Transfer-Pay Procedures and Requirements F.5 Examination of Vendor Records F.6 FEDLINK Services to Vendors F.7 Vendor Contact for Contract Administration

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Read the entire solicitation document prior to preparation of your proposal. This solicitation contains a proposal checklist outlining the elements required for an offer to be considered complete. Offerors shall complete the proposal checklist on page v and submit it with their proposal.

All offers shall be compiled and submitted as one (1) original offer and one (1) copy of all required Sections: I-Contract Data, II-Technical Data and III-Pricing Proposal. Incomplete offers may be rejected without further consideration. Offerors should retain a copy for their reference. The information provided in the proposal shall be concise, specific and complete.

All proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be arranged in three (3) sections, individually titled and containing the following information:

SECTION I – Contract Data

Solicitation

Submit a complete copy of the entire solicitation, with all requested “fill-in” information completed. A signed Standard Form 1449 with all shaded blocks, as well as any attachments as they are applicable to the offer, must be completed and submitted in Section I.

Financial Data

Offeror must submit information to demonstrate their financial resources in accordance with FAR part 9. Offeror’s may either submit 1.) Dun and Bradstreet Financial Report, 2.) Completed GSA Form 527 - Contractor’s Qualifications and Financial information, or 3.) Audited Financial Statement.

Past Performance

The Offeror must contact Open Ratings, Inc. to request a Past Performance Evaluation. Requests should be made at least three weeks prior to submission of the offer to LC/FEDLINK. Any Offeror that does not receive a past performance evaluation from Open Ratings, Inc. will be found unacceptable for this factor and the offer will be rejected. Offerors are reminded that they are responsible for payment of $125.00 (at the Offeror’s expense) to Open Ratings, Inc. Orders should be placed on-line at https://prod.openratings.com/spe/order. Additional information regarding Open Ratings is provided in section D.3. of this solicitation. If Offeror has a completed report, please include one copy of the Open Ratings Report with the offer.

Central Contractor Registry (CCR)

Offeror shall submit proof of registration in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). The web address for CCR is www.ccr.gov.

Online Representations & Certifications Application (ORCA)

Offeror shall register in the Online Representation & Certifications Application (ORCA). The web address for this application is: https://orca.bpn.gov/login.aspx SECTION II – Technical Data

The technical data section is comprised of the following factors— Full detailed description of Products and Services, Company experience, and Quality Control. All Offerors shall address these factors as instructed and comply with the page limitations.

Products and Services Offered The Offeror must submit a full and detailed description of the products and services offered. The Offeror may submit marketing brochures including links to product descriptions on the Offeror’s web site in addition to the full, detailed description.

Section 508 Compliance - Proposal shall indicate which products are compliant with Section 508 requirements.

(see Section E.3. of this RFP for additional information)

Company Experience

The Offeror must submit a narrative describing their company’s experience in delivering the types of products under the Schedule to either government or commercial entities. In demonstrating corporate experience provide the following:

· Number of years of experience in providing the offered products/services.

· Organization’s size, experience in the field, and resources available to enable the Offeror to fulfill the requirement.

· Include a history of the organization’s activities contributing to the development of expertise and capabilities related to this requirement.

· Information relating to the organizational structure.

The narrative must not exceed three (3) typed pages

Quality Control

The Offeror shall submit a narrative describing their organization’s quality assurance, including the following:

· The narrative shall identify the internal review procedures that enable the company to sustain a high quality standard in the organization, and include any quality control measures for subcontractors that result in acceptable measures established by the organization.

· The narrative shall address productivity enhancement and cost reduction methods and techniques; handling potential problem areas and solutions; customer relations and procedures for meeting urgent requirements.

· The narrative shall also contain a statement on how the organization will manage and complete multiple projects for multiple agencies simultaneously.

· A description of the Offeror’s accounting system and invoicing system. This accounting system will be subject to review and examination by the Government in accordance with FAR Part 9.

· A description of the Offeror’s Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) in the event Offeror and/or customer’s organization experiences disruption of service.

The narrative must not exceed five (5) typed pages

SECTION III – PRICING PROPOSAL

The Library of Congress/FEDLINK has a fiduciary responsibility to the American taxpayers and to customer agencies to take full advantage of the government’s leverage in the market in order to obtain the best value for the taxpayer. The Library of Congress/FEDLINK is seeking discounts, terms and conditions equal to or better than the Offeror’s most favored customer.

The following items must be included in Section III – Pricing Proposal:

Price Proposal

All proposed pricing shall be submitted as FOB Destination. Pricing shall be clearly stated and Offeror’s are encouraged to use the pricing template found in section B.2. Descriptions shall be submitted with the proposal. All FEDLINK pricing shall be electronically accessible either by providing a direct link to FEDLINK pricing on Offeror’s website or by submitting an electronic version of pricing to FEDLINK via email to flicc-cl@loc.gov.

Pricing Support

Commercial Items (as defined in FAR 2.101) with Established Catalog Prices: For proposed pricing based on commercial catalog pricing, Offerors shall submit a copy of their established commercial catalog (published and dated), internal business memorandum, pricing guide or rate card and indicate the applicable CLIN for which products/services are being offered to the government. Future price increases are subject to the Economic Price Adjustment Clause FAR 52.216-2 (JAN 1997) and section F.1. of this solicitation.

Pricing Narrative

The Offeror is to submit a Pricing Narrative with their offer. The narrative should address the following points:

· Indicate if you are offering any further discounts, i.e. volume, quantity, etc.

· Include a statement that the .75% FEDLINK Direct Express Funding Fee is understood and responsibility is accepted. (See contract clauses at F.3.2 (b) Direct Express Sales Reporting and F.3.3. Direct Express Funding Fee). The Direct Express Funding Fee shall be included in the awarded prices and reflected in the total amount charged to ordering activities.

· Include a statement that your firm understands and acknowledges that Direct Express customer payment may be made by Government Commercial Purchase Card. Government purchase card payment for orders less than or equal to $2,500 may be required. Information on accepting the purchase card can be found at www.gsa.gov/smartpay.

FEDLINK RFP #LC09R7000

PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

This proposal checklist is to assist Offerors in ensuring that your proposal is complete. A copy of this completed checklist must be submitted with your offer. Prior to preparation of your offer, be sure to read the entire solicitation. Detailed preparation instructions can be found on page iii of this solicitation.

Offers shall be prepared and submitted in the order outlined below, beginning with Section I and ending with Section III.

Completed LC/FEDLINK Review

Signed and dated 1449 (p.1)

Summary of Offer (p. 2)

Copy of completed solicitation in its entirety (p.1-41)

The following clause in solicitation requires your completion:

E.5. - 52.212-3 Offeror Representations & Certifications

Financial Information (D&B Financial Report or GSA Form 527--see instructions pg. Iii)

Copy of completed Open Ratings Past Performance Report

Proof of registration in Central Contractor Registry (CCR)

Proof of registration in Online Representations & Certifications Application (ORCA)

Section II—Technical Data

(See Proposal Instructions, pg iii)

Full Detailed Description of Products and Services offered

Company Experience Narrative

Quality Control Narrative

Section III—Pricing Proposal

(See Proposal Instructions, pg iii)

Price Proposal and electronic pricing

Pricing Support (Commercial Pricelist, GSA Schedule prices, etc - see instructions pg. iii)

Pricing Narrative

SECTION A STANDARD FORM 1449

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 4/2002)

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERICAL ITEMS

FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Offeror to complete shaded blocks 17(a), 17(b), 30(a), 30(b) & 30(c)

N/A

12/21/2007

INFORMATION CALL:

Charles Wilson Deborah Burroughs

202-707-0444 202-707-0460

OPEN

UNRESTRICTED

BLOCK IS MARKED

FORMCHECKBOX

SEE SCHEDULE

SET-ASIDE: FOR

FORMCHECKBOX

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER

Office of Contracts and Grants Management

FEDLINK Contracts Section, LA 318

FORMCHECKBOX

SMALL BUSINESS

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

101 Independence Avenue, S.E.

FORMCHECKBOX

HUBZONE SM. BUSINESS BUSINSESS

13b. RATING

8(A)

NAICS:

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

FORMCHECKBOX

IFB

FORMCHECKBOX

RFP

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

Contractor/Offeror Name and Address:

TO BE SHOWN ON EACH ORDER ISSUED UNDER ANY

CONTRACT RESULTING FROM THIS SOLICITATION

Duns Number:

FORMCHECKBOX

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

FORMCHECKBOX

SEE ADDENDUM

DO NOT COMPLETE BLOCKS 19 THROUGH 24.

SEE SCHEDULE OF SERVICES BEGINNING ON

PAGE 3.

(Attach Additional Sheet as Necessary)

SEE BLOCK 15

FORMCHECKBOX

27a. solicitation incorporates by reference FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 and 52.212-5 are attached.

Addenda FORMCHECKBOX are FORMCHECKBOX are not attached.

FORMCHECKBOX

27b. contract/purchase order incorporates by reference FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 is attached.

Addenda FORMCHECKBOX are FORMCHECKBOX are not attached.

28.

FORMCHECKBOX

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AWARD OF CONTRACT: REFERENCE OFFER DATED . YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

Previous Edition Is Not Usable Prescribed by GSA ( FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

SUMMARY OF OFFER

Offeror’s Name:

DUNS Number

Tax ID Number:

Offeror’s Address:

Offeror’s Telephone:

Offeror’s Fax:

Small Business

Small Disadvantaged

8(a)

HUBZone Small Business

Woman Owned Small Business

Veteran-Owned Small Business

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

Large Business

Woman-Owned Large Business

Joint Venture

Business Type:

(Check all that apply)

Authorized Negotiators: (List each individual’s information)

Contract Line Item Number(s) (CLINs) Offered (Check all that apply):

B.1.3.1

B.1.3.5

B.1.3.3

B.1.3.6

Most Recent Fiscal Year Sales to Federal Government:

CERTIFICATION

By signing below, the Offeror represents that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the information included in this offer is complete, accurate and true. The undersigned certifies that no changes have been made to the solicitation and that the hard copies submitted with the proposal are identical to the Request for Proposal issued under solicitation number LC09R7000. Unless an exception is specifically stated, all terms and conditions as stated herein are accepted.

B.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

PRODUCTS AND DATA RESOURCES OFFERED/SCHEDULE OF ITEMS (BLOCKS 19-24, SF1449)

Prices are firm and not subject to increase for each fiscal year performance period under this contract. Contract period shall be for one base year with four (4) one-year option periods.

Prices, services, terms and conditions found in catalogs or brochures do not apply to the extent that they modify or conflict with the prices, services terms and conditions of this Contract.

FEDLINK customers may sign basic software, database, or electronic publication license agreements for products or services acquired under this contract; however, terms and conditions of this contract, Federal Law, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) take precedence over any such license or other agreement.

All goods and services acquired through FEDLINK are for official government use only. It is the customer agency's responsibility to ensure that its employees (and contractors) are aware of and follow agency rules for using and safeguarding personally identifiable information - including information accessed through commercial databases.

All payments shall be in accordance with the terms of Section F of this contract.

B.1. STATEMENT OF WORK

B.1.1. OBJECTIVE:

To establish Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts for acquisition of or access to commercial off-the-shelf electronic information resources for the FEDLINK program. FEDLINK is a nationwide interagency consortia sponsored by the Library of Congress (LC or The Library) through its Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC). FEDLINK offers federal libraries, information centers and other federal activities information retrieval and library support services to help them fulfill their crucial mission of keeping the Government and the nation informed.

B.1.2. BACKGROUND:

Under the revolving fund created by the Library of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act, P.L. 106-481, Section 103 (2 U.S.C. §§ 182c.), LC uses its extensive knowledge of the information industry and library operations to establish contractual agreements for commercial library/information products and then makes these agreements available to other federal libraries, information centers and other federal activities. LC/FEDLINK contractual agreements are established through formal procurement processes that meet the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and follow the guidance provided by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). FEDLINK contracting for computer-based services began in 1974 with a delegation of procurement authority (DPA) from the General Services Administration to The Library. Both the Office of Management and Budget and the General Accounting Office encouraged the program's development and use by federal agencies.

LC/FEDLINK agreements are available to federal offices in the executive branch (including the department of defense), the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and independent agencies. In addition, contractors to government agencies who are authorized to use federal sources of supply are able to purchase through FEDLINK. Although the contracts meet the standards demanded by librarians and other information professionals, LC/FEDLINK customers are not limited to libraries. Legal offices, laboratories and information centers, analysts, scientists and other end-users in federal agencies may acquire their electronic and print publications through FEDLINK. FEDLINK contracts are negotiated to achieve the lowest possible price and most favorable terms and conditions. Vendor sales volume is considered to be an important element to achieve maximum discounts in each contract.

FEDLINK customers may choose a direct payment/invoice relationship with vendors or a “transfer pay” option. FEDLINK provides fiscal support to FEDLINK “transfer pay” customers. When establishing a purchase agreement with LC to use FEDLINK services, the customer may choose to transfer funds to LC to pay invoices for products/services ordered through the purchase agreement. Under this "transfer pay" option, the vendor sends invoices to FEDLINK, where FEDLINK Fiscal Operations (FFO) staff examine them, pay the vendor electronically, and send the customer a statement of account with copies of the paid vendor invoices. With transfer pay, the vendor only has to deal with one government financial office and the customer is relieved of the invoice processing workload. Terms for the direct-pay (Direct Express) or transfer-pay options, information on delivery order/purchase order and invoice procedures are described in Section F of this contract.

B.1.3. SCOPE:

Contractors shall be capable of providing products/services for ordering agencies with multiple organizational levels and geographic locations nationwide and/or worldwide. The Contractor shall also be capable of handling multiple purchase orders simultaneously. Contracts may be divided into four lots. Contractors must offer products/services under Lot 1 in order to provide products/services under Lot 3, and must offer products/services under either Lot 1 and/or Lot 2 in order to provide products/services under Lot 4. The four lots to be offered are as follows:

B.1.3.1. LOT 1 - Electronic Databases/Publications. Lot 1 is the core of this contract. It covers publishers and vendors who provide access to commercial off‑the‑shelf electronic materials in many publication formats as described below:

B.1.3.1 (a) Information Retrieval Databases. Information retrieval database vendors provide access, search and retrieval of information from databases and other electronic publications installed on a server at the vendor's facility and made available through the vendor's search interface. The system may be accessed and search results delivered via the Internet/Web, dedicated lines/ports or newsfeeds. Access is typically controlled through Internet protocol (IP) addresses or passwords for individual users. Authorized users can search and retrieve text on-demand, view records on their desktop and download or print items in a variety of record formats. Information retrieval services may be priced by transaction, subscription, or in blocks. The vendor shall provide a description of its electronic information retrieval services that addresses:

( the information retrieval databases/publications available - content, coverage, currency, publisher, etc.;

( how the system is accessed - Internet, Intranet, Web, dedicated line, etc.;

( how access is controlled - IP address, passwords, cancellation, reactivation, etc.;

( the search interface; and, ( search results - format, delivery method, redistribution, etc.

B.1.3.1 (b) Current Awareness. Variously known as personalized alerts, trackers, SDIs (selective dissemination of information), or table of contents services, current awareness services monitor electronic databases/publications and report items that match a user-specific interest profile or search strategy. Current awareness search results are delivered to the user electronically. Current awareness services may be priced by transaction, by subscription or in blocks.

Profiles may be specific to individuals, groups of associated users, or may be predefined by the vendor. Examples would be: a scientist might establish an alert for research on environmental toxins; an agency may set up a regular search for citations to articles published by its grantees; a librarian might subscribe to table of contents service for journals used by library customers; a vendor might establish a standard profile for updates on legislative or regulatory action on telecommunications reform.

The vendor shall provide a description of its current awareness service that addresses:

( how the profile is established, changed, and terminated;

( what electronic publications shall be searched;

( how the current awareness search is run - frequency, etc.; and, ( how search results are delivered - format, delivery method, frequency, etc.

B.1.3.1 (c) Portal Services. Portal ("gateway" or "metasearch") services provide a single search interface to information resources in a wide array of formats via communications links to disparate information retrieval systems. Portals provide centralized access and federated searching of Web sites or products and/or other electronic information retrieval systems. Portals usually provide a common interface or command language for integrated searching, and may offer centralized administration and billing for use of remote fee-for- service or proprietary systems. Systems accessed via the portal and charges billed through the portal must fall within the scope of this solicitation. Portal services may be priced by transaction, by subscription or in blocks.

The vendor shall provide a description of its portal service that addresses:

( the systems and Web products that may be accessed;

( the search/retrieval standards (MARC21, Z39.50, XML, etc.) supported by the system;

( search and output , customization, local integration, software and interface options;

( the relationship between the offered service and the systems it searches (i.e., must the customer have direct accounts or subscriptions to each of the systems the product searches, or does the offeror's product use its own account(s)?);

( what prices shall be charged FEDLINK customers, if any, by the remote fee-for- service or proprietary system; and;

( how access is controlled - IP addresses, passwords, etc.

B.1.3.1 (d) Electronic Serials. Electronic serials (e-journals) are publications that typically include articles, illustrations, and other materials that appear in an issue of a journal, magazine or other periodical publication. E-journals may be published solely in electronic format or may be electronic versions of traditional print periodicals. E-journals frequently incorporate hyperlinks or multi-media elements. They are usually provided on a subscription basis to a defined group of users within an organization or to a consortium of institutions. The vendor shall provide for access to an archive or back issues of the e-journals, by maintaining the files centrally or allowing the subscriber to retain an archival copy.

The vendor shall provide a description that addresses preservation of the digital or electronic resources to ensure access to authenticated content over time:

( post cancellation rights for the period that the library was a subscriber,;

( archive or back issue access included as a part of the current subscription, and, ( provisions for long-term preservation of the e-journals (Portico, LOCKSS, etc.)

The vendor shall provide a description of its electronic serials (e-journals) that addresses:

( access to the publication - software, communications, passwords, etc.;

( the publication's format, content, coverage, and currency; and, ( subscription features - subscriber base, usage level, period, etc.

B.1.3.1 (e) Electronic Books. Electronic books that library patrons can search, borrow, read, and return via the Web or other Internet channels. E‑books may be published as full text collections and individual titles. E-books may be electronic versions of print titles, or may be works published solely in electronic format. E‑books frequently incorporate interactive learning tools, such as hyperlinks or multi-media elements. They are usually provided for the institutional library or information center market on a subscription basis. The vendor typically provides access to e-books while maintaining the files centrally. Library subscribers may incorporate e-books bibliographic records into their existing information retrieval catalogs for users’ desktop access.

The vendor shall provide a description of its e-books that addresses:

( access to the publication - software, communications, IP addresses, passwords, etc.;

( the publication's format, content, coverage, and currency; disposition of content when subscription ends access or ownership

( subscription features - subscriber base, transaction activity, period, content maintenance and support, etc.

( hardware requirements - specifications, availability of portable reading devices, etc.

B.1.3.1 (f) Fixed Media Databases - CD-ROM, Magnetic Tape, Diskette. Fixed media electronic databases/publications shall be physically installed in the customer's facility, either on a standalone workstation or in a networked environment. The software necessary to access fixed media publications shall be provided as part of the product. These publications may be purchased on a firm order, continuation or subscription basis. For publications purchased on subscription, the vendor shall specify procedures for handling regular updates. The vendor shall identify procedures for disposition of materials received under a canceled subscription. The vendor shall identify how a customer who cancels a subscription is to dispose of materials received under the subscription.

The vendor shall provide a description of its fixed media publications that addresses:

( how the publication is accessed - software, hardware, network, links to information retrieval , etc.;

( the publication's format, content, coverage, and currency; or, ( subscription features - subscriber, period, updates, retention, etc.

B.1.3.2. LOT 1 Support Requirements.

B.1.3.2 (a) System Access Authorizations, User IDs, Passwords for information retrieval systems/products. The vendor, not the FEDLINK office, shall be responsible for issuing and maintaining IDs that are necessary to access the vendor’s databases or other electronic publications. This does not include IDs that may be required by the customer's local system, telecommunications or Internet provider. Customers' system access IDs will not be billed to the FEDLINK office itself, but shall be associated with individual customers. The vendor shall issue IDs for new customers or additional users promptly. The vendor shall establish procedures for customers to request IDs and shall identify any restrictions on use of IDs.

B.1.3.2 (b) Canceling IDs for information retrieval systems/products. Upon member request, the vendor shall promptly cancel individual IDs and terminate charges associated with continued service for those IDs in accordance with the terms of the contract. Except when the customer's funding is exhausted, the vendor shall not terminate IDs during the fiscal year without advance notification. The vendor shall establish procedures for customers to cancel IDs.

B.1.3.2 (c) Undelivered or Unacceptable Materials for information retrieval systems/products. The vendor shall provide a way for customers to "claim" electronic files that are undelivered or unacceptable, such as: undelivered current awareness reports or electronic journal issues normally distributed via e-mail; files corrupted in transmission; or alert or tracker reports that do not match personalized profile or are outdated.

B.1.3.2 (d) Subscriptions. Subscriptions may be offered for information retrieval services, electronic books, and electronic serials as well as for other fixed electronic media and print publications. Subscriptions are ordered at the beginning of the subscription period; the subscription period may cross fiscal years. Vendors shall describe subscriptions in terms of four elements: what, for whom (i.e. agency, individuals), how much and for how long. . Examples might be:

( an agency purchases an institutional subscription for unlimited usage of all files available on the vendor's database system for a period not to exceed 12 months;

( group of federal laboratories subscribes to a chemistry-related subset of files available on a system, for 1,000 hours per month for a total of six months, with usage over 1,000 hours per month billed at regular transactional rates;

( library that subscribes to the print and/or electronic version of a publication purchases a three-year subscription to a CD‑ROM version of the same material to be mounted on the library's Intranet or portal or, ( a service academy subscribes to an electronic journal for its faculty, staff and students, all of whom shall access the journal via the Internet from addresses within the same Internet domain.

(1) Subscription Invoicing. The vendor may invoice for the entire subscription price when the order is placed, or may invoice on a regular periodic basis. When subscriptions are prepaid, they should earn significant discounts for the government. Because a customer may have a subscription that covers some usage (for certain users, certain files, etc.) but may pay transactional prices for other usage, it is very important that all usage associated with the subscription be charged to the subscription and reported against it. Subscription invoices shall reflect the fiscal year in which the subscription was ordered. Double charging for usage by deducting from a subscription amount and charging transactional fees is prohibited. For subscriptions to electronic publications, the vendor shall provide customers with a way to determine how much usage there has been under the subscription. See B.1.3.2 (e) E-Metrics Usage Data.

(2) Subscription cancellation and refunds. When in the interest of the Government a customer finds it necessary to cancel a subscription, a refund is due as described below. The vendor shall refund the entire subscription price to a customer who cancels a subscription before the print issues are received, fixed media publication is installed, or information retrieval subscription is accessed. For a customer who cancels an information retrieval subscription before it is exhausted, the vendor shall refund any difference between the subscription price and the "open usage value" of the basic FEDLINK rate for the customer's actual usage as of the cancellation date. Thus, for example, a customer who cancels a $10,000 subscription after using 60 hours worth of a database with a basic FEDLINK rate of $30 per hour is entitled to a refund of $8,200 ($10,000 minus 60 hours @ $30 per hour.) In no case shall the Government be charged more than the subscription amount authorized on the customer's delivery/purchase order. The vendor is responsible for tracking subscription usage and providing the information necessary to figure refund amounts. Vendor must reimburse customer subscription price, if not used.

It should be noted that print publishers that provide electronic access to their publications sometimes differ in their subscription cancellation policies. Some publishers will not accept mid-term cancellations, and some will not refund money for the unused portion of a subscription. The availability and timing of refunds for cancellations depends on the publishers’ policies. The vendor may pass-through to the FEDLINK customer the terms of the publisher’s cancellation policy.

B.1.3.2 (e) E-metrics Usage Data. The use of online information resources has been growing exponentially and it is widely agreed by producers and purchasers of information that the use of these resources should be measured in a more consistent way. In order that customers may be able to analyze patterns in their usage, vendors shall provide customers with machine readable data about the customer’s use of their products/services.

(1) Format. E-metric usage data may be provided via electronic formats such as application ready format, such as Microsoft Access or Excel, Lotus Notes, e-mail, file transfer, or fixed media. To facilitate management analysis, data manipulation, and reporting, the data format should allow for easy editing, viewing or importing into a standard database management or spreadsheet program. Report formats should include the user group (or FEDLINK ID if available), IP address or range, access profile within the user community and time period.

(2) Required Fields. E-metrics usage data shall include session-specific data, with the following minimum elements: number of searches, number of materials accessed and/or supplied (displayed, downloaded, saved/archived) to the user; material type (e.g., citation, abstract, full-text, Web pages, image, audio, video, etc.) and materials source (e.g., locally owned accessible materials, accessible links, etc.)

For initiatives and standards relevant to usage statistics vendors should refer to the following publications for current information on the measurement of web-based resources:

Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) is an international initiative designed to service librarians, publishers and intermediaries by facilitating the recording and exchange of online usage. The COUNTER Code of Practice provides guidance on data elements to be measured, definitions of these data elements, output report content and format, as well as on data processing and auditing. To have their usage statistics and report designated “COUNTER-compliant” vendors must provide usage statistics that conform to the Code of Practice. Additional information may be found at http://www.projectcounter.org International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) Guidelines for Statistical Measures of usage of Web-Based Indexed, Abstracted, and Full Text Resources (October 4, 2006), Additional information may be found at http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats06.htm National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Z39.7-2004 Information Services and Use: Metrics & statistics for libraries and information providers – Data Dictionary. For further information, see http://www.niso.org/emetrics/ B.1.3.3. LOT 2 - Document Delivery Services. Lot 2 covers vendors who provide machine-readable print copies of published materials in response to specific citation requests. However, general database or Internet searching at the customer’s request is not covered under this lot. Products/services offered include:

B.1.3.3 (a) Document Delivery Service. The vendor shall provide machine-readable or print copies of published and unpublished materials in response to specific citation requests. Materials typically include journal and newspaper articles, conference papers and proceedings, annual reports, technical reports, dissertations and theses, official legal, financial or patent documents. The vendor may retrieve or duplicate documents from the vendor’s own internal source files, such as journal issues held in‑house in paper or machine-readable form, or from external sources, such as the original producer of the item. The vendor may retrieve documents from remote information retrieval files in response to specific citation requests from the customer.

B.1.3.3 (b) Public Records Searching. The vendor may retrieve official legal, financial, or patent documents as requested by the customer. This service shall include identification, acquisition, and delivery of the official document. The vendor shall provide the customer with a statement describing the currency, extent, and completeness of the public record search.

B.1.3.3 (c) Order Verification. The customer shall verify citations before placing document orders. In cases where more complete verification is required, the customer may authorize the vendor to establish the accuracy of the bibliographic component of the citation of a requested item. The vendor may then assess a flat per item fee for verification.

B.1.3.3 (d) Copyright Compliance. All items shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of U.S. Copyright Law.

(1) Royalty Fees. The vendor is required to pay all appropriate royalty or copyright royalty fees for the use of the publications provided before the documents are shipped. Such fees may be paid direct to the copyright owner or to a reproduction rights organization. The vendor may pass‑through royalty or copyright fees to the customer. The customer shall be notified when a royalty or copyright fee is in excess of $20.00 and be given the opportunity to cancel the order.

(2) Copyright Compliance Notice. To enable the customer to identify items purchased through the document service, items supplied by the vendor shall carry the notice "Document Delivery Service Item."

B.1.3.4. LOT 2 Support Requirements.

B.1.3.4 (a) Order Cancellation.

(1) By the Customer. The customer may cancel an order after placement but before shipment. In such cases the vendor may assess a flat charge for canceling the order. When the customer rejects an order due to late delivery of the requested item, or unsatisfactory quality of the document, the vendor may not assess a cancellation fee.

(2) By the Vendor. The vendor shall cancel orders which cannot be filled within specified turnaround time. The vendor shall provide the customer with a written notice of the cancellation. The notice shall be supplied within five working days of the date the order is canceled, or within five (5) working days of the date the vendor determines that a timely, quality document cannot be supplied. No cancellation fee may be assessed by the vendor for an order canceled by the vendor or the vendor's agent.

B.1.3.4 (b) Management Data/Reports. To help the customer track and manage its document delivery activity, the vendor shall provide document delivery service "usage" data in electronic format suitable for import into spreadsheet or database management applications. The data shall include:

(1) identification information: POC, ordering office, ship‑to address or ID; and,

(2) order information: fiscal year and date of the order, item, quantity, list price, discount, service fee, copyright fee, special delivery fee, extended price.

B.1.3.4 (c) Delivery. Documents may be delivered electronically, by fax, mail or special delivery. The vendor shall specify regular and rush fulfillment times for processing and delivery of all orders, and shall provide accurate and complete materials of satisfactory quality within those time frames regardless of the document's point of origin.

B.1.3.5. LOT 3 - Vendor Associated Publications. Lot 3 is only open to vendors who qualify under Lot 1. Vendors and publishers that offer electronic database/publications under Lot 1 may also provide their commercial off‑the shelf print, video, microform or multimedia publications. The vendor shall provide electronic access to their catalog of available publications. (Book jobbers and serials agents are covered by separate LC/FEDLINK solicitations and agreements and are not the subject of this procurement).

B.1.3.6. LOT 4 - Specialized Access / Product Integration. Lot 4 is only open to vendors who qualify under Lot 1 and/or Lot 2. Under Lot 4, vendors may tailor their electronic publication packages for individual customers. Vendors may work with customers to provide seamless integration of structured internal and external content into the customers’ workflow environment (e.g. intranet, extranet, portal, etc.). The vendors shall address how their customer specific products will be updated and maintained. For example, a customer may request that access for the agency be limited to a specific subset of the databases available on a vendor's system, or that the vendor's electronic publications be accessible via the agency's intranet. Vendors may provide database searching, translations, and other research assistance associated with the electronic information resources they offer under Lot 1 and/or Lot 2. Research assistance shall be priced on a per-item basis, not an hourly basis (e.g., per search, per summary report, per translation, etc.) Customer-specific offerings may be described and negotiated by the contracting office on an individual basis.

All materials shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of U.S. Copyright Law. The vendor is required to pay all appropriate royalty or copyright royalty fees for the use of or link to full text publications. The vendor shall provide customers with a statement that their products and services comply with the copyright provisions.

B.1.3.6 (a) Specialized File Groupings. The vendor may offer specialized groupings of its existing electronic information retrieval databases/publications. The vendor may establish predefined groupings available to all customers, may have a predefined access and pricing formula for picking and choosing among files, and/or may set up a specific grouping as requested by particular customer. Customer-specific grouping of files may be described and negotiated on an individual basis.

B.1.3.6 (b) Access to the customer’s own files. The vendor may provide access and searching to electronic databases/publications that are created and maintained by the customer and made available through the vendor's system. This does not include custom database creation by the vendor, nor editing or other maintenance of the customer's data or files by the vendor's personnel. Access and searching of the customer's material may be described and negotiated on an individual basis.

B.1.3.6 (c) Special Interface. The vendor may prepare a special interface to its electronic database/publication for a customer. Customer-specific interfaces may be described and negotiated on an individual basis. For example, the vendor may:

( provide an access and search link between a customer's portal and the vendor's web-based system;

( develop ways to reformat database search results so that they are accessible in the customer's internal system; or, ( prepare a special menu on the vendor's system for the customer's end-users to see when accessing the special grouping of files.

B.1.3.6 (d) Research assistance from vendor’s subject/technical experts. The vendor may provide subject and technical expertise to customers in searching vendors' own electronic resources, collating search results, and translating materials. Research assistance might include: helping an end-user formulate an efficient search in the vendor's publication; or searching for current research on a topic requested by the customer, collating search results, and preparing a synthesis of findings. These services shall be described on a fixed-price deliverables basis (e.g., per search, per number of resources accesses, per research report) not on an open-ended time and materials basis. These services may be offered to all customers at standard prices established in the contract. For selected customer requirements, services may be described and negotiated on an individual basis. Under this contract, research assistance does not cover on-site personal services such as staffing library reference desks, nor long-term consultant projects.

B.1.3.7. FEDLINK Requirements for Physical Items Ordered. The following requirements apply to item orders for fixed media publications, documents, print publications or other physical items covered by this contract.

B.1.3.7 (a) Fulfillment Time. The vendor shall specify a standard fulfillment time for processing and delivery of all orders, including those shipped directly…