RFP LCFDL11R7000.doc

Document Title:

FEDLINK INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SERVICES

Document No.:

LCFDL11R7000

Page:

RATING

PAGE

OF PAGES

| 60

2. CONTRACT NUMBER

3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

LCFDL11R7000

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

FORMCHECKBOX

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

4/20/11

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NO.

7. ISSUED BY

CODE

8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

The Library of Congress

OCGM/FEDLINK Contracts

101 Independence Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20540-9414

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”

SOLICITATION

9.

Sealed offers in original and copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in see Section L.5* until 4pm local time .

CAUTION ( LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

10. FOR INFORMATION

CALL:

NUMBER

707-0460

EXT.

dbur@loc.gov

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS

20 CALENDAR DAYS

30 CALENDAR DAYS

CALENDAR DAYS

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the

SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

15A. NAME AND

ADDRESS OF OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY

16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN

OFFER (Type or print)

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE

AREA CODE

NUMBER

EXT.

IF ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

20. AMOUNT

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

10 U.S.C. 2304(c) ( )

FORMCHECKBOX

41 U.S.C. 253(c)( )

23.SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7)

25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT -- Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

Previous edition is unusable Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c

A.1 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

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.2.1. Electronic Databases/Publications

B.2.3. Vendor Associated Publications

B.2.2. Document Delivery

B.2.4. Specialized Access/Product Integration

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 LCFDL11R7000. Unless an exception is specifically stated, all terms and conditions as stated herein are accepted.

SECTION B -

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

Prices are firm and not subject to increase for each fiscal year performance period under this contract. Contract period shall be for one base fiscal year period with one-year options through 9/30/2013.

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. The rights and obligations provided by the contract shall take precedence over the rights and obligations set forth in any licensing agreements provided to FEDLINK customers by the vendor. The Library’s incorporation of a licensing agreement into a contract via contract modification excludes terms of the licensing agreement that contravene, modify or conflict with the contract. Furthermore, even if the Library agrees to incorporate a licensing agreement into the contract, the Library does not agree to provisions that incorporate the following issues: Indemnification, compliance with industry standards not imposed by law, choice of law provisions, interest penalty payments, choice of venue or forum provisions, arbitration clauses, and provisions mandating alternate dispute resolution.

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.

The contractual vehicles established as a result of this solicitation shall be Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) firm-fixed unit price contracts pursuant to FAR 16.5. These shall be multi-agency contracts (MACs) established in accordance with the Library of Congress (LC) Fiscal Operations Improvement Act, P.L. 106-481, Section 103 (2 U.S.C. §§ 182c.) Any federal entity including the executive branch (i.e. Department of Defense), the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and independent agencies as well as contractors to government agencies who are authorized to use federal sources of supply may be authorized to place orders under this contract in accordance with the terms and procedures described herein. LC/FEDLINK reserves the right to establish a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) in lieu of an IDIQ contract if the LC Contracting Officer determines it to be in the best interest of the government.

The minimum contract amount of this IDIQ contract shall be $ tbd . The maximum cumulative amount that the Government may order and the Vendor shall be required to supply under this contract is $ tbd annually.

B.1. PRICING PROPOSAL

All products and pricing offered must be associated with the appropriate Contract Line Item Number (CLIN). Offeror shall indicate a yearly cap on price increases and explain how price cap was determined. The template below is provided as guidance to Offerors on how to submit a pricing proposal. While all pricing situations may not fit the template, it must be used to the maximum extent possible.

Offeror shall recreate the template when preparing their price proposal, if needed.

Pricing Format :

Ba B.2. Base Year Pricing

B.3. Option Year 1

B.4. Option Year 2

SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1. STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1.1. OBJECTIVE:

To establish an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract (ID/IQ) 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.

C.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 an interagency 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 interagency 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.

C.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:

C.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:

C.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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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; and, ( subscription features - subscriber, period, updates, retention, etc.

C.1.3.2. LOT 1 SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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 C.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.

C.1.3.2 (e) E-METRICES 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/ C.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:

C.1.3.3 (a) DOCUREMENT 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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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."

C.1.3.4. LOT 2 SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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).

C.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.

C.1.3.6 (a) SPECIALIZED FILE GROUPLINGS. 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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.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.

C.1.3.7. FEDLINK REQUIREMENTS FOR PHYSCIAL ITEMS ORDERED. The following requirements apply to item orders for fixed media publications, documents, print publications or other physical items covered by this contract.

C.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 from the publication/document source to the customer. The vendor shall provide both regular and rush order service. So that customer's funds are not committed indefinitely, all orders shall either be filled or canceled within 120 days.

C.1.3.7 (b) BACKORDERS. When specifically authorized by the customer, the vendor may treat difficult‑to‑acquire items as backorders. (see fulfillment time above)

C.1.3.7 (c) CANCELLATION. The vendor shall cancel orders which cannot be filled within the specified time frames, unless upon mutual prior agreement between the customer and the vendor the fulfillment period is extended.

C.1.3.7 (d) SHIPPING. Physical items shall be shipped FOB destination by best method as determined by the vendor to insure a timely delivery date. The Government shall not be charged for shipping, except when the customer has authorized a special delivery method. When the customer has authorized delivery via Federal Express, overnight mail, messenger service, registered mail, priority mail for overseas shipments, or other such special delivery methods, the vendor may pass the shipping charge through to the customer. Copies of actual charges shall be required upon request.

C.1.3.7 (e) REPLACING PHYSICALLY UNSATISFACTORY ITEMS. The vendor shall replace, at no additional cost to the customer, any document or publication the customer determines is physically unsatisfactory, except when the material is flawed as a direct result of the customer's error. Physically unsatisfactory material would include: an electronic file that cannot be read or printed; a photocopy that is illegible, over-reduced, improperly collated, or incomplete; a print publication that is not new, is in poor condition, etc.

C.1.3.7 (f) UNDELIVERED ITEMS. The vendor is entirely responsible for materials in transit, including delivery from a remote source. The vendor shall immediately reissue undelivered items less than $10 in value at no additional cost to the customer, and shall assist customers in tracing undelivered items of greater value, and when the trace fails to locate the materials, shall replace them at no cost to the customer.

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1

DELIVERABLES

All deliverables or reports required under this contract shall be delivered in accordance with standard commercial practices and shall be marked with the LC Contract number and the delivery/purchase order number. Deliverables, reports and other documents may also be requested to be submitted electronically.

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1.

NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

NOTICE: The following solicitation provisions and/or contract clauses pertinent to this Section are hereby incorporated by reference:

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1)

52.246-2 INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES B FIXED PRICE (AUG 1996)

52.246-4 INSPECTION OF SERVICES - FIXED PRICE (AUG 1996)

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1.

NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

NOTICE: The following solicitation and/or contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated by reference:

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1)

52.242-15

STOP-WORK ORDER

AUG 1989

52-247-34

F.O.B. DESTINATION

NOV 1991

F.2.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE. The period of performance of this contract shall be for one fiscal year base period with one-year option periods through 9/30/2013.. The Library of Congress reserves the right to exercise the option to renew this contract in accordance with Section I.9 FAR 52.217-9 as modified by the Library of Congress.

F.3.

PLACE OF DELIVERY. The place of delivery is F.O.B. destination in accordance with FAR 52.247-34 unless the agency agrees to an alternate arrangement; all deliveries shall be made to the agency as specified in each task order.

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1

FEDLINK PROGRAM CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

G.1.1.

FEDLINK CONTRACTS. The contractual vehicles issued as a result of this solicitation shall be Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) firm-fixed unit price contracts pursuant to FAR 16.5. These shall be multi-agency contracts (MACs) established in accordance with the Library of Congress (LC) Fiscal Operations Improvement Act, P.L. 106-481, Section 103 (2 U.S.C. §§ 182c.) Any federal entity including the executive branch (i.e. Department of Defense), the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and independent agencies as well as contractors to government agencies who are authorized to use federal sources of supply may be authorized to place orders under this in accordance with the terms and procedures described herein. LC/FEDLINK reserves the right to establish a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) in lieu of an IDIQ contract if the LC Contracting Officer determines it to be in the best interest of the government. If a BOA is established, ordering procedures will change accordingly (see FAR 16.703).

G.1.2.

CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS.

G.1.2 (a) Constant Pricing and Discount. The vendor shall maintain constant pricing and discount schedules under this contract for the period from date of award through September 30 of each fiscal year.

G.1.2 (b) Addition of Products/services and/or Changes to Contract. For the life of the contract, the vendor shall offer no products/services other than those specified herein unless specific application is made to LC/FEDLINK Contracts to modify this contract to incorporate additional products/services and/or changes. Any new products/services or changes which are approved by the LC Contracting Officer shall be officially added to the contract by modification. Requests for approval to modify the contract shall be sent via fax, email, or handcarried to:

The Library of Congress

Office of Contracts & Grants Management, FEDLINK Contracts section

ATTN: Deborah Burroughs, Contract Specialist

John Adams Bldg., Room LA-318

101 Independence Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20540-9414

Fax #: 202-707-0460; Email: dbur@loc.gov

G.1.3. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION.

(a) This contract will be administered by:

Deborah L. Burroughs, Contract Specialist

Office of Contracts & Grants Mgmt, FEDLINK Section

101 Independence Ave., S.E.

Washington D.C. 20540-9414

Phone: (202) 707-0460; Email: dbur@loc.gov

(b) The designated Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for this contract is:

Georgette Harris, Program Specialist

Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC)

101 Independence Ave., S.E.

Washington D.C. 20540-4935

Phone: (202) 707-4850 Email: gharris@loc.gov G.1.4.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH FEDLINK CUSTOMERS. Vendor correspondence, announcements, notification of offering, etc. that reference products/services offered through the LC/FEDLINK Program must be submitted to LC/FEDLINK for approval. Submit correspondence, prior to release, for approval via email, fax to:

FEDLINK Fiscal Operations

ATTN: James Oliver, Vendor Services Coordinator

John Adams Bldg., Room LA-224

101 Independence Ave., SE

Washington, D.C. 20540-4935

Fax #: 202-707-4999; Email: joli@loc.gov

G.2.

CUSTOMER USE OF FEDLINK CONTRACTS.

The FEDLINK program provides both contracting and accounting support to federal agencies and organizations authorized to use federal sources of supply.

G.2.1. ORDERING PROCEDURES. Customers shall review all products and services offered and shall determine which products and services best meets the customer agency’s requirements for each order.

G.2.2.

FEDLINK SERVICE OPTIONS. LC/FEDLINK offers customers two service options for participating in the FEDLINK program:

G.2.2 (a) Direct Express. Under the Direct Express option, customers send their agency generated purchase order directly to the vendor. An interagency agreement between the customer and LC is not required and the customer does not pay the FEDLINK administrative fee. The vendor provides service, invoices the customer directly against the agency purchase order, and the vendor pays the FEDLINK administrative fee. Direct Express processes are described in detail in section G.3.

G.2.2 (b) Transfer-Pay. Under the transfer pay option, a customer transfers both FEDLINK administrative fees and estimated annual service dollars to LC via a signed interagency agreement or other LC-approved customer agency document authorizing the transfer of funds to LC. On behalf of the customer, LC/Contracts issues a delivery order to the vendor in the amount specified on the interagency agreement or funds transfer document. After receiving the delivery order, the vendor provides service to the customer and submits the customer's invoices to FEDLINK. FEDLINK reviews the invoices, rejects improper ones, and pays acceptable ones from the customer's account. FEDLINK sends the customer copies of rejected invoices, copies of all paid invoices, and a regular account statement. The customer reviews the invoices and reports any irregularities to FEDLINK, who resolves them with the vendor. Transfer pay processes are described in detail in section G.4.

Vendors are required to offer the Transfer-pay option to FEDLINK customers. Vendors are not required to offer the Direct Express option.

G.3.

DIRECT EXPRESS PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS

G.3.1.

INITIATING DIRECT EXPRESS SERVICE.

G.3.1 (a) Delivery order/purchase order from customer. Customers may send delivery orders or purchase orders directly to the vendor. The order shall reference the LC/FEDLINK Contract number, the RFQ number, and the Statement of Work with the specific products/services to be acquired.

G.3.1 (b) Beginning Service. The vendor shall not begin, renew, or convert to the LC/FEDLINK Contract any service for any FEDLINK customer until a purchase order for that FEDLINK customer for that service for the current fiscal year has been received. The vendor shall contact the customer to begin service immediately upon receiving and accepting the customer's purchase order. Subsequently, the vendor shall invoice the customer directly against the purchase order received.

G.3.1 (c) Customer Identification. After receiving the customer’s order, all vendor correspondence with FEDLINK regarding the FEDLINK customer shall identify the customer by the agency office to which service is provided, the agency delivery/purchase order number, Point of Contact, phone number, and the FEDLINK ID (if available).

G.3.2.

VENDOR REPORT OF DIRECT EXPRESS SALES.

G.3.2 (a) The vendor shall report the quarterly dollar value (in U.S. dollars and rounded to the nearest whole dollar) of all Direct Express sales under this contract by government fiscal year quarters (i.e., October-December, January-March, April-June, July-September). The dollar value of a sale is the price paid by the FEDLINK customer for products and services on a FEDLINK contract Direct Express delivery/purchase order, as recorded by the vendor. The reported contract sales value must include the FEDLINK funding fee as referenced in section G.3.3.

G.3.2 (b) The vendor shall report the quarterly dollar value of sales on the FEDLINK quarterly report as provided in the contract, to the contracting officer via email. If no sales occur, the vendor must show zero on the report for each quarter.