SR-850-006-01 (2)
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28, '1980 d
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Sfl' 9 1980
4It Santa Monlca, callfor4lr, August
TO:
~ayor and Clty Councll
FRO~l :
Clty Staff
SUBJECT:
Consultant for the Llbrary Automatlon ProJect
Introduction
ThlS report presents a request that staff be authorlzed to
begln selectlon of an outslde consultant for the Library auto-
mated clrculatlon system and automated catalog.
Ba,ckground
The Clty Councll has approved the expendlture of approxl-
mately ~325,OOO to lnstall an on-llne clrculatlon system and
automated catalog ln the Llbrary.
A commlttee of I1brary staff
members and representatlves from the purchaslng and data process-
lUg departments has been meeting to research the varlOUS methods
and systems avallable.
They are intervlewing vendors and observ-
lng systems ln operatlon ln other llbrarles ln order to collect
data necessary to deslgn an RFP for the Santa Monlca proJect.
After talklng W1Th librarlans wbo have lnstal1ed automated
systems, tbe commlttee found that almost all have had the beneflt
of technlcal advice, either through an outSlde consultant or
through experts in other Clty departments.
In order to obtaln
the most efflclent system In terms of cost and performance, tbe
COffiIDlttee bas concluded that an outslde consultant would be
des~rable for the following reasons:
a.
Technlcal expert~se ln automatlon.
Xo one on the llbrary
staff has the necessary level of technlcal knowledge to
evaluate electronlC hardware systems.
Addltlon to the
staff 15 not practical because the need ~s temporary.
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ilfayor and Clty Comel
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eAugUst 28, 1980
The Clty data processlng department, although possess-
ing the technccal knowledge, cannot devote the tlme
necessary to lnvestlgate the many hardware/software
packages avallable from llbrary vendors.
b. Knowled~e of state-of-t~e-art III library automa~lon
systems.
.
A person famlllar wlth the varlOUS systems
avallable and, most lmportantly, their actual perform-
ance as lnstalled In 11brarles throughout the country,
is best equlpped to evaluate proposals and claims made
by vendors and to adVlse on lmplementatlon of the
chosen system.
The commlttee has 1dentlfled the followlng areas In WhlCh
a consultant's expertlse 1S deslrable:
R. Investlgat1ng methods for converSlon of llbrary flIes
lnte machlne-readable form.
b. Evaluatlng the varlOUS clrculatlon control systems.
c. Developlng speclficatlons for an RFP.
d. Analyzlng and evaluatlng responses to the RFP.
e. Adv1slng on the writ1ng of the contract.
f. Monitorlng installatlon and testing of the system before
acceptance.
g. Helplng train the staff in the use of the system.
~ethod of selectlon
, . .
The commlttee 1S in the process of ldent1fYlng consultants
wlth approprlate knowledge and experience In the fleld of llbrary
=.utomatlon.
If Councll approves thlS request, staff will lnvlte
consultants to submit proposals and wl11 return to CounCl1 wlth
costs and a recommendatlon for selection.
Mayor and City COU~l
-3-
e August 28, 1980
Recommenda.t1on
It 1S recommended that the City Counc1l author1ze the staff
to 1nvlte proposals from outslde consultants for the Ilbrary
automatlon proJect.
Prepared by:
Carol A. Aronoff