Inactive

Sources Sought Notice for Special Collections Librarian This is a Sources Sought Notice issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for informational and planning purposes only. This ... Sources Sought Notice for Special Collections Librarian This is a Sources Sought Notice issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for informational and planning purposes only. This is NOT a solicitation, nor is it an announcement for a forthcoming solicitation. Submission of any information in response to this notification is purely voluntary. The Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred in providing a response. This notice does not constitute a Request for Bid, Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. Responses to this notification will help to determine the acquisition strategy for any future solicitation. The information from this notice will help the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA), National Agricultural Library (NAL) plan their acquisition strategy. NAL is seeking a contractor to perform the following: Background The National Agricultural Library (NAL) serves as the Nation’s chief agricultural library information resource and service. NAL houses a collection of over 8.5 million items on agriculture and related disciplines. As a national library, NAL develops and provides agricultural information products and services to agencies of the USDA and the Federal government, as well as public and private institutions and individuals worldwide. The mission of the Data Production Division (DPD) is to acquire, maintain and provide access to the NAL collection in both its physical and digital forms. The Special Collections Unit is responsible for acquiring, preserving, and providing access to specialized materials (including historic papers and rare books) documenting agricultural history. Special Collections provides information services to USDA personnel, researchers, scholars, and the public. Activities include preparing collections for public access, monitoring the use of rare and unique materials in the Special Collections reading room, and creating and participating in outreach opportunities through exhibits and tours. Purpose and Scope The National Agricultural Library requires the continuation of the project to establish and implement the curation and preservation of the U.S. Forest Service’s Smokey Bear Collection. This project includes developing a digital collection, configuring ArchivesSpace for management of that collection, producing digital and physical products in support of exhibition, outreach and networking with several related communities, and preparing for the 80th anniversary of the Smokey Bear program. This project is being conducted under a continuing inter-agency agreement between USDA National Forest Service and the National Agricultural Library. The contractor shall provide services as described in this Statement of Work to support curation and preservation of the Smokey Bear collection and to improve access to collection materials. The contractor shall participate in customer service and reference activities to understand the needs of NAL’s researchers and better serve those needs when improving collection access points. Technical and Specific Requirements See Attached Statement of Work SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Interested vendors are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notification no later than 1:00 p.m. on 21 July 2022, to the attention of Sarah E. Zhang, Contract Specialist, at sarah.zhang@usda.gov. The email subject line must specify “Sources Sought for Special Collections Librarian”. Responses should be no more than 10 pages and include the following information: Organization Name; Contact Name, e-mail address and phone number; Organizations UEI number; Contract vehicles you participate in such as General Services Administration (GSA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC), or any other vehicle; Business size status for the applicable NAICS code; A statement of capability with appropriate detail how the vendor intends to fulfill the requirements listed within the statement of work. Interested vendors are instructed to provide only the data requested. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any nonproprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Any additional information will not be reviewed by the USDA. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. DISCLAIMER: This Sources Sought Notice is not a RFQ and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as quotes, nor will any award be made as a result of this notice. All information contained in the Sources Sought Notice is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this Sources Sought Notice. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notice. This Sources Sought Notice will be the basis for collecting information on capabilities available. This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this Sources Sought Notice that is marked "Proprietary" will be handled accordingly. Responses to this Sources Sought Notification are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed.