OVERVIEW

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to identify and evaluate vendors capable of providing the software, hardware and services for delivery, installation and maintenance of a statewide Integrated Library Management System for the State University System of Florida (SUS). The critical information needed from vendors must include:

• Software and service: a clear, definitive and comprehensible description of the vendor's product and service capabilities

• Hardware: a thorough and precise description of what is needed in order to operate the system and what the hardware requirements (servers, PCs, printers, and all related equipment) needed for each institution

• Staffing: staff requirements (numbers of staff and skill levels for each institution and for a central location) and a clear description of staff training provided by the vendor

• Customer References: a list of currently installed sites with appropriate descriptions of the current status of those sites and an emphasis on sites which have a similarity to needs and characteristics of the SUS of Florida

• Pricing: a clear, definitive and accurate estimate of all costs required to purchase, install, and operate the system

The selected system should be an integrated library automation system, replacing the automated system presently being used by the SUS. The SUS requires an effective, reliable, easy-to-use system to meet the needs of each and all of the SUS libraries. The system must operate efficiently in an environment in which any of the participating institutions can:

• establish its own operating policies and procedures through independent profiles,
• control use of the integrated library system through independent password and authorization functionality,
• control access to certain files and functions through independent password and authorization functionality, and
• display its own version of the bibliographic record, handle and display different call numbers for the same bibliographic item -- both for a single location and for different locations.

In addition, it is important that the chosen system be a complete system, which is defined as the applications software, software installation, database loaders, training, documentation, maintenance, technical support, and ongoing software enhancements necessary to provide easy-to-use online real-time integrated library system incorporating the following functions:

• acquisitions
• authority control
• binding control
• cataloging and database maintenance
• circulation control, including electronic and traditional reserve services, and circulation between all SUS libraries
• digital library support (electronic researves and digital/scanned image databases)
• fiscal management (including license control management)
• integration with other automated systems at the local institutional level
• interface with the system being used by the Community Colleges of Florida
• interfaces with materials supply (book, serial, binding) vendors and with other library systems/catalogs vendors
• interlibrary loan
• inventory control
• linkages with internal and external bibliographic, full-text, numerical, image, and multimedia databases
• management information
• online public access catalog(s) (OPAC)
• serials management
• union catalog

Key questions related to these functions are presented as the Vendor Response Section.

Vendors are requested to provide three (or more) responses based upon the following three scenarios. For each scenario, use the structure in Section 7 to provide the hardware configurations and all estimated hardware and software costs for all modules necessary to support all of the basic library management system functions, as well as any separately priced modules that a modern academic library might be expected to need. See the data tables in the Section 5 for details about the State University System of Florida (SUS) libraries. Regardless of the configuration chosen,

• The individual SUS libraries, both main and branches, require total autonomy over their holdings, acquisitions, and serials control data.

• The individual SUS institutions require security over access to their patron data, even while allowing for the ability to circulate materials across institutions.

• The system must allow the ability for user-controlled session limiting and for library-controlled client limiting such that the users default to the location, branch, university of choice or the entire SUS with the option to broaden in each successive step the search and display of holdings. This limiting capability applies to both OPAC and staff functions and applies to the searching and the display of all records (bibliographic, holdings, circulation, acquisitions, serials receipts, and acquisitions data) at the university, library, branch, and location level.

One shared system and database running at a central site.

Ten institutional databases plus a union search function all running at a central site. The union view must include all bibliographic, holdings, circulation, serials, and acquisition data. Identify in Section 6.8 how this union searching is accomplished, e.g., whether with a redundant set of indexing files, through a broadcast search function, or by the creation of an 11th database duplicating all necessary data. If the latter, identify how updates are synchronized. If multiple options are possible, use Section 7 to provide the configuration and pricing for each.

Ten university databases running at the 10 separate sites (i.e., one at each university) with an 11th site supporting a union database. The union database must include all bibliographic, holdings, circulation, serials, and acquisition data. Identify whether this is accomplished through synchronized updates or linking to the local systems. If multiple options are possible, provide the configuration and pricing for each.

The State University System of Florida consists of ten State universities: the University of Florida in Gainesville; Florida State University and Florida A&M University, in Tallahassee; the University of South Florida in Tampa; Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton; the University of West Florida in Pensacola; the University of Central Florida in Orlando; the University of North Florida in Jacksonville; Florida International University in Miami; and Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. Twelve off-campus centers are located throughout the state. In addition, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) administers seven agricultural research and education centers, as well as sixty-nine county cooperative extension programs. The University of Florida and the University of South Florida operate academic health centers. The University of Florida Health Center includes medical, dental, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, health related professions, and nursing programs. The University of Florida Health Center library supports a program located in Jacksonville. The University of South Florida Medical Center includes medical, nursing, and public health programs. These Centers provide professional degree programs and post-graduate residency in a variety of clinical settings. Both the University of Florida and Florida State University have law schools.

The SUS Library Program is comprised of the individual libraries of each institution combined with the Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA) and the joint service programs developed by the libraries. In the 1980's, FCLA was established to provide automated cataloging, acquisitions, and circulation support to the libraries and on-line catalogs for the use of students and faculty. In recent years, the SUS Library Directors Group has broadened that purpose to encompass a significant role in providing access to electronic resources. Together, the libraries and FCLA provide an integrated program of service to all SUS students, faculty, and staff.

The SUS Library Directors Council is composed of the ten directors of the SUS Libraries and the Director of FCLA. It deals with issues relating to interaction among the ten libraries such as student use of other SUS libraries; distance education; funding for library collections and services; common management issues; joint programs management such as the SUS electronic collection; oversight of FCLA services; and sharing of expertise in areas such as collection digitization, outsourcing, contract development, etc. It provides advice on library issues, when asked, to Board of Regents staff, to the SUS Council of Academic Vice Presidents or the Council of Presidents, and to various state agencies that need information on SUS library services.

As new electronic technologies allow revolutionary possibilities for uncoupling user location from access to a document, the SUS libraries are actively collaborating in purchasing and sharing resources. They are developing extensive programs to meet the library needs of distance education students. Increasingly, they are choosing to subscribe to full text/image journals and other resources by accessing publishers' servers directly through the Internet. The resulting subscriptions to electronic files are now included in the LUIS (Library User Information System) catalogs and "hot linked" to the full text/image Internet resource through the web version called WebLUIS (http://webluis.fcla.edu). The SUS libraries are also beginning to plan for programs to digitize resources from their collections and to collect research products from their universities in digital form (e.g., Electronic Theses and Dissertations).

The LUIS system, the basic information system for the SUS, has been greatly expanded in recent years. No longer simply an online catalog of SUS holdings, it now offers a diverse information resource.

• The OPAC (on-line public access catalog). Provides access to all of the books, journals and other materials held by the SUS Libraries. These catalogs are accessible from anywhere on or off campus. In 1996, FCLA developed a new interface to the SUS catalogs called WebLUIS, providing web access not only to the library catalogs and citation databases but also to full image and text articles linked to the libraries' resources.

• Electronic Indexes. In 1992, LUIS had expanded to include indexes to articles and reports in journals. By mid-1997, there were 27 indexes covering diverse topics in the humanities, arts, social sciences and sciences. The two most popular indexes, the General Academic Index and the Business Periodicals Index, contain links to available full text articles.

• Gateways. In 1995, LUIS was expanded to provide "gateways" by which users can gain access to catalogs of other national and international libraries. The "gateways" also provide linkages to remote information systems which deliver local services, such as CARL Uncover, OCLC's FirstSearch, the Research Libraries Group's CitaDel databases, and other resources available through the Internet.

• Off Campus Access. In 1997, the FCLA developed the essential validation technology to ensure the libraries meet publishers' licensing restrictions. This means that qualified distance learners can have access to electronic resources from off-campus locations. Individual libraries are able to subscribe to electronic files that meet specific local academic program needs and make the files accessible through the Internet to local constituencies by using the FCLA's validation service

• Bibliographic Utilities. The SUS libraries currently load bibliographic records from OCLC, RLG, Yankee Book, and other sources. Records are downloaded from dedicated OCLC workstations in ordering and cataloging.

• Conversion of Data. SUS libraries expect to convert the following data from their current automated systems:
  • authority records
  • bibliographic records including locally created records
  • copy records
  • item records
  • MARC holding records
  • circulation statistics for in-house and out-of-house use
  • circulation transactions for items currently on loan, on hold, recall, etc.
  • circulation information on outstanding fines, bills, overdue items
  • order/standing order/payment records

TABLES

• Table 1: State University System of Florida and Their Library Service Points
  
• Table 2: Student and Faculty Population
  
• Table 3: Summary of Database Record Counts
  
• Table 4: Detailed Library Catalog Record Counts
  
• Table 5: Sample System Transaction Load For All Sus Libraries
  
• Table 6: Circulation Activity Summary
  
• Table 7: 1997/1998 Circulation Statistics -- Charges + Renewals
  
• Table 8: A&I/Full-text Databases Supported by Current System
  

VENDOR RESPONSE SECTION

• One shared system and database at a central site;
• Ten individual institutional databases with a union database on a single system;
• Ten individual institutional databases with a separate union database on eleven separate systems.

Note: