How Do I Evaluate Library Automation Vendors?

Evaluating library automation vendors

The decision to sign a contract with a library automation vendor is a weighty one for several reasons. The contract may involve hundreds of thousands---even millions---of dollars and will typically be for a multi-year period. Also, the contract may preclude you from installing another system in the event that the vendor's system is delayed or unsuitable. Given these considerations, it is vital that you evaluate the various library automation options available to you.

Instructions

1. Prepare the RFP carefully. Use the RFP, or request for proposal, to explain your vision to the vendor and to determine how the vendor and the vendor's system will meet that vision. The RFP should include detailed questions about the vendor, including the vendor's financial stability and any lawsuits in which the vendor is involved. The RFP should also include detailed questions about the proposed system, including questions about the system's functionality and the system's ability to interface with other library systems.

2. Evaluate the vendor's answers to your RFP. Study the vendor's answers to your RFP carefully. As you review the vendor's answers, ask yourself the following questions: Did the vendor answer the questions accurately and completely? Did the vendor attempt to evade difficult questions? Will the vendor's system be able to meet not only the short-term but also the long-term needs of your institution? You should definitely involve your institution's legal and IT (information technology) groups in evaluating the vendor's answers.

3. Invite each vendor to present a demonstration of its proposed system, and prepare real-life scenarios for the demo. Ask the vendor to give a live demo of the system at your institution, and make clear what the demo should cover. Be specific in your requests. Instead of asking how the vendor's system handles serials, you should ask the vendor to demonstrate the workflow for checking in serial issues. You should also instruct the vendor to load "real" bibliographic data into the system---perhaps even data from your own institution---so that the demo can be as realistic as possible.

4. Consult with colleagues in comparable institutions and with comparable concerns who recently signed contracts with the various vendors. Be careful to talk to colleagues in comparable institutions. If, for example, you are the director of a small college library, you should confer with colleagues in small college libraries. Moreover, if you have a specific concern---for example, the cataloging, indexing and display of the CJK (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) languages---you should check with colleagues who faced a similar concern.

References

• Library Technology Guides: Automation System Marketplace