QandA B-26602-ALPLM-Microfilm-Cleaning-Remediation~1.docx

Questions and Answers for IFB # B-26602 Microfilm Cleaning and Mold Remediation

1. To your knowledge, is there any mold being in the middle of the reel that is not apparent on the 1st or last 18” of the reel?

a. To our knowledge there is not any mold in the middle of the reel if it is not apparent on the first 18” of the reel.

2. Section 1.2.4 states “The last 18” of the film will be wiped down with microfiber cloth, a non-ionic wetting agent such as Photo-Flo may be applied”. Why would the end of the reel only need to be cleaned? Does the first 18” need to undergo the same process since it is assumed the first 18” will be at the beginning of the reel?

a. This applies to the first 18” (the beginning of the reel) only. See Section 1.2.4 of the Revised IFB attached in BidBuy.

3. Will each reel need to be evaluated closely for mold interspersed throughout the reel?

a. No. Section 1.2.4 of the IFB states that vendor shall “clean the microfilm reels that have visible spores or are housed in boxes with visible mold spores.” Reels will need to be inspected if there is visible mold on the box. ALPLM does not expect reels to contain mold unless its box has visible mold. However, if Vendor opens a non-moldy box and sees that the reel contains visible mold spores, Vendor is required to clean the reel in accordance with Section 1.2.4.

4. What is the process of the reels that are sent back to the client that have considerable mold that cannot be cleaned completely? Will these reels eventually come back to the vendor for re-housing?

a. These will be dealt with on a case by case basis. Depending on the content and availability, ALPLM will determine and notify Vendor whether to dispose of the reel(s) or to isolate the reel(s) and ship or return them to ALPLM. See Section 1.2.4 of the revised IFB attached in BidBuy. These reels will not be returned to the Vendor for re-housing as part of this contract.

5. Can you please supply some pictures of examples of reels and boxes that contain mold? It will enable us to get a visual concept that will enable more accurate and precise costs.

a. We have not inspected the film close enough for mold for photographs. There is a photograph at the end of this document that shows a drawer of microfilm boxes with mold on them. There were very few drawers that looked like this, the majority of the drawers we inspected had no visible mold. See Section 1.2.1 of the Revised IFB, which incorporates this photo as part of Appendix A of the IFB.

6. Do you know what type of mold is on the reels? Has the mold been tested?

a. The reels themselves have not been tested. The room where they were previously stored as well as inside the file cabinets were tested. The type of mold was Aspergillus/Penicillium. The room tested at 33,510 C/m^3 and the file drawer tested at 4,000 C/m^3. The mold test was conducted in 2018 and the cabinets were immediately removed from that environment. Section 1.2.4 has been updated in the Revised IFB to reflect the type of mold discovered.

7. Can just the storage boxes contain mold but not the reels?

a. This is very probable.

8. Can just the reels contain mold but not the storage boxes?

a. This is doubtful.

9. If any film appears to be in poor condition or damaged, will that film be rehoused?

a. Yes, all the film needs to be rehoused as all the boxes have been exposed to moisture and mold spores.

10. Does any of the film appear to have redox?

a. None to our knowledge.

11. What sort of packing list (paper or electronic) is required when shipping the rehoused reels to the vendor for storage?

a. Electronic, one sent to the ALPLM and one sent to the storage vendor. See Section 1.2.7 of the Revised IFB attached in BidBuy.

12. Does each reel (itemized) need to be listed on the packing list to the vendor for storage?

a. Yes, an itemized packing list is required, listing a range (ex: A100 – A150) is acceptable. See Section 1.2.7 of the Revised IFB attached in BidBuy.

13. Is there a monthly quota expected to go to the off-storage facility?

a. There is no monthly quota, but section 2.1.3 of the contract states “If necessary for budget purposes, ALPLM may limit the number of reels to be completed within each State fiscal year during the contract (July 1 – June 30).” Ideally, most or all of the reels could be completed by June 30, 2022. All work will need to be completed by 6/30/2023.

14. Does the winning vendor need to be local or be within a certain distance of the library?

a. The vendor does not need to be local or within a certain distance.

15. If the vendor is not local, can transportation of the drawers of reels be an overnight trip to the vendor’s facility, knowing that the reels will probably be kept in the truck overnight until it reaches its destination?

a. Yes this is permissible.

16. Confirming - the vendor will not need to add the information from the old label onto the new label as the labels be prefilled? Knowing that there are over 56,000 reels, will these be sent to the vendor in any particular order?

a. Sheets will be provided with the new labels in numerical order. When rehousing, you will need to find the correct label from the new sheets. The film is stored in numerical order by accession number in the cabinets, however the cabinets are no longer in sequential order.

17. Section 1.2.1 states “No dock, ability for forklifts to enter but the cabinets are not on pallets”. Can you add pictures of how these are stored in the pod? How can the cabinets be loaded onto a truck for transport?

a. There is a picture at the end of this document showing how they are loaded into the container. The cabinets can be unloaded using hand trucks and loaded onto a truck with a lift gate. See Section 1.2.1 of the Revised IFB, which incorporates this photo as part of Appendix A of the IFB.

18. Section 1.2. states Cabinets are full, weighing roughly 400-500 pounds each sitting on the floor of a shipping container. Can the entire shipping container be transported to the vendor’s facilities?

a. Yes, the entire shipping container may be transported to the vendor’s facilities. The contents of the container are not presently loaded in a manner to be transported, as shown in the photo at the end of this document. If Vendor chooses to transport the entire container, Vendor will be responsible for rearranging and securing the contents as needed for transport, subject to ALPLM oversight. If microfilm will be stored within the container until cleaning, Vendor shall consult with ALPLM engineers to operate the climate-control features to ensure temperature and humidity are properly maintained. Additionally, Vendor shall return the container to ALPLM within 30 days after the final contents have been removed. See Section 1.2.1 of the Revised IFB attached in BidBuy.

19. Can the reels be taken out of the drawers and be boxed in shipping boxes by the vendor at the library for transport?

a. Yes.

20. Can an extension be granted for submission date of the RFP?

a. Yes, the bid opening date has been extended by a week.

21. Can additional documentation (appendices) be added to the bid as need to support and describe the vendor’s planned workflows?

a. Yes.

Cabinets and boxes in container:

Microfilm boxes with mold spores:

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