Provision of innovative Library Services, including the development of a Library Services Platform and improved online and off-line marketing of library services.

Tender description

The London Libraries Consortium is seeking to establish a single supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of services to public libraries for 4 years commencing from April 2018. The Supplier will implement a new library management system with the capacity to control stock procurement, stock circulation, fund management and library memberships and more across multiple local authorities concurrently. We anticipate that the lead supplier will work in partnership with leading technology companies to deliver new state of the art library services. The successful supplier must have experience in managing the seamless transfer of data from an existing system to the proposed system, across a London wide consortium. In the first year of the agreement this will entail the potential replacement of hardware and software and the on-going management of numerous Third Parties that interact with the existing library management system. The Supplier is also required to work in partnership with other companies to deliver a state of the art library services platform that enables member authorities to easily, plug-in or remove services, thereby combining the benefits of consortium connectivity with responsiveness to local needs. The successful supplier will be required to replace the existing library management system in accordance with a detailed specification, deliver timely staff training and, enable the system to go live simultaneously for all consortium members In addition to replacing the current library management system, the driver behind this investment is to have a flexible platform that continuously enables new services and technology to be plugged in, thereby ensuring customers can always access the latest technology. A key driver is to increase and broaden public access to online services and for this to stimulate more physical visits to public libraries It is envisaged that tenders will take forward the ambition expressed in the report Essential Digital Infrastructure for Public Libraries in England (2015), deploying middleware and open standards to maximise the platform’s interoperability with new applications, at a scale suitable for the London Libraries Consortium The platform must act has a catalyst for promoting increased online social interaction between customers and partners, building the capacity for readers and learners to come together and engage more deeply with the information, services and collections offered by libraries. The new platform must enable customer to fully interact with library services through their mobile phones and other mobile devices and should revolutionise the current self-issue services, enabling customers to use mobile devices to self –issue for the borrowing of stock or to book attendance at an event or class. The platform should also facilitate single sign-on to other Council services and offer improved business analytics, enabling libraries to improve operational efficiency. The supplier should not only deliver a sea- change in technology, but must be able to market and promote these new 21st century services in a high profile way so that the public have widespread awareness of these improvements. In particular the Supplier must improve the online visibility of London’s Public Libraries when the public is searching for books, classes or information services and attract sponsors and advertisers who wish to connect with the customers of London’s Public Libraries Each consortium member is committing up to £50,000 per annum for the delivery, development and maintenance of the service plus one off transfer costs. Disclaimer: Please note that call off by all the consortium members cannot be guaranteed. A maximum anticipated spend is £8m (UK sterling) however this maximum spend cannot be guaranteed and is dependant on take up. The deadline for completed selection questionnaires is 12.30 on the 2nd October 2017. Keywords: Library Systems, Public libraries, Library Software