RFP-50-2425002 Integrated Library System (ILS) Sourcing Project 900128-000 Final.pdf

OFFER

The Purchasing Agency solicits offers for Services and/or goods described in this solicitation. All offers and responses received shall be treated as Offers to contract as defined in 9 NCAC 06A.0102(12).

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposal (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified herein.

Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.

OFFEROR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY, STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO

NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:

Offer valid for one hundred eighty (180) days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

If any or all parts of this offer are accepted, an authorized representative of Purchasing North Carolina Community College System shall affix his signature hereto and any subsequent Request for Best and Final Offer, if issued.

Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows: Best and Final Offers, if any, Special terms and conditions specific to this RFP, Specifications of the RFP, the NC Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions, and the agreed portion of the awarded Vendor’s Offer. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the awarded Vendor(s).

FOR NCCCS USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded this date , as indicated on attached certification, by (Authorized representative of NCCCS).

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 50-2425002

NC Community College System (NCCCS) Distance Learning

Contract Name: NCCCS-Integrated Library System

Bid Opening Date: August 18, 2025

Refer ALL inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Grant F. Braley, Director of Procurement & Auxiliary

Services

(919) 807-7199 braleyg@nccommunitycolleges.edu

Issue Date: July 3, 2025

Commodity Code: 811120 - Data Services

Purchasing Agency: NCCCS

Requisition No.: N/A mailto:braleyg@nccommunitycolleges.edu

Integrated Library System (ILS) –NCCCS 50-2425002

Table of Contents

1.0 ANTICIPATED Procurement Schedule

2.0 Purpose of RFP

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Agency Background

2.3 SUMMARY OF PROBLEM Statement

2.4 Contract Term

2.5 EFFECTIVE DATE

2.6 Contract Type

3.0 RFP requirements and Specifications

3.1 General requirements and Specifications

3.2 Security Specifications

3.3 Enterprise Specifications

3.3.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS

3.3.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP Reserved

3.3.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT

3.3.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH

3.3.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

3.3.6 DATA MIGRATION

3.3.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

3.3.8 ACCESSIBILITY

3.4 Business and Technical Requirements

3.5 Business and Technical Specifications

4.0 Cost of Vendor’s Offer

4.1 Offer Costs

4.2 Payment Schedule

5.0 Evaluation

5.1 Source Selection

5.2 Evaluation Criteria

5.3 Best and Final Offers (BAFO)

5.4 POSSESSION AND REVIEW

6.0 Vendor Information and Instructions

6.1 General Conditions of Offer

6.2 General Instructions for Vendor

6.3 Instructions for Offer Submission

7.0 Other Requirements and Special Terms

7.1 Vendor Utilization Of Workers Outside of U.S

7.2 Financial Statements

7.3 Financial Resources Assessment, Quality Assurance, Performance and Reliability

7.4 Vendor’s License or Support Agreements

7.5 Resellers

7.6 DISCLOSURE OF LITIGATION

7.7 CRIMINAL CONVICTION

7.8 Security and Background Checks

7.9 Assurances

7.10 Confidentiality of offers

7.11 Project Management

7.12 Meetings

7.13 Recycling and Source Reduction

7.14 Special Terms and Conditions -RESERVED

7.15 AGENCY Terms and Conditions – RESERVED

Attachment A: Definitions Attachment B: Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions Attachment c: Description of Offeror Attachment d: Cost Form Attachment e: Vendor Certification Form Attachment f: Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor Attachment G: References Attachment H: Financial Review Form

1.0 ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

The Agency Procurement Agent will make every effort to adhere to the following schedule:

Action Responsibility Date

RFP Issued Agency 7/3/2025

Written Questions Deadline Potential Vendors 7/21/2025

Agency’s Response to Written Questions/ RFP Addendum Issued

Agency 7/29/2025

Offer Opening Deadline Vendor(s) 8/18/2025

Offer Evaluation Agency 8/21/2025

Selection of Finalists Agency 9/18/2025

Oral Presentations and/or Product Demonstrations by Finalists

Selected Vendors 10/6/2025-

10/9/2025

Negotiations with Finalists Agency designees and selected Vendor(s)

10/10/25-

11/3/2025

Best and Final Offers Deadline from Finalists Selected Vendors 11/3/2025

Contract Award Agency 11/21/2025

Protest Deadline Responding Vendors 15 days after award

2.0 PURPOSE OF RFP

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit offers for a modern, user-friendly, Software as a Service (SaaS) system that fully integrates the patron records and bibliographic database offerings of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS or the System) in a centrally accessible platform that allows holdings to be stored, accessed, tracked, and reported in a seamless management system. This system shall provide a scalable solution that will include up to 58 community colleges and their satellite campus/community libraries with support and consistent services from the Vendor. This modern system shall integrate seamlessly with interoperability and real-time connection with discovery services and integrated third-party applications.

2.2 AGENCY BACKGROUND

In 1998, the N.C. Division of Purchase and Contract mandated that the NCCCS survey the marketplace to determine if a more cost-effective library automation option was available than what was in place at

NCCCS at that time. Comprehensive system specifications were developed and reviewed by all 58 of the community college libraries. An RFP was issued for the purchase of permanent software licenses and computer hardware. The resulting contract was awarded to Sirsi, Inc. and has continued since

December 1999.

On April 19, 2013, the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC) approved a request to continue the

Integrated Library System (ILS) with an upgrade to a SaaS environment during the State’s 2013-14 fiscal year. State IT Procurement approval for the SaaS upgrade was received June 26, 2014, and the migration occurred in Fall 2014. Moving to a SaaS environment reduced hardware costs and allowed an increase to the library title limit from 1 to 1.5 million titles. Upgrades and maintenance are performed during non-business hours resulting in a service level of 99.9% up time. There were 52 of 58 community colleges using the SirsiDynix platform until 2023.

On May 17, 2024, the State Board of Community Colleges requested the System Office to post an RFP for the ILS after 51community colleges migrated to an open-source library platform as the result of the

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant process with the State Library of North Carolina.

SirsiDynix currently provides software licensing and maintenance support for the current Unicorn

Symphony library system. Unicorn is a proprietary software product that is only available from SirsiDynix.

This ILS is currently shared by a consortium of five North Carolina Community Colleges.

2.3 SUMMARY OF PROBLEM STATEMENT

As technology platforms continue to evolve, it is incumbent for systems of higher learning to update tools, resources, and purchasing agreements to adapt and expand library infrastructure environments. The

NCCCS desires a new contract with a SaaS ILS Vendor to achieve a more user-friendly interface, to provide efficient and user-friendly reporting capabilities, to integrate seamlessly with current and desired discovery services to retrieve requested content for academic purposes, to provide a modern system that reduces amount of staff time required for daily operations and maintenance, and ensures a system that has a capacity to manage over 1.3 million holdings and is capable of scalable growth. This system shall provide seamless interlibrary loan (ILL) functionality.

2.4 CONTRACT TERM

A contract awarded pursuant to this RFP shall have an effective date as provided in the Notice of Award.

The term shall be three (3) years and will expire upon the anniversary date of the effective date unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Award, or unless terminated earlier. The State retains the option to extend the Agreement for two (2) additional one-year periods at its sole discretion.

2.5 EFFECTIVE DATE

This solicitation, including any Exhibits, or any resulting contract or amendment shall not become effective nor bind the State until the appropriate State purchasing authority/official or Agency official has signed the document(s), contract or amendment; the effective award date has been completed on the document(s) by the State purchasing official, and that date has arrived or passed. The State shall not be responsible for reimbursing the Vendor for goods provided nor Services rendered prior to the appropriate signatures and the arrival of the Effective Date of the Agreement. No contract shall be binding on the

State until an encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the Agreement.

2.6 CONTRACT TYPE

Indefinite Quantity Agency Specific Contract – Pursuant to 9 NCAC 6B.0701, this solicitation will establish an indefinite quantity agency specific contract between a Vendor and the State. The quantity of Goods or Services that may be used by the State is undetermined. An estimated quantity based on history or other means may be used as a guide but shall not be a representation by the State of any anticipated purchase volume under any contract made pursuant to this solicitation.

The State reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards where it is advantageous to award separately by items; where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated specifications as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; or where other factors are considered to be necessary or proper to the purchase in question.

3.0 RFP REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1.1 REQUIREMENTS

Requirement means, as used herein, a function, feature, or performance that the system must provide.

If the offer cannot meet the requirements, they will not be evaluated.

3.1.2 SPECIFICATIONS

Specification means, as used herein, a detailed description that documents the function and performance of a system or system component.

The apparent silence of the specifications as to any detail, or the apparent omission of detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and that only processes, configurations, materials and workmanship of the first quality may be used. Upon any notice of noncompliance provided by the State, Vendor shall supply proof of compliance with the specifications. Vendor must provide written notice of its intent to deliver alternate or substitute

Services, products, goods or other Deliverables. Alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or

Deliverables may be accepted or rejected in the sole discretion of the State; and any such alternates or substitutes must be accompanied by Vendor’s certification and evidence satisfactory to the State that the function, characteristics, performance and endurance will be equal or superior to the original Deliverables specified.

3.1.3 SITE AND SYSTEM PREPARATION

Vendors shall provide the Purchasing State Agency complete site requirement specifications for the

Deliverables, if any. These specifications shall ensure that the Deliverables to be installed or implemented shall operate properly and efficiently within the site and system environment. Any alterations or modification in site preparation, which are directly attributable to incomplete or erroneous specifications provided by the Vendor and which would involve additional expenses to the State shall be made at the expense of the Vendor.

3.1.4 EQUIVALENT ITEMS

Whenever a material, article or piece of equipment is identified in the specification(s) by reference to a manufacturer’s or Vendor’s name, trade name, catalog number or similar identifier, it is intended to establish a standard for determining substantial conformity during evaluation, unless otherwise specifically stated as a brand specific requirement (no substitute items will be allowed). Any material, article or piece of equipment of other manufacturers or Vendors shall perform to the standard of the item named. Equivalent offers must be accompanied by sufficient descriptive literature and/or specifications to provide for detailed comparison.

3.1.5 ENTERPRISE LICENSING

In offering the best value to the State, Vendors are encouraged to leverage the State’s existing resources and license agreements, which can be viewed here: https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/statewide-it-contracts

a) Identify components or products that are needed for your solution that may not be available with the State’s existing license agreement.

b) Identify and explain any components that are missing from the State’s existing license agreement.

c) If the Vendor can provide a more cost-effective licensing agreement, please explain in detail the agreement and how it would benefit the State.

3.2 SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.2.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE - RESERVED

3.2.2 SOLUTIONS NOT HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

The NCCCS Integrated Library System will be required to receive and securely manage data that is classified as Medium Risk/Restricted. Refer to the North Carolina Statewide Data Classification and

Handling policy for more information regarding data classification. The policy is located at the following website: https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy.

To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, State agencies are required to perform annual security/risk assessments on their information systems using NIST 800-53 controls. This requirement additionally applies to all Vendor-provided, agency-managed Infrastructure as a Service

(IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions which will handle data classified as Medium Risk (Restricted) or High Risk (Highly Restricted) data.

(a) Vendors shall provide a completed Vendor Readiness Assessment Report Non-State Hosted

Solutions (“VRAR”) at offer submission. This report is located at the following website:

https://it.nc.gov/documents/vendor-readiness-assessment-report.

https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/statewide-it-contracts https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/statewide-it-contracts https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy https://it.nc.gov/documents/vendor-readiness-assessment-report

(b) Vendors shall provide a current independent 3rd party assessment report in accordance with the following subparagraphs (i)-(iii) prior to contract award. However, Vendors are encouraged to provide a current independent 3rd party assessment report in accordance with subparagraphs (i)-

(iii) at the time of offer submission.

i. Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification, SOC

2 Type 2, ISO 27001, or HITRUST are the preferred assessment reports for any

Vendor solutions which will handle data classified as Medium Risk (Restricted) or High

Risk (Highly Restricted).

ii. A Vendor that cannot provide a preferred independent 3rd party assessment report as described above may submit an alternative assessment, such as a SOC 2 Type 1 assessment report. The Vendor shall provide an explanation for submitting the alternative assessment report. If awarded this contract, a Vendor who submits an alternative assessment report shall submit one of the preferred assessment reports no later than 365 days of the Effective Date of the contract. Timely submission of this preferred assessment report shall be a material requirement of the contract.

iii. An IaaS vendor cannot provide a certification or assessment report for a SaaS provider

UNLESS permitted by the terms of a written agreement between the two vendors and the scope of the IaaS certification or assessment report clearly includes the SaaS solution.

(c) Additional Security Documentation. Prior to contract award, the State may in its discretion require the Vendor to provide additional security documentation, including but not limited to vulnerability assessment reports and penetration test reports. The awarded Vendor shall provide such additional security documentation upon request by the State during the term of the contract.

3.3 ENTERPRISE SPECIFICATIONS

3.3.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS

The State utilizes architectural diagrams to better understand the design and technologies of a proposed solution. The two diagrams are Network Architecture and Technology Stack. Details on these diagrams can be found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192

The provision of these two diagrams is a requirement at offer submission. If they are not supplied at that time, the Vendor’s offer will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

There may be additional architectural diagrams requested of the Vendor after contract award. This will be communicated to the vendor by the agency as needed during the project.

3.3.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP RESERVED.

3.3.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT

The proposed solution must externalize identity and access management. The protocols describing the

State’s Identity and Access Management can be found at the following link:

https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-IdentityAccessManagement-1241

Describe how your solution supports the above protocols, as well as making them available for application integration/consumption.

https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192 https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192 https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-IdentityAccessManagement-1241

3.3.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH

Describe proposed solution capabilities to interoperate with other solutions. Identify the standards supported, integrations platforms, adaptors, APIs, and the like.

Describe how the solution provides Single Sign On and integrates with the NCCCS Student Information

System.

Provide the integration options available with your solution with Ellucian’s Colleague® and Banner® ERP systems.

3.3.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Describe the proposed solution capabilities related to the following areas:

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) – describe how proposed solution supports Recovery Point Objectives

(RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) metrics.

System Backup – describe backup plan capabilities.

Disaster Recovery Testing – describe the frequency and test procedures for end-to-end disaster recovery testing. Business Continuity Plan (BCP) – describe capabilities proposed solution can provide in support of agency’s continuity of operations and incident responses.

Provide the process for communicating with the customer regarding the root cause analysis of downtime events and how the vendor will credit NCCCS's account for lost instructional time.

3.3.6 DATA MIGRATION

Describe approaches available for data conversion and/or data migration to load current data into the proposed solution.

Provide timeline, all costs included and optional in a line-item summary, and security controls for data migration.

Describe how data is removed if a Community College chooses to migrate to another solution.

Provide all standard and optional costs for migration.

3.3.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

Describe how the proposed solution monitors and reports the metrics on system performance.

Describe how the proposed solution manages user administration.

Describe the audit capabilities of proposed solution related to management of the application.

3.3.8 ACCESSIBILITY

Describe how the proposed solution complies with industry and state accessibility standards and requirements.

Provide product documentation that demonstrates how the proposed solution is digitally accessible or if not fully accessible, provide the roadmap with a timeline for remediation.

Standards include:

• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1:

https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FTR%2FWCAG21%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463390497%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e02p3b8aB5KB1xe2s6LB3ksZyRtoo09MCHTXDzO5E6Q%3D&reserved=0

• General Services Administration Federal IT accessibility Rehabilitation Act Section 508 https://www.section508.gov/

• Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®): https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat

ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

Vendors should refer to the Vendor Resources Page for information on the NCDIT regarding architecture, security, strategy, data, digital, identity and access management and other general information on doing business with state IT process.

The Vendor Resources Page found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources.

This site provides vendors with statewide information and links referenced throughout the RFP document.

Agencies may request additional information.

3.4 BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

3.4.1

The platform/system must meet federal and state ADA Compliance of WCAG 2.1 Level AA for websites, resources, and documentation:

• Federal Register: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web

Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities

(https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/)

Each vendor shall submit the following with its response:

• VPAT (The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document which evaluates how accessible a particular product is according to the Section 508 Standards. It is a self-disclosing document produced by the vendor which details each aspect of the Section 508 requirements and how the product supports each criterion.)

• VRAR See Section 3.2.2 for more information.

3.5 BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Means, as used herein, a specification that documents the capabilities of a system or system component. It typically includes functional capabilities, performance capabilities, interface recommendations, design recommendations, development standards, maintenance standards, or similar terms. Substantial conformity with technical specifications is required.

a) Please describe your proposed solution’s ability to meet the specifications provided in b) and c) below, including capabilities, features, and limitations:

b) Site and System Preparation: See Section 3.1.3 for more information.

c) Specifications: The apparent silence of the specifications as to any detail, or the apparent omission of a detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and only processes, configuration, material and workmanship of the first quality may be used. Upon any notice of noncompliance provided by the

State, Vendor shall supply proof of compliance with the specifications. Vendor must provide written notice of its intent to deliver alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or other

Deliverables. Alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or Deliverables may be accepted or rejected in the sole discretion of the State; and any such alternates or substitutes must be https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.section508.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463398992%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pzgUTV7chyDcngdl6SvQJ3tAIz7RLJvSY02jf8A4SRg%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2Fpolicy%2Faccessibility%2Fvpat&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463405831%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5PxuYxDYvzebQ0oJ4qLv%2BXmBS25YhqJa3ms9L3r8c8c%3D&reserved=0 https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2F2024%2F04%2F24%2F2024-07758%2Fnondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state&data=05%7C02%7Cbraleyg%40nccommunitycolleges.edu%7C2105230ce1f7459c183e08dcd368120e%7C616f6b2af8af4525b6c8f74c6a2b182d%7C0%7C0%7C638617691151736579%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jXVRjrLOUMUpTwAFzPpYyIqIoduatlLPRc%2FLwAQngXY%3D&reserved=0 https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2F2024%2F04%2F24%2F2024-07758%2Fnondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state&data=05%7C02%7Cbraleyg%40nccommunitycolleges.edu%7C2105230ce1f7459c183e08dcd368120e%7C616f6b2af8af4525b6c8f74c6a2b182d%7C0%7C0%7C638617691151736579%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jXVRjrLOUMUpTwAFzPpYyIqIoduatlLPRc%2FLwAQngXY%3D&reserved=0 accompanied by Vendor’s certification and evidence satisfactory to the State that the function, characteristics, performance and endurance will be equal or superior to the original Deliverables specified. See Acceptance Criteria below.

i. Describe the Cloud-hosted solution.

ii. Provide an organizational chart as well as a biography for key personnel.

iii. Describe the solution’s key performance indicators and page load times and include performance metrics and recovery times for the last three years.

iv. Describe the proposed solution’s monitoring capabilities including but not limited to application usage monitoring, error monitoring, event monitoring, alert monitoring etc.

v. Demonstrate how the solution adheres to industry standards and best practices for software, hardware, and network configuration and implementation.

vi. Provide your solution’s Service Level Agreement (SLA).

vii. Provide a list of supported integrations and software.

viii. The State prefers the procured solution to be scalable with the capacity to support a diverse

Statewide environment. Describe how the solution scales to support the entire NCCCS (58

Community Colleges and the System Office).

ix. Describe how the solution may scale up, including practical limits to the design for number of users, data size, implementation complexity, and model complexity.

x. Describe the limits and constraints of the proposed solution.

xi. Describe the features and innovations that deliver performance and scalability.

1. IT Security

To ensure compliance with State policies and standards, the Vendor must provide documented evidence describing the proposed system’s security provisions (i.e., physical, technical, etc.) in the form of a Security Plan See Section 3.2.2 for more information.

2. IT Architecture

This section supplements that of Section 3.3.1, above, and vendor should include the following information in its response.

NCCCS requires the hosting solution to comply with North Carolina Statewide Technical

Architecture. Located at the following website, (https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192, the site provides a series of domain documents describing objectives, principles, and best practices for the development, implementation, and integration of business systems. Agencies and Vendors should refer to these documents when implementing enterprise applications and/or infrastructure. Please describe your understanding of and compliance with this requirement within your technical solution. Please also include an explanation of how the solution will:

Provide on-demand access for Institutional System Administration to upload or download large amounts of data via secure file transfer methods such as Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.nc.gov%2Fresources%2Fstatewide-it-procurement%2Fvendor-engagement-resources%23Tab-Architecture-1192&data=05%7C02%7Cbraleyg%40nccommunitycolleges.edu%7C100c94064cb74aa17dbd08dd72bf7a60%7C616f6b2af8af4525b6c8f74c6a2b182d%7C0%7C0%7C638792888903949090%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BWvqKhzyCwV9cK5ZCqtV23%2FBlUxnmrYQdZ5Uhf2cOf0%3D&reserved=0 https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.nc.gov%2Fresources%2Fstatewide-it-procurement%2Fvendor-engagement-resources%23Tab-Architecture-1192&data=05%7C02%7Cbraleyg%40nccommunitycolleges.edu%7C100c94064cb74aa17dbd08dd72bf7a60%7C616f6b2af8af4525b6c8f74c6a2b182d%7C0%7C0%7C638792888903949090%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BWvqKhzyCwV9cK5ZCqtV23%2FBlUxnmrYQdZ5Uhf2cOf0%3D&reserved=0

Secure Shell (SSH), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). These methods will be used for batch processes involving the import/export of courses, themes, and reporting data.

Integrate authentication protocols including but not limited to Security Assertion Markup Language

(SAML) 2.0, Shibboleth® based protocol, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) based protocol, and Google® authentication.

3. Compliance with Applicable Laws

NCCCS requires the Vendor to comply with all laws, ordinances, codes, rules, regulations, and licensing requirements that are applicable to the conduct of its business, including those of federal, state, and local agencies having jurisdiction and/or authority.

The Vendor must describe how the solution will accommodate the criteria for the following compliances as well as provide a means for further establishing compliance for on-boarded

NCCCS community colleges’ courses.

a. American Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance

Under the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, colleges may not discriminate in the recruitment, educational process, or treatment of students based on a disability. Students are entitled to receive approved modifications of applications and digital resources that enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act ensures that electronic, and information technology allow individuals with disabilities access to and use of information and data that is comparable to individuals without disabilities. Therefore, the solution must be compliant with both Federal Section 508 and NCGS § 168A-7 requirements.

The solution must specifically be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

(WCAG) 2.1 level AA requirements, located at https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/.

The Vendor response must contain solution compliance details including a Voluntary

Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). In addition, the Vendor response should describe the solution’s automated ADA content compliance verification process or tool(s).

b. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance

NCCCS anticipates that some data will require HIPAA compliancy. Therefore, if NCCCS determines that some or all the activities within the scope of this project are subject to the

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA), or its implementing regulations, the solution must comply with the HIPAA requirements set forth in https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/.

c. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Personally Identifying

Information (PII) Compliance

The data stored in this application’s database is confidential and must follow FERPA and

PII compliance; therefore, the solution must adhere to those PII guidelines within the North

Carolina General Statutes as well as those federal regulations regarding FERPA (20

U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99).

d. Retention http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/

NCCCS requires the solution to access and restore course backups as needed by the ILS

Administrator within or outside the proposed solution. Therefore, the solution is required to adhere to the NC records and retention schedule as defined in the following link:

https://archives.ncdcr.gov/government/state-government-agencies/functional-schedule.

NCCCS requires that all user data and artifacts entered by employees, students, and contractors of the State of North Carolina, including backups and archives using the service provided, are owned by the State of North Carolina and must be returned at

Vendor’s expense to the initiating State agency within thirty (30) days of contract expiration or termination.

4. Specifications and Scalability

NCCCS requires a fully functioning integrated library system that includes all standard components and is available 24x7x365. Describe how the proposed solution meets the following specifications, including capabilities, features, and limitations:

a. Acquisitions

i. NCCCS is seeking an ILS solution that supports a variety of functions related to

Acquisitions. Describe the Solution’s ability to interface with the current NCCCS ERP and the State procurement system. Describe the acquisitions functionality of the proposed ILS solution. Include in the description how the proposed solution supports the following functions:

a) The separation of funds for each library.

b) Creation of vendor records.

c) Importing of catalog records within the acquisitions order record.

d) Fund rollover year to year.

e) Tracking of requestors and by department.

f) Standing orders.

g) Purchase orders.

h) Invoicing, including the creation of vendor supplied and electronic invoices.

ii. Explain how the proposed solution supports EDI, and how it is compatible with the

State’s current E-Procurement system. See http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.

b. Administration

i. NCCCS desires a solution that allows different levels of administrative access, including central administrative control of the ILS, and a shared system of login access.

Describe the administration functionality of the proposed ILS solution and include in the description how the proposed solution supports the following items:

a) Login and permissions management.

b) Performance metrics. Include metrics according to functions identified in this RFP.

https://archives.ncdcr.gov/government/state-government-agencies/functional-schedule http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

c) Schedule for system updates. Indicate if NCCCS will have the option to specify the dates and times on an updated schedule.

d) Test database. Include in the description the size and currency of the proposed test database.

e) Describe how the solution also allows a user to view multiple screens simultaneously.

c. Authority

i. The proposed ILS solution should allow NCCCS librarians to manage authority records and headings. Describe the authority functionality of the proposed ILS solution and include in the description how the proposed solution performs the following functions:

a) Automatically verifies authority headings in any record.

b) Creates, edits, merges, restores and deletes authority headings.

c) Reports blind authority headings.

ii. Explain how the solution supports the following actions:

a) Merges authority records and adjusts their linked headings automatically.

b) Performs ongoing updates to authority headings according to the Library of

Congress.

c) Globally updates authority headings or records by any MARC field.

d. Cataloging

i. NCCCS is seeking an ILS solution that conforms to established Federal standards for cataloging. Describe how the proposed solution conforms to the following Federal standards:

a) Unicode compliance. Indicate if the proposed solution fully supports Unicode in special characteristics and diacritics.

b) FRBR. Refer to: http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/cataloguing/frbr/frbr_2008.pdf

c) RDA. Refer to: http://www.loc.gov/aba/rda/

ii. NCCCS desires the proposed ILS to have broad cataloging functionality. Explain the cataloging functionality of the proposed ILS solution and include in the explanation how the proposed solution supports the following functions:

a) MARC subscriptions.

b) Batch load imports and downloads MARC records from any source, generating bibliographic records, along with item and order records.

c) Editing and validating bibliographic records.

d) Merging duplicate bibliographic records and combining their holdings/item records automatically.

http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/cataloguing/frbr/frbr_2008.pdf http://www.loc.gov/aba/rda/

e) Batch export of MARC records with or without holding information via scheduled task.

f) Interactive OCLC Connexion client loading of bibliographic records, item records, or order records into ILS to be immediately visible in the catalog.

g) Overlaying existing records in the Consortium via Connexion.

h) Indexing of imported records, including keyword indexing, and how completely and quickly the proposed solution performs this function.

i) Spell checking.

j) Real-time downloading with Z39.50 targets.

k) Globally editing bibliographic records.

l) Customizable duplicate detection.

m) Utilizing formatting coding templates to reduce errors in fixed-field coding.

n) Automatic management of links between Authority and Bibliographic records.

o) Flexibility in searching bibliographic records by any MARC field.

p) Creating non-MARC metadata that is searchable and indexable (brief order records, generic MARC-like records.

q) Deleting items with bills attached.

r) Managing book cover images, including subscription to service.

iii. NCCCS is seeking an ILS solution that records and manages library inventory.

Describe the proposed solution and how it supports the following functionality:

a) Inventory date in Item record capture.

b) Inventory with portable inventory control devices; with optional application available for mobile devices.

c) Integrated shelf-list.

d) Exceptions report.

e) RFID.

iv. NCCCS desires the proposed solution to manage Course Reserves. Describe how the proposed solution approaches the following specifications:

a) Staff managed interface.

b) Accompanying display in the Discovery Services/OPAC.

e. Circulation

i. NCCCS is seeking an ILS solution with robust circulation functionality. Describe the circulation functionality of the proposed ILS solution. Describe how the proposed solution supports the following functionality:

a) Uploads student information from the college’s ERP software system. The student information to be imported will be the student’s name and address.

b) Integrates functions so that transactions (placing a hold, paying a bill, updating a patron record, etc.) can be performed from one window.

c) Edits of the book drop check-in dates.

d) Supports process for printing receipts of checked-out items.

e) Allows editing of receipt headers.

f) Supports reversal of lost Item status once the item is returned and reverses the replacement cost and substitutes it with overdue fines.

g) Supports claims returned functionality with timestamp.

h) Uploads and displays patron photos in the patron’s record and performs real-time updates when patron record is modified.

i) Renews item records.

j) Renews patron library cards.

k) Allows borrowing and lending rules, such as lending period, grace period, library closures, among others, to be customizable by location.

l) Allows borrowing and lending rules to be created by the owning library, home location, item type, patron status, and other variables.

m) Allows borrowing and lending rules to be over-ridden based on the level of user permission.

n) Tracks items loaned from individual libraries.

o) Provides reliable offline circulation and patron registration options.

ii. Within the Circulation functionality, NCCCS requires the proposed solution to handle financial tasks. Describe how the proposed solution approaches financial tasks.

Include in the description how the proposed solution supports the following functionality:

a. SIP 2 compatibility

b. Debt collection

c. Multiple payment types (cash, check, credit card, for example.) at circulation desk

d. Two-way communication with the business office of individual community colleges.

e. Staff waiver or cancellation of fines based on permissions.

f. Individual libraries determination of overdue fine rates.

g. Payment of fines by patrons online and at the circulation desk.

h. Notices regarding holds and overdue or lost items.

i. Historical patron tracking on an item.

j. Historical tracking of changes to patron records.

k. A historical record of bills and fines paid by patron and by item.

l. A historical record of notifications sent to individual patrons.

m. Printing a list of checked-out items for patrons on receipt paper.

n. Editing of receipt headers and receipts.

o. Customization of permissions by individual or group.

p. The sending of notifications by mail, telephone, email, or text.

q. Allowing the patron to select notification preference.

r. Customizations of notifications by individual library.

s. Individual library determination of the frequency of notifications.

t. Patrons electing to track borrowed materials, which does not erase history when an item is checked in.

u. Patrons borrowing materials from all locations while maintaining a home location within a library.

v. Self-checkout equipment.

iii. Within the Circulation functionality, NCCCS desires the proposed solution to handle tasks related to holds. Describe how the proposed solution supports the following functions:

a) Placing a hold on a specific copy at the bibliographic or item level.

b) Producing customizable hold slips.

c) Editing the holds queue.

d) Modifying the expiration date of the hold.

e) Suspending or transferring the hold.

f) Setting of rules by the owning library, such as creating priorities, determining due dates, or providing pick up locations.

g) Setting of rules by item type, home location, patron status, among other variables.

h) Placing a hold on an on-shelf item.

i) Placing cascading holds on a series to receive them in sequential order.

j) Determining how an owning library is notified when scheduled holds are available.

k) Having a minimum of four hold levels to include an institution’s main library and branches, district level, state, and national levels.

iv. Within the Circulation functionality, NCCCS expects the proposed solution to handle tasks related to interlibrary loans. Describe how the proposed solution manages interlibrary loans. Include in the description how the proposed solution supports the following functionality for patron records:

a) Allows records to contain fields for at least three (3) phone numbers, at least two

(2) email addresses, and at least one (1) text field.

b) Displays student ID number and account expiration date.

c) Allows Staff to post notes.

d) Maintains historical records of staff notes.

e) Allows patrons to edit a PIN online.

f) Creates historical record of notifications sent to patrons

g) Allows staff to merge duplicate records.

h) Stores patron signatures.

i) Updates patron records individually and globally.

j) Provides a historical record of patron updates.

k) Purges inactive accounts.

l) Blocks automatically, such as for overdue materials and bills owed, and allows manual blocks to be added by library staff.

f. Compatibility

Explain how the solution conforms to the Z39.50 applications layer protocol, as well as its interoperability with third party resources.

i. Provide a full list of third party software that the proposed solution is currently interoperable with. The list can be included as a clearly marked attachment in the

Vendor’s offer response.

g. Compliance

i. NCCCS is seeking a solution that is compliant with ADA, FERPA and PCI standards.

Explain how the proposed solution conforms to the following Federal and industry standards:

a) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/)

i) In addition to being ADA compliant, explain how the proposed solution addresses point and click access, and the use of keyboard commands.

b) Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

c) Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/)

d) Personally identifiable information https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/legacy/sp/nistspecialpublication800-122.pdf

e) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 standards https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

h. Consortia https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/ https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/ https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/legacy/sp/nistspecialpublication800-122.pdf

i. The proposed ILS solution should be scalable to include fifty-eight (58) community college and System Office libraries, and additional satellite campus and branch libraries. NCCCS also desires the solution to share bibliographic records between colleges.

a) Describe in detail the solution’s scalability.

b) Explain, in detail, how the solution shares bibliographic records between colleges.

ii. Include in the offer a detailed plan and procedure for onboarding new libraries to the

ILS and include:

a) Detailed data migration procedures, including the Consortium, the new library’s, and Vendor responsibilities, related to the migration of the new library’s data.

b) Detailed system configuration procedures, including the Consortium, the new library’s, and Vendor responsibilities, related to system configuration due to the addition of a new library to the Consortium.

c) Detailed testing procedures, including the Consortium’s, the new library’s and

Vendor responsibilities, related to testing due to the addition of a new library to the

Consortium

d) Detailed security procedures, including the Consortium’s, the new library’s and

Vendor responsibilities, related to security due to the addition of a new library to the Consortium.

e) Detailed summary of the types of support and training Vendor will provide to the

Consortium and the new library during the onboarding process included in the basic contract. Provide a summary of additional services available outside the basic contract and their fees.

The onboarding plan can be included as a clearly marked attachment in the Vendor’s

RFP response.

i. Discovery Service

i. NCCCS is seeking an ILS solution with a wide array of interface and result output options. Describe the proposed solution’s interface and output options related to the

Discovery Service. Include an explanation of how the proposed solution supports the following items:

a) Web browser visual user interface

b) Language interfaces (English/Spanish)

c) Smartphone interface with Responsive Design

d) Predictive Keyword Searching (auto-fill, auto suggest, predictive searching, faceted searching)

e) Limiting searches to a specific library (institution) or groups of libraries within the

Consortium.

f) The ability to narrow returned search results

g) Authentication by patron type to access secure websites and restricted resources

(EZproxy® (OCLC))

h) Link from the Discovery Service to multimedia and e-content (e-books, e-journals, videos, e-audiobooks)

i) Capabilities and vendor support for each Library's page level customization

j) Search box widgets

k) Auto-generated citations

l) Single sign-on

m) Usage statistics, analytics, top queries

n) Customization of the Discovery Service at the HTML/XHTML/CSS level

o) Staging port for testing configurations

p) Profiles for Personalized Library Services

ii. Explain how the following specifications are incorporated in the proposed solution:

a) E-Commerce Interface

b) URL Link resolver

c) Patrons placing holds on specific copies

d) Patrons placing holds on specific volumes

e) Provide four levels of holds to include institution’s main library and branches, district level, state, and national levels.

f) Specifying item locations in the first results display screen

g) Shelf-browse by library

h) Content alert service matching user profile

i) Integration with Citation/Reference manager software

iii. The following specifications are optional functions that NCCCS would like to see included in the proposed solution, but which do not require responses to this RFP. The

Vendor can describe how the proposed solution handles each of the following specifications:

a) Allows geolocation or GPS authentication for OPAC users

b) Patron customizable capabilities and personalization for: Interface look and feel

(skins); requesting alerts for new content via keyword; User-created "favorites" list.

c) Offers patrons a purchase option (including as an option for each library)

d) RSS notifications

iv. Indicate if the proposed ILS solution interfaces with EBSCO, ProQuest, and multiple other databases.

j. Migration/Implementation

i. In addition to the information provided in response to Section 3.3.6, provide the following:

a) Detailed data migration plan to include all items that to be migrated to the new

System at the time of implementation, including the Consortium’s and Vendor responsibilities, related to the migration of the following data types:

i) Patron information, including creation date, expiration date, last activity, profile, demographics (jurisdiction, gender, birthdate), notes, current checkouts, holds, unpaid bills and collection agency information.

ii) Patrons’ saved lists.

iii) Profile information for public patrons.

iv) Bibliographic information, including the date the bibliographic record was added.

v) Serial volume records and/or data.

vi) Item information, including date added, historical circulation counts, fields giving copy specific information (owning library, shelving location,…