College Libraries Ontario (CLO) and the Ontario Colleges Library Service (OCLS) are pleased to announce the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a new Library Management System for 19 Ontario college libraries as part of their Collaborative Library Services Platform (CLSP) Project. The RFP was released by OCLS on behalf of the 19 Ontario colleges participating in this initiative, using the Cambrian College Public Purchasing Portal. Please note that all questions and enquiries regarding this opportunity should be routed through this portal.
About the CLSP project
The Collaborative Library Systems Platform Project (CLSP) is sponsored by College Libraries Ontario (CLO), the collaborative body comprised of the 24 Ontario College Libraries that advocates on behalf of students for the best college library services and resources, and supported by OCLS. CLO has a long history of successful collaborative projects that have supported innovative library services for the benefit of students, researchers, and faculty across Ontario.
The Collaborative Library Systems Platform Project (CLSP) will support cost-efficiency and collaboration amongst member libraries by implementing access to a modern, next-generation library services platform that will allow us to grow our collaborations into the future, perhaps in ways beyond which we can currently envision.
The benefits of this project are extensive for end users, participating college libraries, and the library system as a whole. A shared LSP will strengthen the colleges' collaborative foundation, offer opportunities for shared labour and expertise in technical services, provide centralized metrics collection, and will result in de-duplication of work across the consortium. The project will provide cost savings to participating colleges through shared procurement, hosting, and administration, reduce IT costs resulting from the integration with other campus systems, and will provide greater efficiencies in workflows and enhanced metrics. And for library end users, including students, faculty, and researchers, implementation of a next generation shared LSP will provide improved and equitable access and discoverability of digital resources and services as well as access to quality online learning. With an LSP's superior ability to manage digital resources, these factors combine to contribute to a seamless user experience and align with student expectations of a high quality post-secondary learning environment.
The Ontario colleges libraries have an established history of developing and operating collaborative services. The Ontario Colleges Library Service (OCLS) was established in 2009 as a non-profit corporation to provide support for the libraries of the province's 24 publicly-funded colleges. Among other key services, OCLS currently maintains an Integrated Library System (ILS) for 13 colleges on a cost-recovery basis. This structure has allowed colleges of all sizes across Ontario to function efficiently and cost-effectively for over 40 years. The participating colleges and OCLS aim to continue leveraging this legacy of collaboration and extensive experience in operating a shared ILS by maintaining a similar structure in the operation and management of their new Library Services Platform.