SOW - eBooks Order 2026 _.docx

2026 eBook Package Purchase

A. General Information

1.0 Introduction:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Library Network Office (LNO), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), requires the purchase of 122 commercial off-the-shelf, web-based eBooks from Ovid Technologies, Inc., consisting of 81 updated editions of titles currently held in the VHA eBook collection and 41 new eBooks [see Appendix A: Updated Editions of eBooks; Appendix B: New eBooks]. These titles will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system.

VHA’s goals are to ensure uniform nationwide access to authoritative clinical decision‑support resources and to improve quality of care and patient safety through evidence‑based nursing and clinical guidance.

Performance Period: Purchase with perpetual access.

1.1 Objectives

The desired goals of providing enterprise access to this eBook are as follows:

1.1.1 Initiate a nationwide, centralized purchase to capitalize on economies of scale offered by the vendor across a multi-title package.

1.1.2 Establish a single, enterprise‑level contract to minimize duplicative contracting efforts, reducing workload and costs associated with multiple local procurements.

1.1.3 Provide uniform, point-of-care access to current clinical, medical, and nursing reference content to support safe, timely, and standardized patient assessment and care across all VA clinical environments.

1.1.4 Replace outdated editions in the existing collection with current editions to ensure clinicians rely on the most recently available evidence.

1.1.5 Expand the breadth of available clinical reference content network-wide, consistent with the Library Network Office's centralization of collection management under RISE.

2.0 Scope of Work

2.0.1 All 122 titles shall be accessible through the VA Gateway Internet Protocol (IP) addresses both onsite and via Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Citrix Access Gateway (CAG). Access shall be provided through a static Uniform Resource Locator (URL) within the VA Gateway IP firewall.

2.0.2 The vendor will provide all VHA facilities with enterprise‑wide access to each ebook via a web‑based platform (Ovid). The authentication mechanism shall be implemented through federated authentication, IP-based authentication, or referrer URL authentication.

2.0.3 An unlimited number of simultaneous users must be able to access the product from any web‑enabled VA computer. Authorized remote users with VA VPN or remote authentication access shall also have equivalent use privileges. A username/password access option shall be available for remote access if required.

2.0.4 For the 81 updated editions, the vendor shall transition access from the prior edition to the current edition for each title identified in Attachment A, with no gap in availability to end users.

2.1 Accessibility, Content, and Support

2.1.1 All titles must be 508 compliant (http://www.section508.gov/).

2.1.2 If product is not fully 508 compliant, vendor must describe the measures being taken to achieve compliance and provide a date, within 12 months of contract award, for full compliance.

2.1.3 If no 508 compliance work is planned, vendor must document the rationale.

2.1.4 Each title must allow for unlimited simultaneous users across all authenticated sites and remote VHA users.

2.1.5 Full‑text chapters must be downloadable or viewable in PDF format for ease of use and printing.

2.1.6 Content from the eBook must be available to be copied and pasted into the VA’s electronic medical record.

2.1.7 All website hosting, maintenance, and technical support for the platform and content are the responsibility of the contractor. This includes technical assistance for VHA users nationwide.

2.1.8 System downtime must be minimal. Vendor shall notify the VA Library Network Office (LNO) at vhalno@va.gov of any outages or service interruptions.

2.1.9 Text and chapters must be easily printable or downloadable for personal reference use.

2.1.10 Vendor shall respond to all technical or access inquiries within two business days.

2.1.11 Vendor shall provide enterprise‑level usage statistics to the VA LNO at vhalno@va.gov.

2.1.12 Content should be accessible through standard web browsers and a variety of mobile or tablet platforms.

Title Information Format: One‑time purchase with perpetual access.

Vendor will supply URL access to the following 122 ebooks:

Appendix A: 81 Updated Editions of eBooks Appendix B: 41 New eBooks

Appendix A: 81 Updated Editions of eBooks

Appendix B: 41 New eBooks

3rd Ed.