HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2k - Library Subscription Services
DATE: August 1, 2017
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Darlene Bradley, Director of Library and Museum Services
Prepared by: Roger Hiles, Library Services Manager
SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH EBSCO INFORMATION
SERVICES FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO
EXCEED $18,500
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
It is recommended that the City Council approve, and authorize and direct the City
Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with EBSCO Information Services
for periodical subscription services for the Library’s newspapers and magazines for a
period of one (1) year with an option to renew for a maximum of four (4) additional one (1)
year terms for an amount not to exceed $18,500 per year. Sufficient funds are available in
the City’s Fiscal Year 2017-18 Operating Budget.
BACKGROUND
The Arcadia Public Library currently subscribes to more than 200 magazines and
newspapers and uses a subscription service company to order and pay for subscriptions
selected by Library staff, as well as to resolve subscription problems (including late or
missing issues). By outsourcing these tedious and repetitive tasks, Library staff time can
be more efficiently used to process these time-sensitive items and make them available to
the public.
Our current subscription services vendor, EBSCO Information Services, has been the
successful contractor with the Library for this service since 2010. They most recently were
awarded the contract in 2013, which expires this year.
PSA for Subscription Services
August 1, 2017
Page 2 of 3
DISCUSSION
On April 13, 2017, the Library sent out Requests for Proposal (“RFPs”) to three
subscription services: Basch Subscriptions, W.T. Cox Information Services, and EBSCO
Information Services. In addition, the RFP was advertised in the Arcadia Weekly. The
RFP responses were due back to the City on May 2, 2017. Basch Subscriptions declined
to respond, but EBSCO and W.T. Cox did submit responses.
A committee comprised of three City staff members convened to review and rate the
proposals using a 100-point evaluation system. The proposals were evaluated
according to thoroughness, understanding of work and scope of services, cost proposal,
related experience, quality of proposal, and customer references. Figure 1.1 is a
summary of the average scores and final rank.
Figure 1.1 – Average Scores for Subscription Services Proposals
THOROUGHNESS &
Company Name and
TOTAL
UNDERSTANDING OF COST EXPERIENCE OF PROPOSAL REFERENCES
Headquarters Location
SCOPE OF SERVICES PROPOSAL FIRM QUALITY
(1) EBSCO Information
Services 24 22 20 10 17 93
Birmingham, AL
(2) W.T. Cox
Information Services
Shalotte, NC 20 23 19 10 17 89
The proposal from EBSCO Information Services was rated highest due to the scope of
services they can provide, which includes the ability of fulfilling more of the City’s
subscription requests (and due to this their cost proposal was $17,974, higher than that
of W.T. Cox, which bid $16,144). More subscriptions would have to be made and
managed individually by Library staff under W.T. Cox’s proposal, which would offset the
savings offered. In addition, it was determined that EBSCO has better resources to call
on in supplying missing issues than are available with W.T. Cox.
EBSCO Information Services has been successfully providing subscription services to
the Arcadia Public Library since 2010, and this success caused the review team to rate
them higher for experience as well.
It is for these reasons that the Library has determined that EBSCO Information Services
offered the best service and price for the needs of the Arcadia Public Library.
PSA for Subscription Services
August 1, 2017
Page 3 of 3
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost for the subscription of newspapers and magazines has been budgeted in the
Adult and Children’s Services library materials funds for in the City’s FY 2017-18
Operating Budget. The cost in FY 2017-18 will not exceed $18,500, though it will vary in
later years depending on the titles available or requested. In each additional Fiscal
Year, a maximum contract amount will be established through the City’s normal budget
process.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve, and authorize and direct the City
Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with EBSCO Information Services
for Subscription Services in an amount not to exceed $18,500, with an option to renew for
a maximum of four (4) additional one (1) year terms.