SEO Integrated Library System RFP 2026

The State Library of Ohio, on behalf of the Serving Every Ohioan (SEO) Library Consortium, is procuring a new Integrated Library System (ILS), Library Service Platform (LSP), or Library Management System (LMS) through a Request for Proposals issued January 27, 2026. The SEO Consortium comprises 103 public libraries and one service center representing 292 service locations across 52 Ohio counties with a service population of 1.851 million. The procurement seeks a fully hosted Software-as-a-Service solution to replace the current SirsiDynix Symphony ILS and must include migration of approximately 1.45 million bibliographic records, 895,569 authority records, and 7.98 million item records; comprehensive training and documentation; implementation services; 24/7/365 support; and ongoing maintenance through a five-year contract period. Key deliverables and required specifications include cataloging, circulation, acquisitions, and serials management modules; authority control and online catalog functionality; Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA compliance; integrations with SOLUS mobile app, OverDrive, Hoopla, Envisionware, and multiple SIP2 connections; and comprehensive reporting capabilities. Qualified vendors must demonstrate extensive experience with large library consortia, proven track records migrating from SirsiDynix Symphony (preferably within the past three years), financial stability, and long-term commitment to the library marketplace, supported by three customer references with at least one from a comparable or larger consortium. Evaluation criteria include vendor reliability and experience, product specifications and functionality, and cost, though the State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and does not commit to selecting the lowest-cost bidder. Critical deadlines include March 18, 2026 for vendor inquiries, April 8, 2026 for proposal submissions, April/May 2026 for vendor demonstrations, May 29, 2026 for anticipated vendor selection, July 1, 2026 for contract execution, and December 1, 2027 for system go-live.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting eligibility to particular types of organizations or disadvantaged enterprises. The incumbent vendor is SirsiDynix, which currently provides the Symphony ILS system that will be replaced; the new vendor must facilitate seamless migration from this existing infrastructure and maintain compatibility with all current integrations and connected systems. All proposals must include detailed line-by-line pricing breakdowns for core software modules, supplemental products and services, implementation costs, and maintenance costs over five years; SEO is tax-exempt and will not include taxes in proposals. The successful vendor must comply with Ohio state IT policy standards outlined in Supplement A, including integration with state IT cloud services, identity management platforms, enterprise applications, and network services, and must execute the proposed contract agreement without additional costs or terms. Contractors must also comply with comprehensive data security and privacy requirements specified in the Data Security and Privacy Terms document, including NIST 800-53 moderate-level security baselines or ISO 27001 compliance, encryption standards, annual SOC 2 Type 2 audits or StateRAMP/FedRAMP authorization, data residency requirements within the contiguous United States across geographically distant facilities, and security incident reporting within 24 hours. While no specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the RFP documents, the five-year maintenance cost proposals and implementation service breakdowns will serve as primary cost evaluation factors.