Using the RFP Process to Select a Serials Vendor:

Abstract

In this workshop, two librarians and a vendor described, and discussed the Request for Proposal (RFP) process to serials acquisitions librarians and vendor representatives. The format of the workshop followed the process of an actual RFP, beginning with the planning stage, the drafting of the request document, the submission to sources, the receipt by the solicited vendors, the preparation of a response, the evaluation, and the actual award. The central theme of the workshop was the contrast between the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) and the informal RFP. The formal RFP is usually mandated by law or by institutional regulations and always involves a Purchasing Department or Contracting Office outside the library. The informal RFP is not required by institutional or governmental regulations and is administered totally within the library.