Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director, Vancouver Public Library

SUBJECT:

Replacement / Upgrade of the VPL Integrated Library System

 

RECOMMENDATION

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

Library contracts valued at more than $300,000 require Library Board and Council approval.

Council has approved the Information Technology Long Term Financing Plan as a source of funding to replace and upgrade corporate information technology, including systems infrastructure and applications.

LIBRARY BOARD DECISIONS

The Board instructed the Systems & Technical Services Director to begin selection process for the next generation Integrated Library System as part of its 1999 Goals & Objectives.

In November 1999, the VPL Board accepted the recommendation of the Systems & Technical Director that the process of replacing the Dynix ILS be delayed for one year.

As part of its Goals & Objectives for 2000, the VPL Board of Trustees 2000 resolved to continue to explore, utilize and promote relevant technologies to connect users virtually and to provide a technology infrastructure that supports the Library in the achievement of its strategic directions.

BACKGROUND

What is an Integrated Library System (ILS)

Public libraries carry out a number of interrelated functions, all of which used to be done manually and virtually independently. These functions are Circulation, Cataloguing, Public Catalogue and Acquisitions and Serials Control. These core functions have been expanded to include automated Interlibrary Loan processing, special services to Homebound patrons, interactive voice response to automatically notify library users if their books are overdue or book reserves are waiting for them. Increasingly, ILS include links to bibliographic utilities for expediting the cataloguing of material and electronic links to book vendors for ordering and receiving material. Decision Support Systems (statistic report packages) are being integrated into the ILS which permit staff to access a wide range of statistical information on activity levels and collection usage which assist in more thorough planning of library hours and collection expenditures.

The ultimate purpose of an integrated library system is to provide a seamless link between all of these functions and to allow information to move easily between them in "real time". Each subsequent software upgrade or replacement system moves the library closer to thisgoal.

Vancouver Public Library has used an automated computer system since 1980. The current Dynix system was purchased in 1989, and installed in 1990 with hardware upgrades in 1994/95 to accommodate the new Central and Renfrew libraries. Throughout the 1990s, VPL had numerous software upgrades as part of its maintenance agreement, and developed its own software to enhance the standard vendor product.

The efficiencies generated by the continued automation and integration have allowed the library to handle increased volumes of activity and new public service demands without staff increases since 1996.

DISCUSSION

Rationale for System Replacement/Upgrade

The current Dynix system is inadequate for the needs of the VPL for the following reasons:

Vendor Selection Process

VPL has an Information Systems Advisory Committee (ISAC) consisting of representatives of all areas of the Library. An augmented Committee with 9 sub-committees involving 38 staff members (part-time) prepared and evaluated a Request for Information (RFI) in mid -1999. The open RFI was distributed to 11 of the most prominent library vendors. It concluded that the integrated library system market was not mature enough to provide VPL with the increased functionality required without losing significant current functionality. The benefit to the Technology Infrastructure cash flow was also considered in the decision to delay selection of a new system for one year.

The same committees developed detailed functional specifications and Form of Contract in the winter of 2000/2001. It was sent to four vendors who had shown the most promise in the RFI phase, or who had newly emerged in the North American library market. The Request for Proposal was also publically advertised in the Vancouver Sun. The three vendors who replied, CARL, Epixtech and Innovative Interfaces, were given detailed evaluations and each function was assigned a portion of the pre-determined score for that function. Following that step, each vendor gave a presentation to each sub-committee over three days following a detailed VPL script, and a general overview was also presented to all available and interested staff. Following the demonstration, each function was then re-scored.

Each sub-committee conducted a reference check through a selected library for each vendor. Every attempt was made to have the reference library comparable to VPL in size and number of branches. The sub-committees then listed the strengths and weaknesses of each module for each vendor. A detailed report was written outlining this information and providing a detailed financial comparison.

The library marketplace is very small, and not especially profitable. VPL Staff are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of most of the systems in the marketplace, and their market trajectory. The three vendors VPL considered are among the largest in the industry. Epixtech, the recommended system, has the largest installed base, is tied for the highest revenue among library vendors, and has the largest number of libraries with over 200 installations.

The recommended vendor, Epixtech, was the lowest bidder, scored highest in the seven out of nine software modules, had the highest total functional points, the lowest capital cost per functional point, and the lowest five-year per functional point cost.

A brief examination of the costs of upgrading the present Central server was conducted. The cost to upgrade would have been $263,000, or 68% of the $398,000 price of purchase of a new server, a new server having a much longer life expectancy and greater fail-safe capability than the upgraded server.

Board Recommendation

The result of this review was a recommendation to the VPL Board that the replacement /upgrade of the Library's Integrated Library System be recommended to Council. On September 5, 2001, the Board approved (subject to Council approval):

· that Library Management enter into negotiations with Epixtech regarding contractual issues, warranties, acceptance tests, implementation schedule, database conversion, and customization including Acquisitions, with a view to concluding a Contract to purchase an Integrated Library System and that a report be forwarded to City Council.

· That the proposals of the other two vendors be set aside pending successful conclusion of discussions with Epixtech.

Benefits of the New System

In addition to resolving hardware response time and other problems identified above, the proposed Integrated Library System will provide many benefits to the Vancouver public:

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Based on the work of the selection committee, the following budget has been developed for the purchase and implementation of an upgraded ILS.

Computer Equipment

$662,800

6

Software/Licenses

$205,000

  

Database Conversion

$ 30,000

  

Installation Costs

$ 74,900

3

Staff Training

$ 96,000

1

Public Training

$ 25,000

2

System Selection

$ 10,000

  

Web Site Index and Search Software

$ 25,000

4

Self-Service Checkout

$175,000

5

Miscellaneous and Contingency

$ 65,400

  

Total

$1,369,100

  

Taxes

$136,900

7

Grand Total

$1,506,000

8

As a result of the replacement, library operating costs will increase from $157,000 to $204,000, including the annual subscriptions for Broadcast Searching Software and the Catalogue Enrichment Subscriptions.

The Library Capital Budget includes $162,900 that can be allocated to this replacement. The balance of the funding for this replacement (including the replacement of the five self service kiosks referenced in Recommendation B) ($1,343,100) is included in the Information Technology Long Term Financing Plan. In managing that Plan, the Director of Finance may determine that financing this purchase offers an advantage to the City, however, any financing will remain internal to the City (through the CFF) and will be developed on market terms. In any case, there will be no increased costs to the Operating Budget.

CONCLUSION

The existing Dynix Integrated Library System, installed in 1990, has reached the end of its useful life and it is recommended that it be replaced and upgraded with the next generation of Dynix system at a cost of $1,506,000.

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