MONROVIA PUBLIC LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN

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1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) RFP ISSUANCE DATE Wednesday, May 11, 2016 RFP RESPONSE DUE DATE Monday, June 6, 5:00 p.m. DIRECT QUESTIONS Tina Cherry, Public Services Director tcherry@ci.monrovia.ca.us Phone: (626)

2 INTRODUCTION The City of Monrovia (City) is requesting proposals from qualified firms or consultants (Consultant) to help us create a strategic plan for the Monrovia Public Library (MPL). The consultant will work with our MPL Strategic Planning Team which may include MPL Staff, Library Board members, volunteers, and other community stakeholders. The City of Monrovia has had a public library since Our new $16 million dollar library opened its doors in 2009 and it was built with an eye to the future. Yet, with technology changing how people access book, periodicals, audio and video, as well as information in general, it is time for the MPL to create a new strategic plan that will keep our library relevant, vibrant, thriving, and serving the needs of our community for the next five years. We believe that our library, with its fantastic programming and amazing staff, gives the consultant an excellent foundation upon which to build the strategic plan. The City expects the plan will have an overall vision of where the MPL should be in five years and how to get there. The MPL expects the plan will provide direction to implement the overall vision with a timeline and measurable goals. The Consultant must become familiar with our community and the plan must reflect how the library may better serve the needs of our residents. The plan must be realistic and workable within budgetary constraints. Our community already has a fine public library with a creative and dedicated staff. Yet, we see the challenges inherent in the operation of public libraries in this age of instant information. For many reasons, Monrovia is known as The Gem City. The strategic plan that you will help us create will direct us so that our library can become the Crown Jewel within the Gem City. City Background Located 20 miles northeast of Los Angeles and nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Monrovia is home to nearly 40,000 active and engaged residents who enjoy a premier quality of life in a dynamic City that blends smalltown charm with big-city amenities. Monrovia s California heritage can be seen in its tree lined streets, historic buildings, and award-winning downtown, all of which is balanced by a world-class library, a vibrant hightech/manufacturing economy, outstanding recreational options, superb schools, tremendous shopping/dining selections, excellent health care facilities, and first-class cultural opportunities. These factors all combine to make Monrovia an extraordinary place. Monrovia is a general-law city operating under the Council-Manager form of government. The five-member City Council appoints the City Manager, who is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the overall City organization. The City Manager leads a full-time staff of 240 employees and a part-time staff of 150 employees while administering a Fiscal Year 2015/16 Budget of $65 million. Monrovia is a full-service municipality that coordinates its operations through six departments, including the City Manager s Office, Administrative Services Department, Public Services Department, Community Development Department, Police Department, and Fire Department. Unique among California cities its size, Monrovia also operates its own water system and library operation. The City organization has recently been engaged in an exciting initiative of renewal, and the evolving culture of the Monrovia organization has been described as entrepreneurial, collaborative, team-based, visionary, service-minded, Page 2 of 10

3 and committed to civic engagement. The City exists to serve the people of Monrovia and to create a community that offers a premier quality of life. Library Background The MPL is part of the Monrovia Public Services Department which manages public works and community services. The Community Services Division is the home of the MPL and recreation services. For the Library operation specifically, there are 10 full-time and approximately 25 part-time employees. A Library Manager oversees the overall operation and an annual budget of around $1.5 million. The Monrovia Public Library enriches lives by fostering life-long learning. This is achieved by ensuring every member of the community has access to a range of ideas and information, in a variety of formats, to meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of the community. Staff monitors economic, educational, technological, and library trends to plan services and programs. Staff promotes services and programs through marketing and publicity, including social media. The Library includes five points of service: Circulation, Youth, Adult, Literacy, and Technology. Most importantly, the Library is a place for the community to meet, discover, and learn. Circulation Services Circulation Services is the first point of contact for the public. Staff greets customers as they enter the building, answers directional and informational questions, supports telephone customers and directs incoming calls. Staff checks materials in and out of the Library, processes new Library materials to make them shelf-ready for the public, and manages overdue fines and payments. Additionally, staff provides administrative support by monitoring the budget and processing invoices and personnel forms. Youth Services Youth Services provides assistance to children and teens, their parents, caregivers, and teachers in accessing age appropriate information for the school curriculum, recreational reading and literacy. Staff provides literacy and cultural programming using a variety of teaching methods to build cognitive, social, physical and early literacy skills. Staff assists with answering research questions, provides homework help, and gives limited computer instruction. Staff selects, orders, receives, and processes Library materials and organizes those materials for easy public access. Staff provides a variety of outreach services, including Library tours and class visits for local schools and organizations. This educates and informs the public about services the Library offers. Adult Services Primarily serving adults and mature teens, Adult Services provides educational opportunities, promotes reading, and enhances the cultural climate of the community. The goals are to provide accurate and timely information by maintaining access to current and high demand materials in a variety of formats, as well as providing educational and cultural workshops to support access to the Library s collection and information. Staff selects, orders, receives, and processes Library materials and organizes those materials for easy public access. Staff collects and preserves local historical information and materials. Staff uses volunteers to deliver Library materials to homebound patrons and is responsible for managing the Volunteer Program by recruiting, hiring, and training quality volunteers to support the goals of the Library. Page 3 of 10

4 Literacy Services Adult Literacy at the Monrovia Public Library provides adult learners a bridge to literacy, which helps build skills and change lives. This confidential program provides individual and group tutoring in reading, writing, technology, and health literacy in a positive environment. For learners, the program paves a path to a better quality of life; ending the familial cycle of illiteracy, and to building self-esteem, awareness, and knowledge. For tutors, the program provides a rewarding experience in helping their neighbors help themselves. Staff is responsible for managing the Adult Literacy Program and recruiting, hiring, and training volunteer tutors. This is the only program completely dependent on donations and grants, and staff is responsible for fundraising, grant writing, and reporting statistical information to the State Library in support of the California Library Literacy Services Grant. Technology Services Technology Services is responsible for the library s automated management system and the public technology centers. Technology Services is responsible for managing databases, the Library s webpage, digital materials format, and digital preservation of local historical materials. Library staff works closely with the City s Information Systems Division staff coordinating and planning maintenance, updates, replacements, and new acquisitions for software and hardware. With the newly stated Mission, MPL Staff have embraced a culture of YES! Creating a place for people to gather and have life enhancing experiences. We are seeking guidance on our vision for the future as we assess what the role of the library will be in tomorrow s community. Page 4 of 10

5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION / SCOPE OF WORK The MPL understands there are several different methodologies related to strategic plan development. The goal here is to clearly define the scope of the Consultant in an effort to avoid scope creeping. The MPL is open to the various approaches to achieve the stated objective; however, the final work product is clearly defined. The Consultant is expected to employ best practices when determining directions, priorities, and positioning for the future. In addition, the Consultant will assist in identifying gaps where the current MPL operation is insufficient to meet the identified service priorities. To achieve this objective, feedback from the community is essential. The selected Consultant will be expected to engage the community, ensure input from a wide range of stakeholders, and seek comments from even the nonlibrary users. The Consultant will design an effective method for data gathering and presentations including: Written Surveys Focus Groups which may include members from the following: o Library Staff o Library Board o Library Foundation o Friends of the Library o Monrovia Reads Community Meetings In addition, the MPL stakeholders have recently contracted with a Library Futurist to learn the future trends libraries will be facing. It is expected that the selected consultant will incorporate these trends and ideas into the assessment which helps to formulate the conclusions. The final work product will include a vison, strategic directions, measurable goals, and supporting activities for the MPL over the next five years. Vision Define our Why. What is our purpose and role in the community? Strategic Directions Define the themes / areas of focus. Measurable Goals The stated goals must be measurable both in Outputs (quantitative data) and Outcomes (qualitative data). Supporting Activities Define what steps we must take in order to implement the Strategic Directions and achieve our vision. Page 5 of 10

6 Request for Proposal Timeline TIMELINES Activity Date Request for Proposal Deadline Monday, June 6, 2016 Review of Submittals / Interviews Week of June 13, 2016 Advisory Library Board Review Thursday, June 23, 2016 Consultant Awarded Contract by City Council Tuesday, July 5, 2016 Project Timeline The selected Consultant is expected to initiate the process no later than August 1, 2016 and have a final draft available for review by December 1, Page 6 of 10

7 CONTENT OF PROPOSALS A qualifying proposal must address all of the following points: 1. Cover Letter a. The cover letter signed by the individual authorized to represent / negotiate on behalf of the responding firm. 2. Firm Qualifications a. The overview of qualifications for the firm should include the type of organization, size, professional registration, and affiliations of the company. b. Please include an outline of recent projects completed that are directly related to this project. Responses should demonstrate specific expertise relating to the development of Library Strategic Plans. c. Please provide references from recent related projects, with information to ensure easy contact (including but not limited to name, address, , and phone number of individual(s) to contact for referral). 3. Project Team Overview a. Responses should include the resume / background of the principal individual(s) from the firm who will be working on this initiative, including the project lead who will be responsible for the day-today management of the project. b. Please identify and outline the qualifications for other members of the development team, including any equity partners, planning firms, or design consultants. 4. Understanding of and approach to the strategic planning process a. Including community engagement, technology advancements, and future trends in Library Services. 5. Provide a detailed timeline including monthly updates, key milestones, and estimated project completion date. 6. Include fee for services; including a Rate Sheet. 7. Other relevant information that each respondent deems appropriate. Page 7 of 10

8 SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES The deadline for receiving proposals is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 6, Respondents are required to submit the following: Three (3) hard-copy proposals in response to the RFP. A copy of the proposal in an electronic format via either of the following methods: o CD o Flash Drive All responses should be sent to the City by the submittal deadline with the following information located on the front of the submittal envelope: City of Monrovia Office of the City Clerk 415 South Ivy Avenue Monrovia, CA RE: Library Strategic Plan RFP Response If you have any questions or requests for information, please direct those inquiries to: Tina Cherry Public Services Director Public Services Department City of Monrovia 415 South Ivy Avenue Monrovia, CA tcherry@ci.monrovia.ca.us Phone: (626) It is important to note that the City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. The City will not be liable for, nor pay for any costs incurred by responding firms relating to the preparation of the proposal. An explicit provision of this RFP is that any oral communication is not binding on the City s RFP proposal process or selection criteria. Page 8 of 10

9 RFP Assessment Process Request for Proposal SELECTION OF FIRMS The Public Services Department will review and evaluate the proposals received by the City. As part of the assessment process, the City will place particular emphasis on the qualifications/experience of the individuals assigned to the project; directly relevant qualifications/experience of the firm; proposed approach to the project, and experience and knowledge of library science. The following specific criteria will be used in the evaluation process: 1. Qualifications and reputation of the responding firm. 2. Experience and fit of the individuals assigned to the project. 3. Approach to the overall strategic planning process. 4. Consultant s familiarity of Library Science, Current and Emerging Trends, and Industry. Page 9 of 10

10 The following terms and conditions apply to this RFP: TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. All responses shall become the property of the City. 2. Due care and diligence has been exercised in the preparation of this RFP and all information contained herein is believed to be substantially correct. However, the responsibility for determining the full extent of the services rests solely with those making responses. Neither the City nor its representatives shall be responsible for any error or omission in this response, nor for the failure on the part of the respondents to determine the full extent of their exposures. 3. The City reserves the right to select firms from the responses received; to waive any or all informalities and/or irregularities; to re-advertise with either an identical or revised scope, or to cancel any requirement in its entirety; or to reject any or all proposals received. 4. A response to this RFP does not constitute a formal bid, therefore, the City retains the right to contact any/all proposing firms after submittal in order to obtain supplemental information and/or clarification in either oral or written form. Furthermore, an explicit provision of this RFP is that any oral communication made is not binding on the City s proposal process. 5. The City will not be liable for, nor pay for any costs incurred by responding firms relating to the preparation of any proposal for this RFP. Page 10 of 10