Blackwell’s Book Services’
Response to
SWING
Southwest Information Network Group, Inc.
RFP #06-05-15
Library Materials
22 June 2006
Original
Blackwell’s Book Services’ Response to
SWING
Table of Contents
10 July 2006
Cover Letter
Executive Summary
Staffing Profile
RFP Response
List of Attachments
10 July 2006
Elizabeth Horn
Contract Administrator
SouthWest Information Network Group, Inc.
910 Hamar Street
Beaufort, SC 29902
RFP #: 06-05-15
Dear Ms. Horn:
Blackwell's is pleased to respond to RFP #: 06-05-15, for the supply of library materials to Southwest Information Network Group, Inc. (SWING). With more than 125 years experience as a major supplier of scholarly, scientific and technical, special purpose, association, out-of-print and similar books to research, academic, scientific and technical, and government libraries, we can meet your library’s needs.
Blackwell's Book Services is committed to providing you with the best service in the academic and research library market and we look forward to creating a working relationship with you. We present this bid response confident that the consistently high quality of our products and services will make us a strong candidate for this proposal.
Should you have any questions about our proposal or about Blackwell's in general, please feel free to contact Ms. Hannah Bucholz, Regional Sales Manager, by telephone at 866-515-9593, by fax at 812-256-9017, or by email at .
Sincerely,
Gary A. Nees
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Blackwell's Book Services
C: Ms. Hannah Bucholz, Regional Sales Manager
CC: Ms. Patricia Adams, Eastern District Manager
Blackwell’s Book Services’ Response to
SWING
Executive Summary
10 July 2006
Blackwell’s Book Services has over 125 years experience as a supplier of scholarly, scientific/technical, out-of-print and similar books to research, academic, technical, scientific, and government libraries. Our customer list includes many of the world’s most prestigious libraries. Blackwell’s Book Services is a division of the family owned Blackwell, Ltd. of Oxford, England. As a part of the Blackwell Group, we enjoy resources that enable us to remain the market leader in technology and customer services. The relationship also provides us with an extensive network of affiliated companies to ensure complete services and offerings to libraries.
The Book Services division operates out of corporate headquarters in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Book distribution facilities are located in Blackwood, New Jersey and Oxford, England. We have a strong staff of 400 employees in the US and 150 employees in the UK dedicated to the book industry and our library customers. We purchase books on a regular basis from about 8,000 English-language publishers and from an additional 12,000 publishers on an "as-required" basis. Our Oxford operation frequently handles non-English language requests as well as orders for books not normally available through other US distributors.
Our total worldwide annual sales exceed $200 million, of which approximately 70% is within the US. Two product lines are offered: Books, which total about $195 million per year in sales, and comprehensive bibliographic support services and other technical services for libraries which total about $5 million per year.
Blackwell’s works with more than 15,000 academic, research and special libraries in 120 countries. We have over 5,500 active library customers, primarily academic libraries but also including public libraries, corporate libraries, and federal, state and local government libraries. Of the total number of customers, approximately 2,200 are in the U.S. Through a personalized network of products and services, from approval plans, firm orders, standing orders, and opening day collections, to Table of Contents enrichments and electronic new title announcement services, Blackwell’s combines longstanding methods of traditional bookselling with the latest information technology—all tailored to meet each library’s acquisitions needs.
Blackwell's Book Services has been a steadfast leader in the electronic content revolution in today’s libraries. We recognize that patrons of libraries are demanding more and more material in an electronic format. We work diligently with our e-content partners and publishers to get electronic materials to libraries. Blackwell's Digital Reference service makes it easy for libraries to purchase electronic materials from us using the same processes and library workflows that are favored for purchasing print materials. We offer over 500 titles from publishers such as Wiley, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, Oxford University Press, McGraw-Hill and Blackwell Publishing and the list grows daily. In addition, Blackwell’s currently partners with ebrary and eBook Library (EBL) to expand our offering of ebooks and electronic databases to libraries. Collection Manager, Blackwell's powerful web-based collection development and acquisitions tool, provides access to over 25,000 EBL titles.
Blackwell’s Book Services is an industry leader in assisting libraries in creating acquisition workflows using electronic customer systems. Collection Manager, Blackwell's powerful web-based collection development and acquisitions tool, provides access to a database of over 3 million bibliographic records system wide. This includes forthcoming titles, eBooks, Tables of Contents, New Titles (titles treated on approval) and Firm Order books representing the top scholarly and academic titles in the world. Through the electronic interfaces that Blackwell’s has established with leading integrated library system (ILS) vendors, libraries increase the accuracy and timeliness of orders, and streamline the receiving process, while minimizing manual data entry. Blackwell’s Total Solutions make it possible for libraries to use us as a single source for obtaining books and making them available in the shortest time possible. Additionally, Blackwell’s MaRC With Books and OCLC Promptcat services, along with Blackwell’s Shelf-Ready Service, quickly put books on the shelf and available to users through the OPAC.
In 2004, Blackwell's implemented the first phase of an ambitious project to replace and modernize its distribution and order management software and hardware. We moved to a state-of-the-art system which employs client-server architecture with Oracle-based software products. Blackwell's has been an industry leader for over 125 years, and we look forward optimistically to the next 125.
Blackwell's Book Services’ Response to
SWING
Staffing Profile
10 July 2006
Gerry Connolly – Executive Chairman
Oxford, England
Gerry Connolly is Executive Chairman of Blackwell Limited, our parent company, and is also Chairman of Blackwell North America. He has ultimate responsibility for Blackwell’s retail bookshops in the UK and for the global Library Supply business. Gerry has held senior management roles in major multi-national companies around the world and has lived and worked in Africa, the United States, France, Italy and in Asia before settling in London, England. In the 1990s he worked in the library services industry as Chief Financial Officer of Dawson Holdings, which operated in several countries as a serials subscription business, a book supply business and a library ILS systems vendor.
Susan Peterson – Chief Executive Officer
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Susan Peterson joined Blackwell's as CEO in May of 2006. Peterson previously held senior executive roles at Baker & Taylor and Lightning Source. She has also been a strong contributor to the publishing and book distribution community for over 30 years. Susan served as Vice President of digital business and publisher digital business from 2002 to 2005 at Baker & Taylor (B&T). She most recently has been providing independent consulting services to printers, publishers, distributors, retailers and libraries with emphasis on business development and strategic planning, and specializing in development of print-on-demand and eBook digital service programs.
Andrew Hutchings – Managing Director BBS UK
Oxford, England
Andrew Hutchings joined Blackwell's Oxford office in 1987. Andrew worked in both the Information Technology and Marketing departments in Oxford while also completing the Blackwell's Management Development program. After a three-year assignment in our Oregon offices leading the integration of our global businesses, Andrew returned to the UK in 1999 taking up the post of Chief Technology Officer. In 2001 Andrew became Vice President of Distribution Services with global responsibility for Distribution and Acquisition. Andrew was appointed Managing Director of Blackwell's Book Services UK in March 2005.
Gary A. Nees – Sr. Vice President Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Gary joined Blackwell's in February of 1995 and is currently Sr. Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. He has a background in the forest products industry and has served as Chief Financial Officer for several private companies as well as Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer for a Fortune 500 company. Gary has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Mark Maloney – Vice President of Book Operations
Blackwood, New Jersey
Mark joined Blackwell’s in April of 2005. He arrived as the new Director of Book Operations at our Blackwood, NJ facility. Mark comes to Blackwell’s with 20 years of experience in book distribution working for companies such as Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor and most recently, Borders. Mark ran the East Coast operations for Borders for over 7 years and then spent over 3 years working at their corporate offices on enterprise systems implementations. Most recently, Mark was appointed as Vice President of Book Operations.
Ann Reed – Vice President of Human Resources
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Matt Barnes – Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Matt Barnes is Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Matt started with Blackwell’s as a marketing consultant in 2002 and then joined the company fulltime in 2003, holding several positions including Strategic Projects Manager and Director of Market Development. Prior to Blackwell’s Matt was an independent consultant specializing in business planning, product management, and financial analysis. He has also held project management and marketing roles in several technology companies. Matt holds an MBA from Washington State University.
Celia Wagner – Vice President of New Titles
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Celia is the Vice President of New Titles for Blackwell North America, focusing on Approval Plans, Standing Orders and Announcement Services. Celia received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Yale University, and taught school before joining Blackwell's. She has worked for both Blackwell North America and Academic Book Center since 1978, in Authority Control, New Titles, Sales, and Approvals.
John Gruher – Vice President of Information Technology
Lake Oswego, Oregon
John is Vice President of Information Technology. He has been with Blackwell’s since February of 2005. John has an extensive background in management and Information Technology. He has been Managing Partner of an IT consulting firm, Vice President of Operations for an electronics company, and Director of IT for two companies during his 35 year career. John has a Mathematics degree from Oregon State University and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Portland.
Patricia Adams – Eastern District Manager
Cobleskill, New York 800-536-6248
Before Pat accepted the position in 1997 as the Regional Sales Manager for the Northeast United States, she was the Acquisitions and Periodicals Librarian at Union College in New York. She has an MLS from the State University of New York at Albany. Pat was appointed Eastern District Sales Manager in 2003.
Hannah Bucholz – Regional Sales Manager
Charlestown, Indiana 866-515-9593
Hannah Bucholz came to Blackwell’s in 2003 after over 20 years of experience in academic and law libraries. She holds a Bachelors degree in General Studies from Indiana University Southeast.
Jacqueline Antonucci – Customer Service Representative
Blackwood, New Jersey 877-277-1132
Jackie joined Blackwell’s in 1999 after many years in Customer Service in the medical field and retail management. Jackie has trained in our Operation Division as well as Standing Order and Publisher Services Departments
Bryanne Hoeg – Approval Account Coordinator
Lake Oswego, Oregon 866-760-1267
Bry came to work in Blackwell’s Approval Department in 2005. Prior to Blackwell’s, she worked in customer service for an international company. Bry received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Linfield College, where she worked in the College library for all four of her undergraduate years.
Sandro Felcher – BTS Account Manager
Lake Oswego, Oregon 877-270-4342
Sandro started in the Approval Department at Academic Book Center in 1997. He then moved to the New Titles Department at Blackwell’s in 1999 as a Book Buyer and Editor. In 2004 Sandro Became an Approval Coordinator in Blackwell’s Approval Department. Sandro joined the Bibliographic & Technical Services Department in 2006 as an Account Manager. He has a bachelor degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana, with a major in Rhetoric and minor in Film Studies. Currently, he is completing his Masters degree in Library Science from Drexel University’s distance education program.
Ursula Miniszewski – Bids & Contracts Manager
Lake Oswego, Oregon 800-547-6426, fax: 503-639-2481
Ursula became the Bids & Contracts Manager in July 2005. Previous to this position she worked as the Bids Specialist at Blackwell's as well as working in the Standing Order Department at Academic Book Center. Ursula earned her Bachelor's Degree in Modern European History at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR.
COVER SHEET
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Issue Date: May 15, 2006 RFP 06-05-15
Title: Library Materials
Issuing Agency: SouthWest Information Network Group, Inc. (SWING)
Using Agencies: SouthWest Information Network Group, Inc. Member Libraries
Initial Period of Contract: From January 1, 2007 Through June 30, 2009 (Renewable)
Sealed Proposals Will Be Received Until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on July 10, 2006, For Furnishing The Services Described Herein.
All Inquiries For Information Should Be Directed To: Elizabeth Horn, Contract Administrator, 843/846-3937 (V), 843/846-3942 (F), or .
IF PROPOSALS ARE MAILED, HAND DELIVERED OR EXPRESS MAILED, SEND DIRECTLY TO: Elizabeth Horn, Contract Administrator
SouthWest Information Network Group, Inc.
910 Hamar Street
Beaufort, SC 29902
In compliance with this proposal and to all the conditions imposed herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish the library materials in accordance with the attached signed proposal or as mutually agreed upon by subsequent negotiation.
Name and Address of Firm:
__Blackwell’s Book Services____________________ Date:__10 July 2006______________________
__6024 Jean Road, Building G___________________ By:____________________________________
(Signature in Ink)
_____________________________________________ Name:_Gary A. Nees_____________________
__Lake Oswego, OR______________Zip _97035____ Title_Senior Vice President and CFO________
FEI/FIN No._93-0638303________________________ Phone:__503-684-1140____________________
E-mail:______________ FAX:___503-639-2481___________________
Note: SWING and the public bodies SWING represents do not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance with the Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1 or against an offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment.