BOARD MEETING DATE: December 3, 2004
AGENDA NO. 14

Establish List of Prequalified Vendors to Provide Library Services and Supplies

SYNOPSIS:

On June 4, 2004, the Board approved release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to prequalify vendors for library services and supplies. Following evaluation of responses to the RFQ, five vendors were identified as capable of providing library services and supplies. This action is to approve five vendors to provide services to the AQMD for a period of two years. Funds ($80,000) for these services are included in the FY 2004-05 Budget.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, November 11, 2004, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Approve list of prequalified vendors in Attachment A to provide library services and supplies for a two-year period.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

On June 4, 2004, the AQMD released RFQ #Q2004-13 for Library Services and Supplies. The purpose of this RFQ was to prequalify vendors to provide various services and supplies in support of the AQMD Library’s functions. The services and supplies requested in the RFQ include the following categories:

Services
1. Loose Leaf and Legal Filing Services
2. Cataloging

Supplies
3. On-Going Subscription Acquisitions
4. Book Acquisitions
5. Online Literature Searches
6. Inter Library Loans & Article Copying

Historically, the RFQ for Library Services and Supplies was used to identify cost-effective ways to fulfill Library needs as described below. Lack of bids and in-house performance of some activities reduced the number of categories on the prequalified vendors list to three.

Loose Leaf and Legal Filing Services involves keeping various loose-leaf reference and legal publications current by accurately filing loose-leaf updates provided by the publisher. These updates must be inter-filed within the basic document. The publishers send updates at various intervals throughout the year. An outside service company periodically provides support staff who are knowledgeable of the particular publications, primarily legal, to accurately file the loose-leaf material. Annual expenditures in this category are approximately $5,000.

Cataloging (eliminated from the vendors list) consists of entering pertinent information about newly acquired library materials into the library catalog so that AQMD staff and other researchers can locate needed information. Cataloging is currently being performed by AQMD’s Library Staff. Since services in this category are not required at this time, this category has been removed from the attached List of Prequalified Vendors.

On-Going Subscription Acquisitions covers maintenance of AQMD’s periodical subscriptions. This includes canceling subscriptions no longer required, adding subscriptions for new periodical titles as required to further AQMD’s efforts, and the automatic renewal of on-going subscriptions. This category also includes binding together separate issues into an annual volume for a limited subset of the periodicals. AQMD Library staff is currently ordering all subscriptions directly from each publisher and an outside service provides binding. Annual expenditures in this category are approximately $30,000, $2000 of which is for binding periodicals and the remainder for purchasing subscriptions. A single bid for binding of periodicals only was received in this category.

Book Acquisitions provides for AQMD’s Librarian to locate and purchase books and reference materials. All vendors on the pre-qualified list are queried electronically as to cost and availability when a particular book is sought. The purchase is based on which vendor can supply the book on schedule for the lowest cost. If a technical book vendor does not have the required books in stock, it may secure the books from the publisher, usually at a "volume discount." In addition, the AQMD Library currently maintains standing orders directly with publishers for essential reference books. Annual expenditures in this category are approximately $11,000.

Online Literature Searches (eliminated from the vendors list) consists of providing AQMD Library staff with web-based access to major literature databases (e.g., DIALOG, LEXIS and OCLC) for the purpose of searching for specific information. Costs for these electronic searches are based on the number of searches performed by AQMD’s Librarian and the price for purchasing bibliographic citations and abstracts or copies of full-text articles. Annual expenditures in this category are approximately $12,000, largely for the purchase of materials. This category has been removed from the attached List of Prequalified Vendors because no bids were received but the Librarian continues to perform searches on literature databases used in the past.

Inter Library Loans & Article Copying (eliminated from the vendors list) comprises two activities: AQMD Library staff identifying, requesting and securing the loan of specific periodical articles, books, reports, and other published documents from libraries, agencies or appropriate sources, and AQMD Library staff identifying and securing copies of technical and environmental articles from appropriate sources. Libraries and other sources of periodicals, books and other documents generally charge a fee to cover retrieving and mailing inter library loan materials or copying documents. Annual expenditures in this category are approximately $1,000. This category has been removed from the attached List of Prequalified Vendors because no bids were received but the Librarian continues to procure materials as needed from libraries and other sources.

When required, vendors will be issued purchase orders for the identified services and supplies used in the AQMD’s Library.

Outreach

In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the RFP/RFQ and inviting bids was published in the following publications:
 

1.	Antelope Valley Press	11.	La Opinion	21.	Rafu Shimpo
2.	Black Voice News	12.	La Prensa Hispana	22.	San Bernardino Sun
3.	Chinese Daily News	13.	La Voz Publications	23.	State of California Contracts
4.	Desert Sun	14.	Los Angeles Daily News		Register
5.	Eastern Group Publications	15.	Los Angeles Sentinel	24.	The Daily Breeze
6.	El Chicano	16.	Los Angeles Times	25.	The Excelsior
7.	El Informador	17.	Orange County Register	26.	The Signal
8.	Inland Empire Hispanic News	18.	Philippine News	27.	Wave Community Newspapers
9.	Inland Valley Daily Bulletin	19.	Precinct Reporter
10.	Korea Central Daily	20	Press Enterprise

Additionally, potential bidders were notified utilizing the Los Angeles County MTA Directory of Certified Firms, the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; and AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors. Notice of the RFP/RFQ was mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations, and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site (http://www.aqmd.gov). Information was also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Bid Evaluation

Thirty-nine copies of the RFQ were mailed out and six bids were received in response to the RFQ when final bidding closed at 10:00 a.m. on July 9, 2004. Of the six bids, two were from women-owned business enterprises; none were from disabled veteran owned, certified minority owned, nor from non-certified minority-owned business enterprises.

Advanced Information Management (AIM) bid in the cataloging category. However, services from that category are not required at this time. Therefore, AIM was not placed on the List of Prequalified Vendors.

Attachment A lists the five vendors prequalified to provide AQMD with library services and supplies for a two-year period. The three categories covered by the List of Prequalified Vendors are: Loose Leaf and Legal Filing Services, On-going Subscription Acquisitions, and Book Acquisitions. Attachment B reflects the evaluation of the proposals and the respective ratings for the list of prequalified vendors.

Panel Composition

The panel consisted of four staff from AQMD’s Information Management division: a Technology Implementation Manager, a Telecommunications Supervisor, a Librarian, and a Principal Office Assistant. Of these four panelists, one is African American, two are Caucasian, and one is Hispanic; two are female and two are male.

Resource Impacts

Funds for these services are included in the FY 2004-05 Budget. Funds for subsequent year will be budgeted appropriately.

Attachment(s)

1. List of Prequalified Vendors for Library Services & Supplies
2. Evaluation of Respondents to RFP/RFQ #Q2004-13

ATTACHMENT A
List of Prequalified Vendors for Library Services & Supplies
RFQ #Q2004-13
 

* Categories of Services and Supplies:
1. Loose Leaf and Legal Filing Services
2. On-Going Subscription Acquisitions (Binding of periodicals only)
3. Book Acquisitions

ATTACHMENT B
Summary of Evaluation of Respondents to RFQ #2004-13

Six proposals were received in response to this RFQ. The proposals were from Cody’s books (CB), Films For the Humanities & Sciences (FHS), Kater-Crafts BookBinders (KCB), Loose Leaf Filing Service Inc. (LLFS), and OPAMP Technical Books (OTB).

Standard Services Criteria (70 points maximum)

Category	Respondents
	CB	FHS	KCB	LLFS	OTB
Loose Leaf and Legal Filing Services	--	--	--	70	--
On-Going Subscription Acquisitions (Binding of periodicals only)	--	--	65	--	--
Book Acquisitions	60	60	--	--	70
Panel Average	60	60	65	70	70

Cost (30 points maximum)

	Respondents
	CB	FHS	KCB	LLFS	OTB
Cost for one year of services and supplies	12,500	11,500	3,000	5,000	12,500
Panel Average	28	30	30	30	28

Additional Points (15 points maximum)

Criteria	Respondents
Small Business or Small Business Joint Ventures Points (Maximum = 10)	0	0	0	0	0
DVBE or DVBE Joint Ventures Points (Maximum = 10)	0	0	0	0	0
Use of DVBE or Small Business Subcontractors Points (Maximum = 7)	0	0	0	0	0
Panel Average	0	0	0	0	0
Total	88	90	95	100	98

/ / /