HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3x: Contract to Baker & Taylor for Purchase of Books, DVDS and Music Products for Arcadia Public LibraryJune 15, 2010
TO: Mayor and City Council
SUMMARY
DISCUSSION
MEMORANDUM
Library and Museum Services Department
FROM: Carolyn Garner - Reagan, Director of Library and Museum Services
By: Jackie Faust - Moreno, Library Services Manager
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER
CONTRACT TO BAKER & TAYLOR FOR THE PURCHASE OF BOOKS, DVDs
AND MUSIC PRODUCTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $135,000.
Recommendation: Approve
Staff is recommending the City Council award a sole source purchase order contract with
Baker & Taylor, a supplier of library materials, for the purchase of books, DVDs and music
products in the amount $135,000. Sufficient funds are available in the 2010 -2011 FY budget.
In order to facilitate and expedite the acquisition of new library materials, the Library has been
utilizing the services of Baker & Taylor, a supplier of book, video and music products to
libraries. Baker & Taylor's thirteen million unit database of book and audiovisual titles is
maintained continuously, with more than one million updates each year from 75,000 publishers
and the Library of Congress. Ordering through the Baker & Taylor web site improves efficiency
and expedites delivery in a timely fashion. As a member of the Metropolitan Cooperative
Library System, the Library is eligible for discounts averaging up to 40% per title.
Baker & Taylor services include: receipt of in -stock materials within two working days; free
MARC (a library standard for bibliographic records in machine readable form) downloads into
our library automation system; collection development tools; automatic services for best
sellers, special collections, and new editions of reference works; free shipping from their
primary service center.
In May 2007, the Library conducted an informal evaluation process, including a written
questionnaire with three materials vendors: Baker & Taylor, Brodart and Ingram. It was
determined that certain services of vital interest to the Library are only available through Baker
& Taylor. These include:
FISCAL IMPACT
• Starting in mid -year 2007, Baker & Taylor will began with OCLC, a vendor that the
Library uses for bibliographic information for the online catalog. This service is called
Cataloging Plus. This collaboration allows a potential streamlining of our workflow by
submitting our holdings for the California Catalog and WorldCat. This service is only
available through Baker & Taylor.
• Complete MARC- formatted bibliographic records for materials (both Brodart and
Ingram supply brief MARC records; full MARC records are available only for an
additional per record charge)
• Audio- visual materials (Brodart does not supply music CDs and DVDs and Ingram does
so only from their Nashville distribution center which would delay delivery to the Library)
• Duplicate checking, allowing staff to prevent double- ordering of materials, both in the
current order and across the customer's previous ordering history (Brodart's and
Ingram's systems will only check the current order, not previously ordered or
backordered titles)
• Faster delivery of new items (Baker & Taylor materials often arrive the next day;
Brodart and Ingram require 2 -4 working days, primarily because their shipping centers
are farther away)
• Staff has found that discounts are equal for most categories of materials between the
three vendors. Free shipping is available from all vendors.
In addition, the Library had approximately twelve staff members undergo extensive training
in the use of Baker & Taylor's electronic services, including acquisitions and collection
development options for reviewing and selecting new materials on different subjects.
Switching to another vendor would result in extensive re- training and significant loss of
staff productivity.
New books and other library materials are purchased directly from publishers and other
sources when they are not available through Baker & Taylor or if additional discounts are
available by ordering direct. However, using a distributor to coordinate and expedite the
acquisition process is the most efficient and cost - effective procedure, and staff will utilize
Baker &Taylor's services whenever possible.
A total of $188,600 has been budgeted in the proposed 2010 -2011 Operating Budget for the
purchase of new library materials for adults and children, providing adequate funds for the
proposed purchases through the services of Baker & Taylor.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to award a purchase order contract to Baker & Taylor for the
purchase of books, DVDs and music products in the amount of $135,000.
Approved by:
Donald Penman, City Manager