The Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project requests your assistance in reviewing database products  to help determine which products will be available to Washington libraries for the next several years. Reviews will need to be completed between March 14 and March 31, 2011. Scoring from these reviews is crucial to the selection process, and will contribute significantly to the overall scores assigned to each vendor’s proposal(s).

Vendors can propose products in one or more of three categories:

• General periodical collections providing full text in a wide array of topics (4 or 5 vendor proposals anticipated);
• Full-text newspaper collections featuring both Washington and national papers (3 proposals anticipated);
• Resources for children and students, with a focus on products aimed at the younger researcher (8 proposals anticipated).

Vendors will provide one-hour online demonstrations of the products they propose. These presentations will be scheduled the week of March 14-18, but we hope to offer them in an archived format for reviewers unable to attend the scheduled presentations.

It is not necessary to review all of the proposed products. Reviewers should review all products in one category, or in the case of resources for children, review at least four of the proposed products. Volunteers are also needed to join the evaluation teams that will score the proposals, which is a separate process from reviewing the products.

To volunteer, or to ask a question, please send e-mail to Will Stuivenga at [email protected]. Please indicate which category or categories you are interested in reviewing. For more information on this procurement process, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/SDL.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

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The Washington State Library (WSL), a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, announces the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project. The RFP seeks vendors to provide databases in one of three categories:

1. A database package of primarily full text magazine and journal articles covering a wide variety of subject areas and topics providing a minimum of 2500 unique full text titles, with content that will be of interest to all types of nonprofit libraries and their patrons;
2. A full text newspaper database of primarily Washington State daily papers with at least four WA papers, and at least two newspapers of national stature (such as the New York Times);
3. One or more databases with content appropriate to children and students (K-6 and/or K-12) that include a search interface designed for the younger researcher, and with database content appropriate for elementary reading levels.

The RFP is available via the state’s online procurement system, WEBS, and also from the Secretary of State’s procurement web page. Proposals are due by March 7, 2011, and “Letters of Intent to Propose” are due by February 15. Any questions about the RFP and the procurement process should be directed to Will Stuivenga, the RFP Coordinator at [email protected] or 360.704.5217.