October 20, 2026
Library and Community Services
DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager – Community
Services
Kate Eppler, Deputy Director of Community Services –
Library
Christopher Larsen, Library Services Manager
SUBJECT: Contract with BiblioCommons Corporation for BiblioCore Library Catalog Enhancement
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed contract expenditure of $76,500 is included within the Library’s approved annual operating budget. Funding for subsequent contract years will be
budgeted in the applicable fiscal years, subject to City Council approval of the annual budget. (Account No.
01242855-400209).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
June 6, 2023
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Richmond Public Library uses BiblioCore as its
primary public-facing online catalog discovery platform, providing patrons with enhanced search and access to
physical and digital library collections. To continue
providing this service, the Library is requesting City
Council approval of a sole source contract with
BiblioCommons Corporation for BiblioCore online catalog discovery services.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE a sole-source contract with BiblioCommons Corporation to provide BiblioCore online catalog
discovery services, including enhanced search and
integration of physical and digital library collections, for a three-year term in an amount not to exceed $76,500, with two one-year extension options in an amount not to
exceed $25,500 per extension year – Community
AGENDA
REPORT
October 20, 2026
Services Department (Christopher Larsen 510-620-
5542/Kate Eppler 510-620-5452).
DISCUSSION:
BiblioCommons Corporation is the developer, owner, and sole provider of BiblioCore, an online library catalog discovery platform designed to improve how patrons search for and access library materials. Because BiblioCommons owns and maintains the proprietary BiblioCore platform, the service is not available from another vendor. The proposed contract is therefore being processed as a sole source procurement.
BiblioCore operates as an enhanced interface over the Richmond Public Library’s underlying catalog system, allowing users to search across physical materials, e-books, audiobooks, streaming resources, and other digital collections through a single, patronfriendly platform.
The Richmond Public Library maintains an online public access catalog as a core component of library service. While the underlying catalog provides access to the Library’s collection records, BiblioCore enhances that experience by making resources easier to find, browse, evaluate, and request. The platform integrates the Library’s physical and digital holdings and provides features such as natural-language searching, personalized recommendations, curated staff and community lists, award and bestseller lists, and a “While You Wait” feature that suggests alternative titles when requested materials are unavailable.
The Library first implemented BiblioCore in August 2023, and the platform has since become the primary public-facing discovery interface through which patrons interact with the Library’s collection online. The proposed contract will allow the Library to continue providing this enhanced catalog experience and maintain access to the search, discovery, and recommendation features patrons currently use.
Without continued access to BiblioCore, the Library would lose the enhanced discovery layer and related functionality associated with the platform. Patrons would instead rely on the underlying catalog interface, resulting in a less integrated search experience and reduced access to features that support discovery, recommendations, and navigation across the Library’s physical and digital collections. Discontinuation would also require staff to revise public-facing catalog links, instructional materials, and patron guidance and could create confusion for users accustomed to the current system.
Approval of the proposed sole source contract will maintain continuity of this established service, preserve the Library’s existing investment in the platform, and support convenient and equitable access to the Library’s collections.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Contract
Attachment 2 – Bibliocommons multi-year quote
October 20, 2026
Attachment 3 – IT Authorization
Attachment 4 – Sole Source