RFP_for_Library_Materials_Vendor_v2.docx

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Physical Library Materials, Shelf-Ready Processing, Bibliographic Records, and Collection Support Services

Issued By:

Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) RFP Number: [TBD] Issue Date: August 12, 2026 Proposal Due Date: September 9, 2026

OVERVIEW

Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) seeks proposals from qualified vendors to provide physical library materials and related services for centralized collection management, which will support 16 library locations in Washington County, Oregon.

The selected vendor(s) will support WCCLS's centralized collection management through the provision of:

· Physical library materials

· Selection and collection-development tools

· Cataloging services

· Shelf-ready processing

· Acquisitions support

· EDI transactions

· Reporting and analytics

· Delivery and fulfillment services

WCCLS intends to establish a long-term partnership with vendor(s) capable of supporting a centralized collection management system serving multiple public libraries under a single acquisitions and ownership model. Proposers may submit proposals for any or all of the material formats and shelf-ready services specified in the RFP. WCCLS reserves the right to award one contract or multiple contracts.

The Proposer must be willing to commit to the level of service and discounts quoted for a minimum of three (3) years, regardless of the volume of business. Important considerations to WCCLS are the cost of materials, availability of materials, website/platform functionality, collection development tools, ordering efficiency, delivery capabilities, and level of customer service, including handling of returns and timely correction of errors. The opportunity for high-volume business from WCCLS is possible if the cost and service aspects of the successful Proposer meet and/or exceed our expectations.

Requirements for invoicing, delivery, etc., are included in the Requirements section of this RFP. A Proposer may not be disqualified solely on the basis of these preferences alone, however, a willingness to follow the preferred methods will be noted favorably.

BACKGROUND

WCCLS is a department of Washington County, headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, that provides centralized library services and infrastructure that support twelve partner agencies (nine cities and three non-profits). WCCLS and its partners together form the Cooperative, which serves over 600,000 county residents.

WCCLS operates on a July-June annual budget. For FY26-27, its combined digital and physical collections budget is approximately $4.4 million, with a planned increase for FY27-28 as we centralize collection management for the Cooperative.

Under our new centralized collections model, WCCLS staff will:

· Select materials

· Purchase materials

· Manage acquisitions

· Manage cataloging workflows

· Manage collection analytics

· Coordinate processing specifications

· Own physical collections

Proposers should note the following when creating proposals:

· WCCLS will be the sole contracting agency.

· WCCLS will be the sole purchaser of record.

· WCCLS will own all materials purchased under the resulting contract.

· Member libraries are beneficiaries of the services but are not parties to the contract.

WCCLS uses the Polaris ILS and orders are submitted via EDI. The selected Proposer must demonstrate the ability to support centralized acquisitions while accommodating possible branch-specific delivery requirements.

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Proposal Contents WCCLS is seeking succinct proposals that directly address our requirements and questions. Below is the format with sections that all proposals should include. Following our format and responding directly to each item in the Requirements and Questionnaire sections respects reviewers’ time and allows WCCLS to fairly compare all proposals. Proposals that do not include required information or that do not follow this structure may be disqualified.

Cover Letter Please provide a summary of the submitted proposal and a brief statement of the Proposer’s qualifications to meet the needs as described in this RFP, including the following: 1) the identification of the Proposer, including name, address, email address, and telephone number; 2) the signature of the person authorized to bind the Proposer to the terms of this proposal; and 3) a statement that the proposal will be valid for 180 days.

Company Profile & Experience Briefly provide general information about your Company’s experience, capabilities, and length of time in the business of performing work of a similar nature, including years serving library customers. Maximum three (3) pages.

Vendor Capabilities Responses Please respond directly to each Yes/No requirement in the form and do not leave any blank. Proposals that do not use this form may have their scores reduced or may be disqualified. A “no” response will not necessarily disqualify a proposal but may impact scoring.

Questionnaire Responses Please respond in writing to each item directly in the form below. Please do not leave questions unanswered. Proposals that do not follow these instructions may have their scores reduced or may be disqualified. When samples are requested, please note in the form and attach to your submission.

Cost Proposal Please include pricing, fees, and discounts. WCCLS is not required to award a contract to the Proposer with the highest discounts and lowest prices, but the cost proposal is factored in scoring.

Certificate(s) of Insurance Awarded Proposers will be required to show proof of insurance for [X]. Inability to prove coverage may result in disqualification from review.

Proposal Submission Instructions Boilerplate instructions. Deadline.

Revision/Rejection of Proposals WCCLS reserves the right to revise or amend the RFP prior to the proposal due date by written addenda.

Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure Boilerplate from County, state statute.

TIMELINE

WCCLS reserves the right to modify the timeline to allow for a full review of proposals and a thorough contracting process. Any timeline changes will be communicated in writing.

VENDOR CAPABILITIES Comment by PJ Bentley: @Jessica what if we called this section Vendor Capabilities, since that’s what we’re assessing with the yes/no checklist? We could possibly just use checkboxes, too. Comment by PJ Bentley: Both sections can be incorporated into OpenGov so that vendors have to respond to each question/item the way we structure it.

Please respond directly to each Yes/No requirement in the form below and do not leave any blank. Proposals that do not use this form may have their scores reduced or may be disqualified. A “no” response will not necessarily disqualify a proposal but may impact scoring.

Online Ordering Platform Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Administrative account access

· Multiple user accounts

· Role-based permissions

· Real-time inventory availability

· Duplicate checking across formats/editions

· Online cart management

· Saved lists and templates

· Ability to see discount pricing before adding to cart

· Ability to cancel unfulfilled items

· Order history searching (including title, author, ISBN, and other identifiers)

· Downloadable invoices

· Downloadable credit memos

· Downloadable packing slips

· Downloadable reports

· API availability

· Compatibility with Polaris and other common ILS platforms

· Compatibility with CollectionHQ and analytics platforms

Collection Development Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Standing order management

· Automated title plans

· Collection analysis tools

· Diversity analysis tools

· Inclusion of professional reviews in records

· Curated lists by category (publication date, age, genre, language, etc.)

· Holdings comparison tools against the WCCLS catalog

· Cart-to-order history comparison (deduplication)

· Bestseller alert services

· World language selection support

· Collection development consulting/support

· Self-published, AI-authored, and print-on-demand titles clearly identified

Cataloging and Acquisitions Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Brief MARC records available at order and compatible with BiblioCore display

· Full MARC records available at shipment and compatible with BiblioCore display

· RDA-compliant records

· OCLC-compliant records (human-created or human-reviewed)

· Full Unicode/UTF-8 encoding, including non-Roman characters and diacritics

· Capability for item record and barcode linking to MARC records

· Cataloging profiles documented, maintained, and shared with customer

· Multiple MARC profiles for different languages and formats

· EDI ordering with Polaris ILS and secure FTP

· EDI invoicing with Polaris ILS and secure FTP

· Advanced shipping notices (ASN)

· MARC export from carts

· Automated record status updates via EDI

Processing Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Spine labels

· RFID tag programming and application

· Barcode application

· Ownership labels

· Genre labels

· Collection labels

· Protective jackets and laminate

· Branch-specific workflows

· Collection-specific and format-specific workflows

· Shelf-ready services Reporting Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Monthly backorder status reports

· Monthly cancelled-title reports

· Monthly outstanding invoices and credits statements

· Monthly and annual reports showing numbers of items ordered and shipped

· User profile reports

· Consistent use of invoice numbers across reports

· Export into specified formats Shipping and Delivery Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Multiple delivery locations

· Shipment tracking

· Full shipping labels including order number, account number, selector name, carton information, and additional order details

· Packing slips including street dates

· Orders packaged separately

· Consolidated shipping

· Capability for partial-order shipping

· Rush-order capability

· Return shipping support

· Damage replacement program Customer Service Please respond Yes/No to each item:

· Dedicated account representative

· Dedicated technical support contact

· One-business-day response standard for email, phone, and ticketing requests

· Advance notice before service-level changes

· Escalation process

· Staff onboarding and training

· Quarterly reviews

QUESTIONNAIRE

Please respond in writing to each item directly in the form below. Please do not leave questions unanswered. Proposals that do not follow these instructions may have their scores reduced or may be disqualified. When samples are requested, please note in the form and attach to your submission.

Company Information Please provide:

· Company name, business address, and phone number

· Parent company, if applicable

· Name of President/CEO

· Name of Director of Operations

· Name of Director of Sales

· Name of Director of Customer Service

· Name of Director of Technical Support

· Name of designated Customer Service Representative (and contact information)

· Years in business with public library customers

· Number of public library customers Comment by Jessica Gagnon: do we ask years serving public library customers?

· Three (3) references from large public library systems or consortia that centrally manage collections, including a contact person for each

Please describe:

· Planned platform enhancements

· Emerging collection-development tools

· Artificial intelligence or machine-learning tools available or in development

· Workflow automation capabilities

· Metadata enhancement initiatives

· Product roadmap for the next three to five years, including any partnerships with other library vendors Availability of Materials Please provide:

· Current fulfillment rate

· Current backorder rate

· Current warehouse inventory

· By format

· By language

· Description of how world language materials are sourced and supplied

· List of languages currently supported

· Approximate inventory available for world language materials by language and format Please describe:

· How library vs. retail orders are prioritized

· Methods used to improve availability of high-demand titles

· New-release fulfillment strategies

· Standing order fulfillment processes

· Procedures for handling publisher shortages and out-of-stock titles Ordering Platform and Website Functionality Please provide:

· Link to online ordering platform with trial access

· Access to training materials, FAQs, and user documentation

· Sample reports available through the platform

· Sample invoices

· Sample credit memos Please describe:

· How technical support is provided (phone, email, ticketing system, live chat, etc.)

· Hours of operation for live support and average response time

· User account management and permission levels

· Commitment to ongoing platform development and enhancement

· Planned platform enhancements over the next three years Explain how staff can:

· Build lists

· Compare carts against previous orders

· Search order history

· Review invoices

· Access credit information

· Track order status

· Generate reports

· Share lists among users

· Manage standing orders Collection Development Services Please provide:

· Samples of collection-development tools and selection resources

· Sample title lists or ordering carts

· Documentation regarding profile creation and maintenance Please describe:

· Available collection-development services

· Automated selection or acquisition plans

· Bestseller and high-demand title services

· Selection support for world languages, indie authors/publishers, debut authors, and series

· Collection analysis tools

· Diversity, equity, and inclusion analysis tools

· Collection assessment and gap-analysis capabilities Include:

· Any associated fees

· Availability of trial access to collection-development tools Cataloging and Metadata Services MARC Records Please describe:

· Original cataloging services

· Availability of brief MARC records at the time of order

· Availability of full MARC records

· Authority control practices

· Record enrichment practices and services (including for non-English languages, transliteration of non-roman characters, and non-print formats)

· Record update procedures

· Method and requirements for checking current holdings and availability of bibliographic records in the ILS Please provide samples of:

· Brief MARC record with grid

· Full MARC record with item holdings encoded

· Full MARC record for a non-English language with non-roman characters

· Full MARC record for a non-print format Technical Specifications Please describe:

· Supported MARC encodings and character sets

· Unicode support

· Availability of customized MARC profiles

· Ability to maintain multiple MARC profiles

· Ability to include pricing and acquisitions data within MARC records

· Ability to export MARC records directly from carts or lists Shelf-Ready Records Please describe:

· Barcode-linked MARC record services

· Method for updating OCLC holdings

· Timing of record delivery

· Delivery methods

· Associated fees Technical Support Please describe:

· Procedures for reporting MARC, EDI, or system integration issues

· Average response and resolution times

· Process for implementing cataloging specification changes Acquisitions and Systems Integration Please describe:

· EDI ordering capabilities

· EDI invoicing capabilities

· Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) capabilities

· Fund accounting support

· Purchase order workflows

· Any order minimums or restrictions

· Compatibility with Polaris ILS and methods used for connection/integration

· Compatibility with other library management platforms Please explain:

· How order status is communicated

· How cancellations are communicated

· How backorders are communicated

· How credits are communicated

· How invoices and packing slips are matched Shelf-Ready Processing Services Please provide:

· Average turnaround time for processed materials, by material type

· Sample processing profile form(s) Physical Processing Please describe:

· Barcode application

· RFID tagging

· Spine labels

· Ownership labels

· Genre labels

· Collection labels

· Protective covers and jacket application

· Disc media processing Processing Management Please describe:

· Procedures for establishing processing profiles

· Procedures for changing processing specifications

· Online access to processing specifications, if available

· Quality-control processes

· Processing accuracy rates Please explain:

· Procedures for reporting processing errors

· Procedures for correcting processing errors

· Average resolution times Billing, Returns, and Credits Please describe:

· Return authorization requirements, including for damaged, misprint, not ordered, and excess items

· Return windows

· Credit processing

· Whether prior authorization is required for routine returns.

Customer Service and Account Management Please provide:

· Organizational chart for customer service and account management

· Contact information for the proposed account manager

· Contact information for technical support staff

· Standard response-time commitments

· Standard resolution-time commitments

· Service hours Please describe:

· Account management structure

· Escalation procedures

· Communication procedures for service changes, planned downtime, and emergent technical issues/errors

· Staff training resources

· Onboarding and implementation support

· Periodic account review processes Reporting and Analytics Please provide samples of available reports.

For each report, indicate:

· Frequency available

· Delivery method

· Export formats

· Customization options Operational Reporting Please describe:

· Backorder reports

· Cancellation reports

· Shipment reports

· Claims reports

· Processing reports

· Fill-rate reports Financial Reporting Please describe:

· Spending by format

· Spending by fund

· Spending by location

· Spending by language

· Outstanding invoices

· Credits and adjustments Collection Reporting Please describe:

· Publisher analysis

· Subject analysis

· Collection diversity analysis

· Standing-order analysis

· Collection-development metrics Shipping and Fulfillment Please provide:

· Primary warehouse location

· Secondary warehouse locations

· Primary carriers used & delivery windows

· Average transit times

· Average turnaround time from order receipt to shipment, by material type

· Sample shipping labels

· Sample packing slips Please describe:

· Packaging standards, including weight limits

· Shipment tracking capabilities

· Consolidated shipment/pallet options

· Rush-order services Please explain:

· Return policies

· Return authorization procedures

· Damaged-item replacement procedures

· Credit issuance procedures

· Procedures for resolving shipping errors Please indicate:

· Whether prior authorization is required for returns

· Standard return window

· Conditions under which processed materials may be returned

COST PROPOSAL

Cost of Materials Describe:

· Standard discounts

· Publisher exceptions

· Short-discount publishers

· Volume discounts

· Rebate opportunities

· Pricing protections

Include discounts for:

· Adult books

· Children's books

· Paperbacks

· YA books

· World languages

· Graphic novels

· Manga

· Large print

· Audiobooks

· DVDs & Blu-rays

· Music CDs

· Videogames Cataloging Provide pricing for:

· Brief MARC records

· Full MARC records

· Customized MARC records

· Authority services

· Holdings updates Shelf-Ready Processing Provide pricing schedule for all processing services, including:

· RFID

· Barcodes

· Spine labels

· Ownership labels

· Jackets

· Laminate

· Disc media

· Other non-print formats

· Complete shelf-ready package Additional Fees Identify all:

· Shipping fees (including fuel surcharges and differences based on stock location)

· Technology fees

· Subscription fees

· Setup fees

· Minimum-order charges

EVALUATION

All qualified Proposals will be evaluated by a team of at least five (5) WCCLS staff members and will be scored and ranked according to the criteria below. WCCLS may select the highest ranked Proposers to hold in-person or online presentations on services offered and website functionality. Proposers selected will be given an outline of what to include in their presentations. The evaluation team may permit revisions of proposals so long as all Proposers who are selected for additional discussions are given equal opportunity to revise their proposals.

WCCLS will evaluate the proposals and select a Proposer based on the:

· Proposer’s ability to meet our service requirements as outlined herein;

· Quality and completeness of information provided via the questionnaire;

· Quality and completeness of the proposal overall;

· Past experience with WCCLS (if any); and

· References.

Scores will be weighted as follows: Comment by Jessica Gagnon: put my stuff here (RFP scoring criteria draft) Pass/fail Meets minimum requirements, completing all aspects of the proposal contents.

Vendor capabilities (25%) The proposer’s capabilities for providing requested services.

Questionnaire and requirements (25%) The proposer’s ability to provide comprehensive library acquisition and technical services will be evaluated. Consideration will be given to:

· Breadth and depth of available collections, including formats, languages, and genres

· Functionality and usability of collection development and selection tools

· Customization capabilities and workflow support

· Quality and availability of cataloging/MARC records, and processing services

· Customer service structure, account management resources, and reporting capabilities Pricing and Fulfillment (20%) The proposer’s pricing model, and ability to fulfill orders will be evaluated. Consideration will be given to:

· Discounts and pricing structure

· Overall value to the library

· Fill rates and product availability

· Shelf-ready processing services

· Backorder management practices

· Standard and expedited delivery timelines Experience, Reference, and Business Continuity (25%) The proposer’s experience and organizational capacity will be evaluated. Consideration will be given to:

· Breadth and depth of experience providing services to public library customers

· Experience with library systems of similar size and complexity

· Quality of client references

· Organizational stability and demonstrated ability to provide uninterrupted service Quality of Proposal (5%) The overall quality of the proposal submission will be evaluated based on completeness, clarity, organization, and responsiveness to the requirements of the RFP with evidence and documentation provided.

WCCLS may conduct or request:

· Interviews

· Product demonstrations

· Site visits

· Reference checks

· Best-and-final-offer negotiations

CONTRACT TERM

The anticipated contract term will be:

· Initial term: Three (3) years

· Optional renewals: Two (2) additional two-year extensions

WCCLS may award a contract to one or more vendors.

APPENDICES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Appendix A: Collection & System Data Collection size, items added, circulation.

Appendix B: Processing Specifications Barcode, RFID, and labeling information.

Appendix C: Delivery Locations Current delivery locations and estimated annual volumes.

Appendix D: Polaris Integration Specifications EDI, MARC, and acquisitions requirements.

Appendix E: Certifications and Assurances Modeled on the Sno-Isle certification form, including non-collusion, proposal validity, public records acknowledgment, and authorization to contact references.

Appendix A: Collection & System Data

Collection data. FY25-26 items added. FY25-26 circulation.

Appendix B: Scanning Specifications

RFID tags must be fully compatible with the library's existing bibliotheca RFID infrastructure, including self-check stations, staff workstations, security gates, and handheld readers. Tags must utilize HF RFID technology operating at 13.56 MHz and comply with ISO 15693 and ISO 18000-3 Mode 1 standards. Tags shall provide at least 2.5 Kbits of user memory and be functionally equivalent to bibliotheca RFID tags using NXP ICode SLIX2 technology.

Barcodes supplied under this contract shall be fully compatible with the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) circulation environment. Barcodes must use Codabar symbology with Mod 10 check digits and support WCCLS-assigned 14-digit barcode numbers. Labels must be machine-readable by existing staff scanning equipment and be suitable for long-term library circulation use. Vendors shall provide samples demonstrating interoperability with existing WCCLS systems prior to award.

Appendix C: Delivery Locations

The WCCLS warehouse is located in Hillsboro, Oregon; we have a loading dock and are able to accept pallet shipments.

Although WCCLS may be the single delivery point for library materials, the vendor should have the capability to ship to 16 library locations in Washington County, Oregon, with varying capacities for receiving.

Appendix D: Integration & Catalog Specifications

WCCLS currently self-hosts Polaris 8.0, using both staff client and Leap. We use the Acquisitions module for EDI ordering via FTP.

Most integrations, including our BiblioCore discovery layer and Overdrive, connect to our ILS through the Polaris API (PAPI).

Some integrations connect to the ILS via SIP2 with secure tunneling.

Holdings are synced with OCLC through Z39.50 (firewalled for security).

All bibliographic records are in Unicode/UTF8, contain an OCLC number, and meet a minimum of Encoding Level 7 standards.

WCCLS adjusts Fixed Field codes and descriptive fields to support full display in BiblioCore.

Appendix E: Certifications and Assurances Provided by Washington County Procurement.