Library Serials Subscription Services

The vendor is required to provide library serials subscription services
- The subscription agent (vendor/awardee) who is awarded the contract must provide periodicals, newspapers, and serials, to single or multiple addresses for domestic and foreign titles published in English or other languages, and must provide related services for library personnel, including all interaction with publishers and supplying information concerning orders, claims and other services.
- Ordering / Communications System
a. Agent shall provide an online ordering/communications system, available in English, at no cost, accessible through the World Wide Web. The system shall provide the ability to search the appropriate online database, submit orders, cancel orders, claim materials, and confirm status. Vendor shall also provide training for staff (if desired by the Library) and provide passwords as necessary to access the database.
b. Agent’s system shall provide for management reports that may be printed, e-mailed or downloaded at no cost to the Library.
c. Management reports shall be provided, at Library’s request, but not less than two (2) times annually, in electronic format (preferably compatible with Microsoft Excel), as well as available in paper format, by Branch Library designation for:
• Orders
• Renewals
• Cancellations
• Domestic and international serial subscriptions
• Title changes, ceased titles, merged titles, frequency changes, split titles, discontinued titles, suspended titles, price projections, etc.
- ORDERS, RENEWALS, AND CANCELLATIONS
a. Agent shall be responsible for the placing, renewing, or cancellation of subscriptions, claiming and replacement of missing issues, investigation of lapses in service by publishers, and monetary reimbursement from publishers for cancellations or discontinued publications. No substitutions shall be made for cancellations or discontinued publications without prior written consent from the Library. 
b. Agent shall process all library subscriptions to insure initial receipt of titles before or in January 2027 (or by the Library’s appropriate renewal date for the next expected issue).
c. Agent shall make arrangements with publishers for all regularly purchased subscription orders and renewals within sufficient time to avoid any interruption in receipt of issues.
d. Agent shall provide a common expiration date for all subscriptions unless prohibited by the publisher.
e. Agent shall add subscriptions for new or current titles as needed when requested by the Library.
f. The Library may specify that the subscription begin with current issue, next expected issue, first issue of the current volume, first issue of the current year, or first issue of the next volume. Subscriptions shall begin on the effective date specified on the order.
g. Agent shall notify the Library as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days if unable to supply a new order. Agent shall also provide a reasonable explanation in writing for non-fulfillment.
h. Agent shall inform library of titles which the Library has ordered that have been discontinued or must be ordered direct from the publisher.
i. Agent shall make active attempts to retrieve funds from publishers of discontinued publications. Evidence of these attempts shall be provided to the Library upon request.
j. Agent shall provide Library with notice of publication changes including title changes, merged/split titles, ceased titles, frequency changes, and address changes, etc.
k. Agent shall advise publishers, when necessary, of any Library changes of address.
l. Agent shall keep a control list of all the Library's serial subscriptions, reflecting current deletions and additions. Agent agrees to provide a copy of control list to the Library on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as requested.
m. Agent shall inform Library promptly about fulfillment delays or slow publications.
n. Agent shall cancel subscriptions as requested by the Library in accordance with the publisher's restrictions and shall issue a refund or credit if allowed by the publisher.
o. Agent shall provide pro-rated refunds if allowed by the publisher, or substituted titles for titles which cease publication prior to expiration. Substituted titles shall be approved by the library.
p. Six (6) months prior to expiration, a solicitation to renew the complete list of previously ordered subscriptions is required. Renewal information shall be available in electronic format as well as paper format, and via the Agent’s electronic database. The annual renewal listing shall be provided by the Agent to the Library and include current status, current price and renewal dates. The Library will make additions, deletions, corrections, etc. to the list and will return it to the Agent as an indication to renew.
q. In cases where the price of the title on the renewal list would, when the order is submitted to the publisher, exceed the previous year’s price by 15%, the Agent shall notify the Library within three working days of discovery.
r. Agent shall enter ordersfor back files, special issues, supplements, extra volumes, and cumulative indexes, if requested to do so by the Library.
s. All orders, renewals, and cancellations between the agent and the Library shall be in writing, or shall be electronically transmitted.
t. In lieu of individual order forms, agent shall accept a purchase order or letter order to which is appended a list of titles.
u. Agent shall supply the Library, without charge, access to a web-based database catalog of all its currently available periodicals, including prices, frequency of publications, and volume information.
v. Agent’s overall fill rate, for each year of the contract, must meet or exceed ninety five percent (95%) of all titles ordered.
w. Agent must be able to provide written documentation of payment to publisher on behalf of city Public Library and provide on demand documentation acceptable to the Library to verify subscription costs charged to the Library.
x. Agent shall provide administrative and other such services for each subscription placed until three (3) months after its expiration, i.e., the publication of the last issue covered by that subscription period.
xi. Agent shall accept rush orders by telephone or e-mail. A toll-free telephone number and customer service representative shall be provided. Service representative will respond to telephone or e-mail inquiries within 24 to 48 hours.
xii. Unless Library waives the option, prior to placing the initial order the Agent will organize and format the list used for the pre-order price quotation into a final annual renewal list and forward it to the Library for review. If the Library does not waive this option, and the Agent fails to obtain clarification from Library regarding the title list, so that the Agent places orders based on the list submitted for competition purposes, the Library retainsthe right to cancel titles ordered against their intentions and, in this instance, will not be responsible for charges the publisher will not refund to the Agent.
- Invoicing and Payments
a. Agent agrees to pay publishers in advance for all serial subscriptions.
b. Agent shall promptly submit complete billing.
c. Agent shall provide annual renewal invoice(s).
d. Agent shall make additional payment as necessary and will invoice the Library for currency fluctuations, postage rate adjustments, etc.
e. Agent shall provide supplemental invoices for “bill as” published titles, for “bill later” titles, for new orders, etc.
f. Annual indexes, other indexes, title pages, table of contents, and other materials normally supplied at no cost by the publisher, shall be supplied automatically by the Agent at no cost to the Library.
g. Agent shall furnish two copies of itemized invoices.