Library of Congress Awards Contract For New Library Collections Access Platform
From the Library of Congress:
The Library of Congress has awarded a major contract to further develop and implement a new, open-source IT platform that will revolutionize how the Library’s vast physical and digital collections are managed and made accessible for the public, Congress, Library employees and other institutions.
The new Library Collections Access Platform software application will serve as the heart of the Library’s collections management operations, connecting several stand-alone IT systems into a one-stop shop for the acquisition, description, inventory and discovery of Library collections.
The Library awarded an IDIQ contract to EBSCO Information Services, of Ipswich, Massachusetts with an initial spend of $7.77 million. The first phase of the platform’s development will cost $10.4 million over three years to meet the scale and complexity of the Library’s operations, with options to invest in additional components that could be developed by other vendors and may extend beyond the three-year timeframe. EBSCO will tailor FOLIO, a community-developed open-source library services solution, to provide a library service platform that meets the Library’s IT requirements and the needs of the Library’s users.
“This is a milestone in our journey to implement a user-centered approach to connecting more people to the Library’s collections” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We are grateful for Congress’ generous investment in this next-generation system that is essential to the Library’s digital-forward strategy, which harnesses technology to bridge geographical divides, expand our reach and enhance our services.”
The platform will replace several legacy IT systems and provide Library staff with new, more efficient tools and workflows to manage continuously growing physical and digital collections at scale. It will offer researchers a streamlined discovery experience and new ways to access high quality metadata. It also will enable the use of BIBFRAME, a new bibliographic description standard being developed by the Library and partner organizations that uses a linked data model to make bibliographic information more useful both within and outside the library community.
When the platform is fully operational, it will enable users to perform comprehensive searches of the extensive collections of the world’s largest library. The system will have more advanced IT security controls and will accommodate evolving technology and growing digital content.”
“The Library of Congress has long played a pivotal role in developing open formats and standards for the library community. An open-source solution that supports linked open data will have benefits beyond just the Library’s workforce and users, supporting other institutions nationwide,” said Kate Zwaard, associate librarian for discovery and preservation services.
“Implementation of the Library Collections Access Platform is one of the Library’s highest technology priorities,” said Robin Dale, deputy librarian for library collections and services. “This new system will enable the Library to keep pace with technological change and give it the flexibility to accommodate the range of digital content that the Library manages and provides to its users.”
Additional Details: Library of Congress Solicitation Document (via SAM)
Award Details
- Contract Award Date: Sep 16, 2022
- Contract Award Number: LCLGD22D0055
- Task/Delivery Order Number: LGD22T0023
- Contractor Awarded Unique Entity ID: JFYKDEKM4K73
- Contractor Awarded Name: EBSCO INDUSTRIES, INC.
- Contractor Awarded Address: Ipswich, MA 01938-2106 USA
- Base and All Options Value (Total Contract Value): $25000000.00
General Information
- Contract Opportunity Type: Award Notice (Original)
- All Dates/Times are: (UTC-04:00) EASTERN STANDARD TIME, NEW YORK, USA
- Original Published Date: Sep 20, 2022 05:34 pm EDT
- Inactive Policy: 15 days after contract award date
- Original Inactive Date: Oct 01, 2022
- Initiative:
- None
Classification
- Original Set Aside:
- Product Service Code: DA10 – IT AND TELECOM – BUSINESS APPLICATION/APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE
- NAICS Code:
- 519120 – Libraries and Archives
- Place of Performance:
Washington , DC 20540USADescription
The Library awarded an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a potential value of $25 million over the next seven (7) years. The IDIQ contract also includes an optional ordering period for up to an additional 13 years of task order issuances (20 years total). A task order for core implementation services was competed and awarded alongside the IDIQ for $9,066,667.00.
Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Associations and Organizations, Awards, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Data Files, Digital Collections, EBSCO, Interactive Tools, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Patrons and Users, Preservation
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com. Gary is also the co-founder of infoDJ an innovation research consultancy supporting corporate product and business model teams with just-in-time fact and insight finding.
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