TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Eddie Covarrubias, Interim Community Services Director DATE: March 11, 2026
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF PROCUREMENT OF LIBRARY MATERIALS
FROM INGRAM CONTENT GROUP FOR THE CROWELL
PUBLIC LIBRARY
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Engaged and Connected Residents
Fiscally Responsible and Transparent City Government
Inviting and Relevant City Facilities
BACKGROUND
On July 1, 2025, the City implemented a new purchase order (PO) requirement for any purchases greater than or equal to $20,000. This PO process was put in place as an additional control measure to ensure staff are getting proper authorization for contracts, and that we stay within the approved contract amount.
One (1) vendor that was flagged as a result of this new process is the library’s book vendor, Ingram Content Group (Ingram). Based on the approved FY 2025-26 budget, the library could spend up to $78,779 with Ingram. However, the Library does complete smaller orders with other vendors (that do not meet the PO or Request for Proposal threshold), so not all the budget will be spent with Ingram.
Staff was informed in August that a Request for Proposal (RFP) would need to be completed since the library may spend more than $30,000 a year with Ingram. A PO was issued for $28,000 to allow the Library to procure books to maintain the collection in the meantime.
Tony Chou, Mayor
Calvin Lo, Vice Mayor
Hunter Chang, Council Member
John Chou, Council Member
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Council Member
Staff began working on the scope of the RFP, but ultimately wanted to wait for the new Library Manager to be hired and onboarded to let them review and weigh in on the scope of this project. Library Manager Ashley Watts was brought onto the team on October 20, 2025, and helped develop the RFP and get it finalized. The RFP was posted on November 20, 2025.
On December 10, staff received City Council approval to increase the PO by $17,500 to $45,500 to allow the library to continue to maintain the collection until the award of the contract in January.
On December 12, the RFP closed. Three (3) bids were received, but staff rejected all three (3) bids. The first vendor does not offer adult materials. The second vendor does not allow multiple accounts, and four (4) are required.
The third vendor just recently started offering adult materials (Fall 2025) and staff has concerns with availability of materials.
While the three (3) bids were rejected, the table below lists the average proposed discount offered on list price from each vendor.
Vendor Name Average Discount Offered on List Price
MT Library Services LLC dba
Junior Library Guild
0%
Follett Content Solutions, LLC 15%
Children's Plus, Inc. 25%
DISCUSSION
Upon rejecting the bids, staff reached out to Ingram, the Library’s current book provider, to receive their pricing table. In doing so, staff was informed that as a member of the Southern California Library Cooperative (SCLC), the library is offered discounts through the cooperative purchasing agreement between SCLC and Ingram.
Additionally, staff was informed that Ingram missing the bidding window was an oversight on their part. In Fall 2025, one of the major book vendors went out of business, which led to a large number of customers seeking to establish a relationship and contract with other book vendors, including Ingram. This has not affected Ingram’s ability to complete the City’s purchases, and as they offer the largest discount on list price, they are the preferred vendor.
The current purchasing agreement is valid from May 20, 2025, through June 30, 2026. These agreements get updated annually (members are typically notified in May of each year); however, the discounts do not fluctuate much from year to year. Below are the current discounts offered to the city.
Discounts on Trade Hardcover, Quality, and Mass Market
Paperbacks*:
Copies per Title Electronic
Orders:
1 to 4 40.0%
5 to 9 41.0%
10 to 99 42.0%
100+ 43.0%
Additional Discounts:
• Library Bindings: 15.0%
• University Press: 10.0%
• ** Short Discounted Titles: 10.0%
• *** Spoken Word Audio: 0-45.0%
• Games: 0.0 - 5.0%
• DVD/Blu-ray: 0.0 - 15.0%
• Net Titles: 0.0%
* Trade Hardcover, Quality Paperbacks and Mass Market Paperback titles ordered with a cover price of $14.99 or less will receive a 25% discount.
** Short Discount/Non-Trade: Lower demand, small print-run books in various bindings, and includes graphic novels, legal, technical, reference, scientific, and medical titles as defined by Ingram subject categories. Titles are generally published by small or university presses.
Also included are print and audiobook titles purchased at lower than full trade discount; titles with limited sales volume; and/or titles from publishers not in compliance with Ingram’s purchasing requirements.
Ingram is pleased to make this broad base of titles available to our customers with no service charges.
*** 80% to 85% of all Spoken Word Audio is at 45% discount; however, some Spoken Word Audio is short discounted by the publisher.
Today, staff is requesting approval to continue to procure library materials from Ingram Content Group through the remainder of the fiscal year through the cooperative purchasing agreement between SCLC and Ingram.
For future years, staff will request Council approval of annual spending for each fiscal year upon receiving notice of the renewed agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
The payments to this vendor are budgeted for and will be paid out of various General Ledger Account #’s: 101-91-4370-0335, 281-91-4370-0000, 281- 91- 4370-2575, 101-92-4370-0000, 281-92-4370-0000, 281-92-4370-2575.
Staff expects that no more than $71,548 will be spent on library materials from Ingram for the entire fiscal year.
The purchase is in compliance with the City’s procurement policy, as the Department will be using a cooperative purchasing agreement in accordance with SMCC 02.06.05.B.6.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Council approve of the procurement of library materials from Ingram Content Group in an amount not to exceed $71,548 for FY 2025-
26. If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
“I move to approve of the procurement of library materials from Ingram Content Group in an amount not to exceed $71,548 for FY 2025-26.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Letter from Ingram Content Group to Southern California Library Cooperative dated May 20, 2025