Staffing support for four (4) full-time equivalent (FTE) Cataloging/Metadata Librarians to assist with metadata identification, metadata entry, quality control, record cleanup and other various metadata related activities in Library

Active

Contract Opportunity

Statement of Work

Background

The GPO Historic Shelflist is the U.S. Government Publishing Office's (GPO) historic card catalog covering U.S. Government documents from the 1800s to October 1992. It contains the following:

• Over one million 3x5 cards arranged in Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) order.

• Bibliographic information for U.S. Government documents of various types from all three branches of the Government including monographs, multipart records, maps, continuing resources (serials and integrating resources), microfiche, and posters.


• Cards representing documents that were distributed to libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and documents that were not distributed but required by the Cataloging and Indexing (C&I) Program, as required by U.S.C. Title 44.


• An estimated 455,000 Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) cards that were produced by GPO through OCLC beginning in July 1976; and

• An extensive collection of bibliographic information, but not a complete inventory of publications distributed through the FDLP.

Since 2010 GPO has been converting historic shelflist cards to MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) 21 records which represent the publications identified as part of the FDLP or the C&I Program. These records are accessible and available to the public via the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), and OCLC’s bibliographic utility, Connexion. As of November 2023, there are 224,990 historic shelflist records available through the CGP. These records can be identified by conducting a search for wcat=historic shelflist using the Expert search. The CGP also contains a separate catalog of just historic shelflist records.

Objectives

The contractor shall ensure that:

• Contractor personnel exercise sound judgment, follow Government and information services industry standard practices and agency practices and procedures, and perform all required services in the most effective, efficient, and economical manner consistent with the interests of the Government.


• Contractor personnel follow all Government directives and guidelines.


• All data produced by the contractor will be owned by GPO. No restrictions or copyright will be placed on this data by the contractor.

Scope

This task order covers staffing support for four (4) full-time equivalent (FTE) Cataloging/Metadata Librarians to assist with metadata identification, metadata entry, quality control, record cleanup and other various metadata related activities in Library Services and Content Management (LSCM).

Tasks

The contractor is responsible for performing all Tasks as cited below and that of this Statement of Work (SOW).

Contractor must provide four (4) FTE Cataloging/Metadata Librarians to assist with metadata identification, metadata entry, quality control, and other various metadata related activities as described below:

• Perform copy cataloging for both monographs and continuing resources in OCLC’s Connexion, following RDA, AACR2, MARC 21, and GPO guidelines, including export of records into GPO’s Integrated Library System (ILS), Aleph 500, under the supervision of a senior cataloger.


• Create new records for both monographs and continuing resources in OCLC’s Connexion, following RDA and MARC 21, and GPO guidelines, including export of records into GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500) under the supervision of a senior cataloger.


• Edit, and update existing bibliographic records in GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500) following RDA, AACR2, MARC 21, and GPO guidelines.


• Utilize knowledge of advanced search techniques, and apply professional judgment for cards with limited, or handwritten information to determine if a new record, or copy cataloging in OCLC, and GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500) is needed.


• Assign Library of Congress Subject Headings, authorized name, and series authorities to records in OCLC and GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500).


• Perform research to determine if a new NACO (name authority), or (series authority) is required.


• Create serial pattern/item/holding records in GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500) following GPO guidelines, and under the supervision of a senior cataloger.


• Create serial holding record summaries in GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500) following GPO guidelines, and under the supervision of a senior cataloger.


• Create, and/or edit item and holding records in GPO’s ILS (Aleph 500).


• Compile metrics for reporting purposes.


• Prepare written documents under the supervision of GPO staff.


• Work on a variety of assignments using Word, Excel, or other PC applications.

Contractor must have a pool of additional personnel with the same qualifications, that could serve as backup support if personnel assigned to the task orders are unavailable due to sickness or other unforeseen circumstances. Substitute staff must be available to report to GPO with 48 hours and are expected to perform the duties and functions with a minimal (1-2 business days) amount of training and downtime to the overall project.

Other assignments for team projects working with both para-professional and professional library staff in LSCM.

Delivery

Deliverable

Date (Calendar Days)

Deliver To

Activity Performance Plan. The Contractor will conduct analysis on assigned activities and provide a Performance Plan that contains the performance standards, management, and schedule for each assigned activity under the Task Order. The plans will be developed by the Contractor, in consultation with the Government and final approval from the Government. Each activity’s performance plan will be an addendum to the general approach as activities are assigned.

Activity Assigned + 5 workdays

COR

Activity Quality Control Plan. Contractor will provide a documented Quality Control Plan for each activity, after contractor staff begins a new activity. The plan will be developed by the Contractor, in consultation with the Government and final approval from the Government. This approach may be revised by the Government at any time.

Activity Assigned + 10 workdays

COR and the Quality Control Team

Daily production/output logs. To be agreed to by the Contractor and COR for each activity.

Daily

COR

Monthly Progress Reports. Monthly Progress Reports summarizing total work performed during the week.

Monthly, 5th workday of the month, for the previous month’s progress, by 3 p.m. EST

COR

Quality Control Results Reports. Report information to be outlined in the Quality Control Approach for each activity.

Monthly

COR

Government-Furnished Property, Material, Equipment, or Information (GFP, GFM, GFE, or GFI)

The Government shall provide a laptop and all necessary software and GPO network accounts for offsite work.

Security

• All contractors shall go through GPO Security clearance process.


• Soft security token shall be issued for accessing GPO network.

Travel

No travel requirement.

Special Material Requirements

Contractors shall work with digitized catalog card images. Contractor must provide four (4) FTE Cataloging/Metadata Librarians with the following qualifications:

Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification required:

• Master’s degree in library/information science from an ALA-accredited institution


• Minimum three (3) years of work experience in library technical services operations, specifically cataloging/metadata unit, working on original and copy cataloging/metadata.


• Experience with the MARC 21 standard


• Strong knowledge and work experience using classification schema(s) Dewey, Library of Congress, and/or SuDocs.


• Strong skill/experience using an ILS.


• Experience with cataloging serials and maps.


• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, primarily Word and Excel, and other business applications.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and/or Competencies required to successfully perform work:

• Ability to adhere to national bibliographic standards set forth in Resource Description Access (RDA) for a variety of material formats, including, electronic, print, microform, etc.


• Ability to work and communicate effectively with paraprofessionals, library professionals, and agency personnel.


• Ability to work independently and exercise discretion, initiative, and judgment.


• Ability to work in a dynamic and collaborative work environment.


• Organizational and interpersonal skills.


• Ability to perform diverse and complex tasks with accuracy and attention to detail.


• Written and verbal communication skills.


• Knowledge of RDA core elements.


• Knowledge of OCLC Connexion.


• Personnel may be required to participate in progress briefings with COR, technical advisor for task order, and management as needed. Meetings may include a report on overall percentage of work completed.

Other Unique Requirements

Personnel may be required to participate in progress briefings with COR, technical advisor for task order, and management as needed. Meetings may include a report on overall percentage of work completed.

Personnel will be accessible via phone, email, or MS Teams for the duration of this task order. There will be a 24-hour turnaround time on query replies.

Monthly progress reports summarizing the total hours worked and work performed during the month will be provided. The Government and the Contractor will agree upon a monthly progress report.

Contractor must designate one of the four librarians, a more experienced cataloging librarian with management skills, as a team lead for the librarians.

Place of Performance and Work Schedules

The Contractor shall perform service off-site at a contractor approved location Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. EST – except Federal holidays and other Government closures, delays, or dismissals. OPM-issued closures, delays, and dismissals due to weather-related, or other events may not be applicable to off-site staff if work is telework-based.

Period of Performance

Base Year: March 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025

Option Year 1: March 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026

Option Year 2: March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027

Option Year 3: March 1, 2027, to February 29, 2028

Option Year 4: March 1, 2028, to February 28, 2029

Attachments/Links