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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2d: Award Contract to Gale Cengage Learning for Electronic DatabasesApril 6, 2010 TO: Mayor and City Council STAFF REPORT Library and Museum Services Department FROM: Carolyn Garner - Reagan, Director of Library and Museum Services C. Prepared by Darlene Bradley, Library Services Manager SUBJECT: Authorize the City Manager to award a purchase order contract to Gale Cengage Learning for the purchase of subscriptions to seven electronic databases in the amount of $37,025.85. Recommendation: Approve SUMMARY Staff is recommending the City Council waive the foiunal bidding process and award a sole source purchase order contract with Gale Cengage Learning, the publisher of online databases, for the purchase of seven online databases in the amount of $37,025.85. Sufficient funds are available in the Public Library Funds Trust Account. DISCUSSION The Library proposes to renew subscriptions to seven online databases produced by Gale Cengage Learning: • Business and Company ProFile ASAP • General Reference Center • Health and Wellness Center • Opposing ViewPoints and • Literature Resource Center. • Twayne Author Series • Scribner Writers Series These databases provide a wealth of up -to -date infoimation from a variety of sources in an easy to use format. Most of the articles that are indexed and included in these databases contain the full text of articles, providing an extension of materials available to Library patrons beyond what the Library could purchase and house. In addition, the public can access these databases from home computers twenty - four hours a day, seven days a week, extending the services the Library can provide beyond the Library's weekly total of sixty hours of in- person service. Use statistics show that there is substantial use by the Library's patrons at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week. Library staff continues to carefully evaluate other similar online databases available from other vendors and has concluded that these databases provide the best mix of resources and materials for the citizens of the City of Arcadia. Gale Cengage Learning is one of the largest publishers of library reference materials and has an excellent track record of providing service for and availability of online databases. The Library does subscribe to other online databases from other vendors in the cases where Gale Cengage Learning does not provide a particular product. Staff previously negotiated a mutually acceptable contract with Gale Cengage Learning using as the basis a standard license agreement for online content providers developed specifically for the Library by the City Attorney and Best, Best and Krieger. This contract will stay in force for this renewal. FISCAL IMPACT A total of $37,025.85 has been budgeted from the Public Library Funds Trust Account for the purchase of these databases and the Library Board of Trustees has approved this expenditure. RECOMMENDATION Authorize the City Manager to waive the formal bidding process and award a purchase order contract to Gale Cengage Learning for the purchase of seven online databases in the amount of $37,025.85. Approved by: ,a)c,Y) PQiww -d-' -) Don Penman, City Manager