TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Cathi Johnson, Community Services Director
DATE: May 8, 2024
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF PROCUREMENT OF NEW INTEGRATED
LIBRARY SYSTEM SOFTWARE WITH A YEAR 1 CONTRACT
AMOUNT OF $11,900
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Fiscally Responsible and Transparent City Government
BACKGROUND
One of the Community Services Department, Library Division’s FY 2023-24 objectives is to facilitate the acquisition and implementation of a new Integrated Library System (ILS) that best meets the current and future needs of the community. An ILS is the software application that serves as the backbone of all Library operations. It manages patron and inventory databases, is used to verify customer accounts so they can access databases from home, and applies fees as needed.
Since 2011, the Library Division has used the ILS called Liblime. Liblime is based on open source software known as KOHA. Open source software is software that is distributed with its source code, making it available for use, modification, and distribution with its original rights. While highly customizable, in practice it becomes necessary to understand basic programming languages, such as SQL, to fully utilize the system. Basic coding is not part of the education or training needed to become a professional Librarian, and as such staff are unable to run reports needed to evaluate collections and services.
Steven W. Huang, DDS, Mayor
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Vice Mayor
Tony Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
Steve Talt, Council Member
Due to the difficulty of working with Liblime, several years ago staff purchased support software, Collection HQ, to analyze collection data. The entire collection, over 80,000 items, was regularly downloaded from Liblime and uploaded to Collection HQ by staff to assist with inventory management.
Collection HQ cost $5,062 in FY 2022-23. The cost for Liblime in FY 2022-23 was $10,547, bringing the total cost for managing Library inventory up to $15,609. Collection HQ works on a multi-year agreement and staff chose not to renew for FY 2023-24 in anticipation of migrating to a more functional ILS.
DISCUSSION
Last year, staff began the process of evaluating ILS providers. Over the course of ten months, staff researched and evaluated various ILS providers, including reviewing annual library technology reports which measure national trends and provide user feedback for each vendor. Four ILS providers were contacted with requests for their specifications and pricing structure to assist in determining an appropriate system.
Of the four providers staff reached out to, three submitted quotes. The table below summarizes the annual costs, and the quotes are included as Attachment 2. The fourth vendor, WISE, responded that they do not serve small libraries (a library serving a population of less than 14,000).
Annual ILS Contract Bids for Hosting Services
Provider / System Annual
Hosting
Migration Fee (One Time)
Innovative / Polaris $29,998 $5,460
Biblionix / Apollo $7,900 $4,000
Bywater / KOHA $6,030 $9,240 / $2,700
After reviewing each of the proposals, exploring demo sites, and checking references, staff determined that Apollo is the most suitable software, as they provide the best combination of pricing and features for a library of our size.
In addition, favorable references were received from the cities of Alhambra and Monterey Park, as both cities use Apollo. Finally, the new hosting fee of $7,900 is cheaper than the cost of Liblime at $11,547 that is currently built into the operating budget.
Though Bywater / KOHA is the least expensive option, staff are not recommending this system because Bywater is another proprietary version of KOHA. KOHA is the same open source software that is the basis for our current ILS and migrating to this platform would not address the current issues staff face while using Liblime.
Today, staff seek approval to enter into an agreement with Biblionix for Apollo Integrated Library System, with a total Year 1 cost of $11,900. The agreement is for a one-year period, but will automatically renew for successive one-year periods, thus requiring City Council approval.
Staff estimate using the Apollo ILS for 7-10 years, as switching software is very time consuming. Not only does it require staff to seek information and preview other platforms, but it also requires a lengthy transition period to migrate data from one platform to the next. Additionally, it requires significant effort to educate patrons and staff on how to utilize the new software.
Upon receiving approval, staff will work closely with SDI, the City’s third-party IT Management provider, relying on their technical expertise to ensure a smooth migration from Liblime to Apollo.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
The Department’s FY 2023-24 Donation Fund budget includes $40,000 to pay for the acquisition, implementation, and hosting costs for the new ILS. The funding source is the San Marino Public Library Foundation, who has agreed to pay for year 1 and the migration fees from Liblime to Apollo, a total of $11,900. Moving forward, the Library Division’s operating budget will cover the annual hosting fee.
The Finance Director has reviewed this report and determined the procurement is in accordance with S.M.C.C. 02.06.05.B: Procurement of Goods and Services Other Than Public Projects.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Council approve of the procurement of new Integrated Library System software, Apollo by Biblionix, for the Community Services Department, Library Division. If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
“I move to approve of the procurement of new Integrated Library System software, Apollo by Biblionix, for the Community Services Department, Library Division with a total Year 1 cost of $11,900, with the City Manager being authorized to execute the agreement on behalf of the City, and authorize the City Manager to approve annual renewals, subject to satisfactory service and Council budget allocation.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Purchase Agreement
2. Vendor Quotes