RFP - New Integrated Library System - 2026

Division of Finance and Business Affairs
Request for Proposal
and Specifications for
New Integrated Library System
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form
by any means without the written permission of Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
August 4, 2026

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
5700 Cass Avenue, Suite 4200
Detroit, Michigan 48202
(313) 577-3734
Division of Finance and Business Affairs
August 4, 2026
Dear Vendors:
IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: Bid notices will be sent only to those Vendors registered to receive them via our Bid
Opportunities ListServ service. To register, visit http://go.wayne.edu/bids, and click on the "Join our ListServ" link at the top
of the page. Instructions are at the top of the page, and the Computer Software Listserv service is under "Equipment &
Technology Bid Opportunities".
Wayne State University invites you to participate in its Request for Proposal process to provide New Integrated Library
System, for the Wayne State University Libraries, per the specifications contained herein the Request for Proposal. This
service is expected to commence on January 1, 2029.
We have a bid information package complete with the Request for Proposal and complete specifications available for
downloading from the University Procurement Website at http://go.wayne.edu/bids (include capitalization and underscores)
as of August 4, 2026. When visiting the Website, click on the "Technology / Software." link in green. Copies of the RFP will
not be available at the pre-proposal meeting.
To participate, it is Optional that you and/or responsible representatives of your organization attend our pre-proposal
conference. For this RFP, the University offers the following Pre-Proposal Options: Virtual. The meeting will be held on
August 11, 2026, 2:00 PM (Eastern - Detroit Time).
Vendors who would like to participate in the pre-proposal meeting via a TEAMS Video Conference or Conference Call, may do
so via the information below:
Microsoft Teams Meeting
On-line or via Conference Call
Pre-Proposal Meeting RFP New Integrated Library System
Need to join from a mobile device but don't have TEAMS on it?
Visit our website for instruction on adding TEAMS to your device.
Attendance will be taken during the Prebid Meeting. When Pre-proposal Meetings are Optional, nominal scorecard points will
be awarded for attendance.
We hope you can join us at the Optional pre-proposal meeting. Please have a copy of this Request for Proposal for your
reference during the meeting. Should you have any questions or concerns about this invitation, please contact me at (313)
577-3757, or email: RFPTeam3@wayne.edu. Thank you for your interest in doing business with Wayne State University.
Sincerely,
Brittney Mills
Senior Buyer
Enclosure

RFP: New Integrated Library System
for the Wayne State University Libraries
Page No.(s)
I. Introduction 1
II. Information for VENDOR 1
A. General 2
B. Calendar of Events 2
C. Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting 2
D. Examination of the Request for Proposal 2
E. Delivery of Proposals 3
F. Proposal Format 3
G. Proposal Evaluation 4
H. VENDOR Profile, Experience, References and Lost Accounts 4
I. VENDOR Service Plan 5
III. Scope of Work and Project Requirements 6
IV. General Requirements and Guidelines 7
UNIVERSITY PROVIDED SCHEDULES
Schedule A Proposal Certification, Non-Collusion Affidavit, VENDOR Acknowledgements
Schedule B Insurance Requirements
Schedule C Cost Schedule
Schedule D Summary Questionnaire
Schedule E University Requirements Questionnaire
VENDOR CREATED EXHIBITS - TO BE SUBMITTED WITH VENDOR PROPOSAL
VENDOR Exhibit 1 Exceptions / Restricted Services
VENDOR Exhibit 2 Profile/Experience/References
VENDOR Exhibit 3 Service Plan
VENDOR Exhibit 4 Sample Management Reports
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Wayne State University Map - (see website: http://campusmap.wayne.edu )
Appendix 2 New Vendor Set-Up Requirements
Appendix 3 WSU Wage Rate Schedules
Appendix 4 Drawings
Appendix 5 Sample Strategic Source Agreement

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I. INTRODUCTION
A. Wayne State University, founded in 1868, is committed to preparing its students to excel in a fast-
paced and interconnected global society. It combines the academic excellence of a major research
university with the practical experiences of an institution whose history, location and diversity make it a
microcosm of the world students will enter when they graduate. The University holds the Highest
Carnegie Foundation classification for research activity. It has 13 colleges and schools and offers more
than 350 academic programs including bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; post-baccalaureate,
graduate and specialist certificates; and three professional programs (http://wayne.edu/about/).
B. Procurement & Strategic Sourcing is soliciting proposals from qualified professional organizations,
hereafter referred to as VENDOR(s), who specialize in providing New Integrated Library System of
superior quality, at competitive pricing, as described in the Statement of Work section of the Request
for Proposal (RFP). Project must commence on or before January 1, 2029 and be completed by
December 31, 2032.
The contract(s) will be for a three-year period ending on December 31, 2034. Thereafter, the
UNIVERSITY may, at its option, extend the contract, on a year-to-year basis for up to two one-year
periods, through December 31, 2034. VENDORS must state maximum price increases (if any) for
years two and three on Cost Schedule C.
This RFP outlines basic requirements as specified in the Scope of Work section of the RFP (Section III).
Proposals submitted are to be in accordance with the outline and specifications contained in and are to
remain in effect a minimum of 120 days from the date of submission and may be subject to further
extensions as negotiated.
C. The UNIVERSITY reserves the right to accept, reject, modify, and/or negotiate any and all
proposals received in conjunction with the RFP. It reserves the right to waive any defect or
informality in the Proposals on the basis of what it considers to be in its best interests. Any proposal
may be rejected, which the UNIVERSITY determines to be incomplete, conditional, obscure, or has
irregularities of any kind. The UNIVERSITY reserves the right to award to the firm, or firms, which in its
sole judgment, will best serve its long-term interest.
This RFP in no manner obligates the UNIVERSITY to the eventual purchase of any products or services
described, implied, or which may be proposed, until confirmed by written agreement, and may be
terminated by the UNIVERSITY without penalty or obligation at any time prior to the signing of an
Agreement or Purchase Order.
D. Expenses for developing and presenting proposals shall be the entire responsibility of the VENDOR and
shall not be chargeable to the UNIVERSITY. All supporting documentation and manuals submitted with
this proposal will become the property of the UNIVERSITY.
E. All questions concerning this Request for Proposal are to be directed to Brittney Mills, Senior Buyer,
Email; RFPTeam3@wayne.edu. The deadline for questions is August 18, 2026, 12:00 noon. Under
no circumstances may a VENDOR contact other individuals at the UNIVERSITY, or its consultants to
discuss any aspect of this RFP, unless expressly authorized by Procurement & Strategic Sourcing to do
so.
II. INFORMATION FOR VENDOR
A. General
This RFP contains requests for information. VENDORS, however, in responding to this RFP, are
encouraged to provide any additional information they believe relevant. VENDORS are encouraged to
examine all sections of this RFP carefully, in that the degree of interrelationship between sections is
high.

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B. Calendar of Events
Activity Responsibility Date
Formal Release of RFP Procurement August 4, 2026
Optional Pre-Proposal meeting Procurement / August 11, 2026
Evaluation Team (ET) / 2:00 PM
VENDORS
Questions due to Procurement & VENDORS August 18, 2026, by 12
Strategic Sourcing Noon
Delivery of Proposals are by VENDORS August 25, 2026, by 2:00
electronic submission on August 25, p.m.
2026. The link for bid submission will be
posted with the bid details at
http://go.wayne.edu/bids.
Evaluation of Proposals Procurement / ET September 22, 2026
(clarifications & negotiations)
Announcement of Selected VENDOR Procurement October 5, 2026
Readiness for Service/Contract VENDORS January 1, 2029
Commencement
Project Completion VENDORS/ET December 31, 2032
The UNIVERSITY will make every effort to adhere to the above schedule. It is subject, however, to time
extensions at the University's discretion.
C. Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting
You may attend an Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting on as a condition for submitting a proposal. For
this RFP, the University offers the following Pre-Proposal Options: Virtual.
The meeting will be held on August 11, 2026, 2:00 PM (Eastern - Detroit Time).
Vendors who would like to participate in the pre-proposal meeting via a TEAMS Video Conference or
Conference Call, may do so via the information below:
Microsoft Teams Meeting
On-line or via Conference Call
Pre-Proposal Meeting RFP New Integrated Library System
Need to join from a mobile device but don't have TEAMS on it?
Visit our website for instruction on adding TEAMS to your device.
During this meeting, we will answer any questions you may have to clarify any ambiguities in this
Request for Proposal. Answers to questions that cannot be answered during this meeting will be put
into an Addendum and emailed to all VENDORS and posted to the University website as soon as they
are obtained. Each proposal submitted shall list all addenda, by numbers, which have been received
prior to the time scheduled for receipt of proposal.
Attendance will be taken during the Prebid Meeting. When Pre-proposal Meetings are Optional,
nominal scorecard points will be awarded for attendance.
Minutes for the Pre-proposal Meeting will be distributed and published on the website as an Addendum.
Vendors are responsible for the information in this and all other Addenda and must acknowledge each
addendum in Schedule D on the second page of the Schedule.

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D. Examination of the Request for Proposal
Before submitting proposals, each VENDOR will be held to have examined the UNIVERSITY
requirements outlined in the Scope of Work and Technical Information sections and satisfied itself as to
the existing conditions under which it will be obligated to perform in accordance with specifications of
this RFP.
No claim for additional compensation will be allowed due to unfamiliarity with the specifications and/or
existing conditions. It shall be understood that the VENDOR has full knowledge of all of the existing
conditions and accepts them "as is."
E. Delivery of Proposals
Proposals with supporting documentation shall be submitted by electronic submission. The link for
bid submission will be posted with the bid details at http://go.wayne.edu/bids beginning August 4,
2026.
The electronic submission should be limited to no more than one of each of the following file types: 1
Word Document and/or 1 Excel Workbook and/or 1 PDF document, with a total file size less than 20
megabytes. ZIP Files containing separate sections of a proposal are not acceptable, drop box
submissions are not accepted either. If your submission was sent correctly, you will receive an auto-
reply message acknowledging receipt of your Proposal.
The specific format for responses is detailed in Section II F (below). Proposals and Schedule C, Cost
Schedule must be signed, and the authority of the individual signing must be stated thereon. All
responses are to be submitted by electronic submission on forms furnished with the Bidding
documents:
ATTN.: Brittney Mills, Senior Buyer
Wayne State University
RFP: New Integrated Library System
The link for bid submission will be posted with the bid details at http://go.wayne.edu/bids beginning
August 4, 2026.
Deadline for receipt of proposals by Procurement & Strategic Sourcing is August 25, 2026, by 2:00
p.m. (local time). Proposals received after that time will not be accepted. No details of the proposal
will be divulged at the time of opening.
F. Proposal Format
Proposals are limited to 25 pages total, one sided, and eleven (11) point font. (This is inclusive of all
required documents and schedules and any optional material included at the discretion of the
respondent, but tab sheets and the cover pages do not count in the overall document count.)
Proposals are to be submitted with appropriate indices. Each proposal should provide a straightforward
concise description of the VENDOR'S service, approach and ability to meet the UNIVERSITY'S needs
as stated in this RFP. Schedules and Exhibits listed below must be included in your proposal:
University Provided Schedules (provided in this package)
Schedule A - Proposal Certification, Non-Collusion Affidavit, VENDOR Acknowledgements
Schedule B - Insurance Requirements
Schedule C - Cost Schedule, Summary of Quoted Rates
Schedule D - University Requirements Questionnaire
Vendor Created Exhibits (to be Submitted with Vendor Proposal)
Exhibit 1 - Exceptions/Restrictions, if any exist (Section II G)
Exhibit 2 - Profile / Experience / References (Section II H)
Exhibit 3 - VENDOR Service Plan (Section III)
Care should be exercised in preparation of the proposals since it is the UNIVERSITY'S intent to have
the final contract documentation to consist of a University Strategic Source Agreement (Appendix 5)

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that incorporates the RFP, VENDOR Proposal, any letters of clarification, and will require the issuance
of a Purchase Order for invoicing purposes.
Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete
and effective quotation are not desired.
G. Proposal Evaluation
1. Proposals will be evaluated, and award will be based on the VENDOR'S ability to offer the best
value (quality, past performance and price), and on anticipated quality of service. Items considered
include but are not limited to:
* Ability to meet all mandatory requirements and specifications of this RFP.
* Cost of Services; Compensation and Fees; (Schedule C).
* Financial Strength of the VENDOR.
* Proposal Documentation / Presentation.
* VENDOR'S Experience (Exhibit 2).
* VENDOR Profiles/References; (Exhibit 2).
* VENDOR Service Plan; (Exhibit 3).
NOTE: Evaluation Criteria are in alphabetical order and are not stated in order of preference.
VENDOR proposals will be evaluated by a team consisting of members of the UNIVERSITY'S
Procurement and Wayne State University Libraries. A preliminary screening will be used to
identify competitive VENDORS who have met the mandatory requirements. Procurement &
Strategic Sourcing may subsequently request selected VENDORS to attend an interview or make a
presentation at a set time and date, to clarify information provided in the proposals. Final
consideration, evaluation, and recommendation may be made at this point. However, the
UNIVERSITY reserves the right to take additional time for reference review, site visits and/or
proposal negotiations.
2. To qualify for evaluation, a VENDOR'S proposal must be responsive, must have been submitted on
time and must materially satisfy all mandatory requirements identified throughout the RFP, in the
judgment of the UNIVERSITY. Any deviation from requirements indicated herein must be
stated in the proposal specifically under the category "Restricted Services", and clearly
identified as Exhibit 1. Otherwise, it will be considered that proposals are in strict compliance
with all requirements. Check the box indicating "None" for Restricted Services on the Proposal
Certification Schedule A. In those cases where mandatory requirements are stated, material failure
to meet those requirements may result in disqualification of the VENDOR'S response
3. If there are portions of any proposal the UNIVERSITY finds unacceptable or otherwise in need of
clarification or revision, the UNIVERSITY reserves the right to clarify or negotiate with any or all
VENDORS. Should the outcome of evaluations result in a recommendation, any resulting contract
will be subject to the approval of the UNIVERSITY'S General Counsel and must be approved and
signed by the appropriate UNIVERSITY representative.
4. After notification of acceptance of proposal and the signing of a resulting agreement and/or
Purchase Order, the successful VENDOR will be expected to establish and be in a position to
commence work or services on or before January 1, 2029.
H. VENDOR Profile, Experience, References, and Lost Accounts
1. VENDOR Profile should include:
VENDOR is required to provide organizational data that demonstrates the size, scope and
capability of the Company to handle the UNIVERSITY'S specific requirements specified in this
RFP. Explain any company relationships that could be construed to be a conflict of interest in
doing business with the UNIVERSITY now or in the future.
Upon University request, VENDOR must agree to provide publicly distributed annual reports
and/or independently audited financial statements including its statement of financial position,
statement of operations, and statement of cash flows for at least the past three years. Vendor must
further agree to permit the UNIVERSITY, upon request, to audit VENDOR's books, but only as it

5
relates to the Wayne State University account, including invoicing, operational, and technology
controls (when applicable). The University is limited to 1 request per calendar year of this
agreement.
If / when requested, failure to agree to this will result in disqualification of your bid (see
Schedule D).
Financial Information will be treated as confidential and not added to the publicly permanent RFP
file. Requested Financials must be sent to:
ATTN.: Kenneth Doherty, Associate Vice President
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
Wayne State University
RFP: New Integrated Library System
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
5700 Cass Avenue, 4th Floor - Suite 4200 AAB
Detroit, MI 48202
VENDORS must include a self-addressed envelope marked "Confidential" with their financial
statement. Statements will be returned upon completion of any University review.
2. Experience
VENDORS are to state in their proposals their qualifications to meet the RFP specifications
in terms of past and current consulting experience with the same or similar requirements. This
information should be provided in the VENDOR'S Exhibit 2 of their proposal. VENDORS are to
focus on experiences with organizations having needs similar to that of the UNIVERSITY.
3. References
Upon request, VENDOR must agree to provide a minimum of three (3) qualified references.
Requests for references will come from Brittney Mills, Senior Buyer, and will be treated as
confidential and not added to the publicly permanent RFP file.
References are to be from organizations that have successfully utilized the products and services.
The references supplied should include the name and address of the organization, and the
contact's name(s), titles, e-mail, and the telephone numbers.
Failure to provide references (if requested) will result in disqualification of your bid.
4. Lost Accounts and Legal Actions
Upon request, VENDOR must agree to provide a list of significant accounts that the VENDOR
has lost during the past three (3) years. "Significant" for this purpose shall be construed to mean
accounts representing billings by the VENDOR in the range of $25,000.00 or more each year. A
lost account can be defined when the vendor has been terminated on a job because of
performance or default. Contact names and telephone numbers of affected Companies must be
provided.
Indicate any significant past or pending lawsuits or malpractice claims against the VENDOR.
I. VENDOR Service Plan
Vendors should include a complete description of the products and services offered in their Proposal.
The Service Plan should include, but not be limit to:
1. A summary of the products or services to be provided.
2. When applicable, a timeline showing how the Vendor plans to deliver products and/or services to
fulfill any contract issued as a result of this RFP.
3. Key staff members at the Vendors organization that will be assigned to the University account or
will otherwise be part of an implementation team.
4. Any resource requirements on the part of the University necessary in order for the Vendor to
meet its obligations under an agreement resulting from this RFP.

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5. Any hardware, software, or other technology the University must have in order to use the
Vendors products or services.
6. Any alternative ideas or proposals that should be considered by the University in addition to the
base proposal.
III. SCOPE OF WORK AND PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
Wayne State University Libraries (WSUL) are seeking a new Integrated Library System (ILS) to replace our
current self-hosted Sierra ILS. With the growing trend toward cloud-based Library Service Platforms (LSP), we
aim to align with technological advancements and meet evolving user expectations and evolving campus needs
to support learning and research. Key objectives include functionality across discovery, acquisitions, cataloging,
circulation, resource sharing, electronic resource management and digital collection services; interoperability with
campus systems; analytics for decision-making; and a secure, scalable solution that meets current accessibility
standards.
Mandatory Reference Request
Responding vendors must provide a minimum of three (3) academic library references that are currently using
the proposed solution and have done so for at least twenty-four (24) months. A minimum of two (2) of these
references should be from institutions that have migrated from Sierra ILS. These institutions may be contacted to
provide additional information about their experience, including participation in a live, screen-sharing
demonstration of the system (with no sensitive data displayed).
For each reference, please provide the following information:
* Library name
* Contact name (please indicate primary or alternate)
* Contact title
* Contact email and phone number
* Prior ILS used
* Dates of migration and go-live
* Any additional relevant information about the implementation or project context
Vendor Presentation
Upon request, vendors must provide a live presentation and demonstration of the proposed solution for library
stakeholders. The presentation must demonstrate the solution's ability to meet the requirements outlined in this
RFP, include an overview of the system and key functionality, and provide an opportunity for questions and
answers with vendor representatives.
Project Requirements
The proposed solution must:
* Replace the existing system with a modern, centrally managed cloud-hosted platform that supports
comprehensive library operations
* Provide centralized administrative control for system configuration, monitoring, and reporting
* Support distributed functional workflows across library units while maintaining consistent policies and
standards
* Enable integration with external systems and content sources, including campus enterprise systems and
third-party platforms
* Ensure secure system access, with clearly defined requirements for authentication, authorization, and
network interaction
* Include technical support and defined service levels
Functional Requirements
* Discovery
o Describe the solution's search interface, how search results are generated (e.g. vendor agnostic, KB)
and features like browse searching, relevancy ranking, faceting, filtering, and subject headings
o Describe how the solution integrates with digital collections, institutional repositories, and other external
content sources
* Acquisitions
o Describe the solution's workflows for ordering, invoicing, renewals, cancellations, ongoing subscription
management, license organization, and vendor management. Provide details on processes for inputting
and managing order information.
o Describe the solution's support for EDI integration and approval plans

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o Describe the solution's support for fund hierarchies, encumbrances, expenditures, fund transfers, fiscal
close, and rollover processes
o Describe how the system manages acquisitions workflows across print and electronic resources, and
whether these are handled through a unified workflow or through separate processes. For electronic
resources, include support for subscriptions, perpetual access, streaming media, and one-time
purchases.
o Which library acquisition and commercial vendor websites and services can the solution interoperate
with?
o List and describe available acquisitions reports and analytics
* Cataloging and Metadata Management
o Describe the solution's support for MARC and emerging metadata standards
o Describe the solution's ability to manage multiple subject vocabularies and thesauri. Does the solution
allow for separate indexes of authority records?
o Describe the solution's batch processing, authority control, workflow management, and time frame for
indexing
o Describe the solution's ability to create customized reports and import data from an outside source (i.e.
barcodes for reporting functionality)
* Circulation
o Describe the solution's circulation setup (e.g. configurable loan rules, patron account management,
notifications, item paging/holds, recalls, and fines)
1. What data points are you able to use to point to loan rules (e.g., item location, patron type)
2. Does the solution support notifications via SMS text messaging and email?
3. How are paging slips and pull lists are output by the proposed solution? How are these
templates customized? Can these be accessed again once printed?
4. Describe how the solution generates bills and fees. What payment options are allowed within
the proposed solution?
o Describe how the solution's system calendars are managed. Can staff block out times and dates to
suspend services during closures?
o Can staff place requests on behalf of a patron? If so, describe how this is done through public and staff
interfaces.
o Describe any technical measures in place to protect the privacy of information linked to patrons
(including active circulation transaction data, transaction logs, use of any personalization features, etc.)
o List and describe available circulation reports and analytics
* Resource Sharing
o Describe a typical workflow involved in interlibrary and consortia borrowing (i.e. , INN Reach (Melcat
service)) including D2IR
o Describe the ability to integrate ILL systems like ILLIiad (Atlas Systems) into the solution
o Describe the solution's compatibility with OpenURL requests
o Describe any reporting capabilities for resources sharing
* Course Reserves
o Describe the course reserves functions for both physical and e-reserves
o Describe the solution's ability to link courses with both physical and electronic records and to apply
rules to items that circulate physically
o Describe how the solution integrates with courseware and learning management systems
o Describe the solution's ability to track use of links to electronic materials
* Electronic Resource Management (ERM)
o Describe workflows for license tracking, knowledge base integration, and access management
o Describe available usage statistics and reporting workflows (e.g. COUNTER/SUSHI)
o Can non-COUNTER reports be uploaded and integrated for analysis?
* Digital Collections
o Describe any built-in integrations and functionalities that support management of digital collections
o Detail any technical requirements for integrations with outside digital collections systems
* Analytics and Reporting
o Describe the solution's real-time dashboards and reporting tools
o Describe available data export capabilities for institutional analysis
o Does the solution provide the ability to include deidentified user demographics (e.g. affiliation, class
level, discipline) and other data points like geolocation and frequency of interactions?
o Does the solution provide access to the underlying databases to support the creation of custom SQL
queries?