HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11e - Purchase of Electronic Materials for the Arcadia Library
DATE: August 4, 2020
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Darlene Bradley, Director of Library and Museum Services
By: Roger Hiles, Library Services Manager
SUBJECT: PURCHASE ORDER WITH OVERDRIVE, INC. FOR ELECTRONIC
MATERIALS IN THE AMOUNT OF $60,000
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
It is recommended that the City Council approve a purchase order for electronic books,
electronic magazines, digital audiobooks, and digital videos from OverDrive, Inc. in the
amount of $60,000. Sufficient funds are available in the City’s Fiscal Year 2020-21
Operating Budget.
BACKGROUND
Since 2011, the Library has utilized the services of OverDrive, Inc. to provide library
patrons with access to electronic books, digital audiobooks, and digital videos.
OverDrive, Inc. is the leading distributer of these materials to libraries. Titles purchased
through them are available to library patrons either through the OverDrive app or on the
Amazon Kindle platform on computers, tablets, eReaders, or smartphones. This year,
the app has added support for Chinese and Spanish languages.
DISCUSSION
The Arcadia Public Library accesses OverDrive through membership in the company’s
group of local customer libraries, the Southern California Digital Library Consortium,
which combines the digital collections of 25 member libraries to provide added selection
for our patrons. The annual fee for membership in the consortium is $6,000.
The Library also adds to its collection in the Consortium by purchasing individual
electronic books, digital audiobooks, and digital videos from OverDrive, Inc. These titles
include current best-sellers, older titles, and titles for adults, teens, and children. The
Library’s spending for these items has been increasing with the growing popularity of the
Purchase Order with OverDrive, Inc. for Electronic Materials
August 4, 2020
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format, and spending for these added items is projected to reach $39,000 for Fiscal Year
2020-21.
This year, OverDrive, Inc. has acquired rbDigital, the City’s supplier of electronic
magazine content, and the regular electronic magazine subscription costs of $15,000
have been added to this purchase order.
Including both the $6,000 Consortium membership and an anticipated $39,000 for
additional titles, as well as $15,000 for electronic magazine subscriptions, spending for
OverDrive, Inc. will be $60,000 for the Fiscal Year 2020-21, and the Purchase Order will
require City Council approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the
environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds for the proposed purchases have been approved in the Library’s Fiscal
Year 2020-21 Operating Budget.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a
project and is therefore, exempt under, the California Environmental Quality Act
(“CEQA”); and approve a purchase order with OverDrive, Inc. for Electronic Materials in
the amount of $60,000.