07 26 21 Kick-Off Notes

Esta Tovstiadi (SUNY)
Esta Tovstiadi (SUNY)
Last updated 
7/26/21

Attending: Susan Davis, Colleen Lougen, Katherine Brent, Andy Heiz, Ruth Owens, Stephanie Hess, Ryan Grimmer, Shannon Pritting, Esta Tovstiadi

  • Introductions
  • Review charge
    • Stakeholder/sector feedback important
      • This could be a survey, meetings, etc
Review of Procurement/contracting for SUNYConnect in the past and this time
  • Has always been constrained to vendors on the OGS contract. 
    • OGS contract provides a very streamlined process for procurement
    • OGS contract is up for renewal December 2021, but they will likely extend it a year or so.
    • What about vendors who don’t have a product we want on OGS? Shannon and Esta have been working to get vendors to add all possible products to their lists.
    • Are we considering other services (link resolver, proxy, etc)? We are focusing on content rather than services.
  • Last process wasn’t technically competitive. There was a continuous recruitment in contract reporter, but we don’t have that this time. 
  • We can be more flexible this time because we aren’t limited to competitive process.
  • Past approach has been winner takes all, but we don’t have to do that. 
  • There is no contract related to SUNYConnect, it all goes through OGS and a PO. 
Review Deliverables for TF
  • Need to reach out to vendors by Fall. 
  • Communication within SUNY important
  • We were able to schedule all vendor visits in one day last time, that expedited the process. 
  • Last time CPC ranked presentations via survey, this survey was also sent to library stakeholders. This survey was focused on making a decision between EBSCO and ProQuest, and it also focused on data points related to the Alma migration
  • Trials to the products are also an option, and we could ask folks to evaluate trials via survey
Timeline
  • Is there a central usage portal for various vendors so that we can easily pull usage data for all of SUNY
Collection subsidy
  • There is a central pool of funding (subsidy) that is used to centrally help pay for some of the SUNYConnect databases. 
  • Currently there is a $300,000 subsidy applied to SUNYConnect; we are very likely to have this funding again
  • What are the factors that play in to campus contribution for SUNYConnect? It’s a blend of FTE and institution type
Discuss SUNYConnect options
  • Option 1: renew current EBSCO package as is. Maybe re-negotiate. Would be easiest. 
  • Option 2: do another request for proposals from 3 vendors. Similar to past SUNYConnect approaches.
    • The discovery metadata issue is major for EBSCO; not playing well with Primo
  • Option 3: Extend current expend beyond just aggregator databases. Including other formats (ebooks, streaming video, etc) but also approach a single vendor.
  • Option 4: Develop portfolio of products with multiple vendors. This runs rsk of running into issues with other vendors and sellers, like WALDO, that are already providing a good deal to campuses. 
  • We could also coordinate an offer via the IFB pricing
  • Have we every considered opt-in 
What do we want to do next?
  • Put together survey for campuses 
    • What is already available in EBSCO SUNYConnect package
    • List of options
  • Gauge the appetite for streaming video, ebook, and DEI aggregator collections
Discuss review methodology and how to approach vendors
  • Tabled for next meeting
Decide on meeting with System Admin Academic Program Office
  • SLS will schedule a meeting with them, will be recorded
Review who will chair TF
  • Stephanie volunteered
Schedule next meeting
  • Esta will follow up with Doodle poll to schedule next meeting