SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Sources Sought for Library Services
- Notice Date
- 1/27/2017
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 561990
— All Other Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Agricultural Research Service - National Capital Region Business Service Center
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- AG-32SB-LibraryServices
- Archive Date
- 3/15/2017
- Point of Contact
- Megan Robey,
- E-Mail Address
-
megan.robey@ars.usda.gov
(megan.robey@ars.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This Request for Information (RFI) is for informational purposes only and shall not be construed as a commitment or a promise of a contract by the Government. This is not a solicitation. This notice does not constitute a Request for Bid, Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. The information from this notice will help the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA), National Agricultural Library (NAL) plan their acquisition strategy. NAL is seeking a contractor to perform the following: Background The National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of four national libraries of the United States Government. It houses one of the world's largest agricultural information collections and serves as the nexus for a national network of state land-grant and U.S. Department of Agriculture field libraries. NAL serves both USDA and the larger public. NAL continues to provide on-site services at the Abraham Lincoln Building in Beltsville MD (home of the NAL print collection) while also providing an expanding array of online services and digital collections. Purpose and Objectives NAL manages a variety of complex projects at any given time. With the emphasis on new and developing services, a wide range of skills and technical knowledge is needed to support these projects, and these needs cannot always be met by NAL's existing permanent staff. Additional staff resources may be needed in a range of library and information science areas. This contract will provide project support and specialized expertise on a task order basis in order to meet the needs of NAL's priority projects and services. General Requirements The following labor categories have been identified as potential categories needed for the required work under a potential contract. Library Services Categories Librarian (I thru III) General Clerk I- Library Aide General Clerk II- Library Clerk General Clerk III- Library Assistant General Clerk IV- Senior Library Assistant Library Technician Law Librarian The potential is needed for the following secondary labor categories in conjunction with labor categories listed above: Technical Information Specialist Senior Research Analyst Web Designer Web Software Developer Technical and Specific Requirements Requirements may fall into any of the areas listed below as well as other library related service areas. A. Data Management 1. Provide data curation services for datasets in order to manage data through its life cycle, enable data discovery and retrieval, maintain data quality, add value, and provide for re-use over time. Data curation services include data authentication, archiving, management, preservation, retrieval, and representation. 2. Assist with the development and enhancement of metadata to effectively document scientific datasets. Conduct research on existing metadata standards, adapt or extend existing standards to NAL projects, and apply metadata standards to scientific datasets curated by NAL. 3. Use ontology/semantic web concepts to design frameworks and build subject-domain specific ontologies for NAL projects, identify and integrate existing ontologies (notably high level); and process ontologies also known as scientific workflow. 4. Provide research support including researching data sources, reformatting or transforming data and information, extracting knowledge from texts, researching the literature, describing data flows through projects, and other functions as needed. Research support may be needed in any of the following areas: environmental sciences, ecological sciences, mathematical and statistical sciences, agricultural sciences, bioinformatics, biological sciences (entomology, botany, animal, microbiological, etc.). B. Digitization Support Services 1. Select appropriate print volumes for digitization. 2. Shelf-read and properly shelve misfiled items. 3. Quality review digital objects created from print volumes. 4. Configure/verify metadata for items to be digitized. 5. Create derivative files in new image formats, such as PDF or JPEG, from original image files or document files. 6. Create digital copies of books and other library materials using a scanner or digital camera. C. Metadata Creation and Maintenance 1. Create metadata for materials from the NAL collection designated for digitization. 2. Perform original and copy cataloging for items in the NAL collection. 3. Perform authority control on NAL catalog records. 4. Create holdings records to go with NAL catalog records and metadata. 5. Search NAL catalog to confirm whether there is an existing record and annotate metadata accordingly. 6. Create and update holdings records and item records in the NAL catalog. 7. Key article-level citation data for journal articles where publisher supplied data is not available. 8. Perform quality control on non-MARC metadata received from publishers or other external sources. 9. Architecting and designing the application of metadata standards, controlled vocabularies and data rules. D. Reference Services 1. Provide direct reference service to customers. 2. Identify and select content for inclusion into NAL online information products including specialized topical online exhibits and databases. 3. Perform comprehensive literature searches on specialized topics; organize citations using citation management software. 4. Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data on specific topics as represented in the literature 5. Create dynamically-generated online publication lists on specialized topics. 6. Create and maintain web pages and web-based information products. 7. Leverage and further develop existing infrastructures that preserve and offer interaction with unique scholarly research output and library software and systems. E. Special Collections 1. Organize, describe, and index manuscript collections. Create finding aids in web and print format. 2. Conduct subject-specific research for online or physical exhibits. Assist in exhibit design and installation. 3. Evaluate manuscript collections and other materials for addition to NAL Special Collections based on NAL's Collection Development Policy. Assist in accessioning collections and enter metadata into archival management system. 4. Participate in space planning and collection shifts within NAL Special Collections. 5. Evaluate items in need of conservation treatment and develop condition reports. 6. Identify related manuscript collections at other institutions. F. Collection Support 1. Support for space planning/collection shifts. 2. Shelve and retrieve materials from the print collection. 3. Shelf read and properly re-shelve misfiled items. 4. Document delivery/interlibrary borrowing service. 5. Rehousing and/or labeling of collection materials. 6. Cleaning of collection materials. 7. Inventory of print collection. 8. Conservation assessment/repair of collection materials. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Interested firms responding to this Request for Information (RFI) shall submit the following: Company name, address, point of contact, telephone number, email address, and Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), and NAICS code. Provide business size and status such as Small Business, Disadvantaged, 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBzone), Woman Owned, Minority Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, or Other Than Small Business. In addition, provide contract vehicles you participate in such as General Services Administration (GSA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC), or any other vehicle. Capability statement shall be 10 pages or less. Offerors shall demonstrate their experience, skills, and qualifications by providing descriptions of projects of similar scope and size completed within the last three (3) years, and explain in appropriate detail how they intend to fulfill the requirements listed above. Please submit responses to this Sources Sought Notice electronically (via e-mail) to Megan Robey, at megan.robey@ars.usda.gov, no later than 3:00PM ET (Eastern Time) on February 28, 2017. The e-mail subject line must specify "Sources Sought for Library Services". NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. DISCLAIMER: This RFI is not a RFP and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals nor will any award be made as a result of this synopsis. All information contained in the RFI is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clause 52.215-3, "Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes," is incorporated by reference in this RFI. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this RFI. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. This RFI will be the basis for collecting information on capabilities available. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this RFI that is marked "Proprietary" will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/0626f346dfaf7c60e6b2eb60101c8a34)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, United States
- Zip Code: 20705
- Zip Code: 20705
- Record
- SN04383850-W 20170129/170127234524-0626f346dfaf7c60e6b2eb60101c8a34 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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