Note from the Washington State Library: In order to participate in the Winter 2002 Washington State Databases Trial, each vendor was asked to address questions the Statewide Database Licensing Committee felt were most critical in order for library staff to evaluate products and vendors. Please contact the vendor's representative, listed below, for additional information on this product.

1. Describe the database product(s). If you want us to link to more than one product, provide a unique description for each product. Be sure we know what information belongs with each product. If there are special hardware or software needs, please make sure you include them in this description. When you provide a description of your product, please go beyond the typical advertising brochure text. We are hoping for a thoughtful, descriptive paragraph that will enable someone unfamiliar with your product to understand the nature and coverage of your product. The more concise the description, the better.

NewsBank is offering the complete cover-to-cover electronic edition of record for the following Washington State newspapers:

Seattle Times - 1985 to Current
Seattle PI - 1986 to Current
The Vancouver Columbian - 1994 to Current
Spokane Spokesman Review - 1991 to Current
The News Tribune (Tacoma) - 1992 to Current

In addition NewsBank is offering the complete cover-to-cover electronic edition of record for 119 national newspapers. A comprehensive list is attached.

2. Is remote access included for the subscription price? If there are additional charges or requirements in order to offer remote access, please describe. What methods of remote access are supported? If applicable, please discuss any methods or assistance you offer regarding remote access patron verification and authentication.

Remote access is available, at no additional charge, for students of an Academic Institution (2 & 4 Year Colleges/Universities) and a Public or Private School (Grades K to 12) only. Due to publisher restrictions, remote access is usually not available in the public library market. Please contact NewsBank to review the exceptions. Depending on the capabilities of the customer's systems, we might employ such methods as (1) library card-number authentication, (2) referring URL authentication, or (3) user name and password.

3. What customer training is provided, and at what cost? Please include "freebies" such as Web-based tutorials, end-user documentation tents, cheat-sheets, etc.

NewsBank will provide training for new users via an On-line Tutorial at no charge. This downloadable training is available to all users on an unlimited basis. Additionally, each library will have access to our Customer Service Support Desk available at (800) 243-7694 from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM (EST). Our Customer Service Support desk is a full service department, whose phones are answered by a live person able to answer questions about the product, its use and for troubleshooting technical problems. Additionally, all of NewsBank's products contain help screens on how to use, site and support the database. On-Site training is available upon request.

4. What customer and technical support is provided, including hours of operation? In your reply, please include contact names (if applicable) or name of department, the phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your support services. If you have toll-free access to these support centers, please make sure they are available here.

Our Customer Service Support Desk available at (800) 243-7694 from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM (EST) provides customer and technical support. Our Customer Service Support desk is a full service department, whose phones are answered by a live person able to answer questions about the product, its use and for troubleshooting technical problems. NewsBank's Customer Service Department can be reached as follows:

Phone: (800) 243-7694
Fax: (802) 875-2904
E-mail: [email protected]

5. Please describe the statistics you provide, and discuss whether your statistical reporting complies in part or in whole with the guidelines developed by the International Coalition of Library Consortia found at http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats.html

NewsBank complies with the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) in the following ways:

NewsBank can provide usage statistics on the following use elements:

Number of Searches (Keyword and Customized)

Number of Sessions (Logins)

Number of Articles Viewed

Each use element can be delineated by the following subdivisions:

By each specific database (Product)

By each institutionally-defined set of IP addresses

By total consortium

By special data element passed by subscriber (etc., Account or ID Number)

Note: Usage statistics are reported daily and this data can be maintained for 24 months.

6. Describe your pricing structure or formula for the product. If there are additional costs for retrieving full text, describe the pricing for this service. (Note: This question means - we want to know what your list prices are and how you calculate your prices: Based on FTEs? On buildings? On a combination, or on something else?)

If you cannot provide a standard price list that would enable each library to understand their cost to subscribe, then for each product you must tell us the list price that you would charge these hypothetical libraries.
a. Library A: A high school library with 750 students in grades 9-12
b. Library B: A public library that serves a population of 100,000 and has two branches
c. Library C: A public library that serves a population of 20,000 and has only one building, no branches
d. Library D: A community college library serving 5,000 full-time equivalent students
e. Library E: A four-year academic library serving 5,000 full-time equivalent students
f. Library F: A hospital library serving a hospital that employees 1,000 staff plus has 200 doctors attached to the hospital

All prices are based on the type of institution (Academic Library, Public Library or School Library), the size of the institution and the number of libraries within the institution. Pricing varies by product and by the institution size. The size of the institution is measured as follows:

Academic Libraries - Full Time Enrollment (FTE)
Public Libraries - Population Served or Book Volumes
School Libraries - Full Time Enrollment (FTE)

Prices vary by product and combination of products, please call for pricing (See section 9 below for contact information).

7. If a library subscribes to any of your products as a result of this trial, will their future subscription rates continue to reflect any savings or discount they may receive today?

Yes

8. What is the minimum participation level (however you care to define it) that would be needed to allow participating libraries to receive a discount? What is the minimum discount for a group buy? How will you treat existing library customers with regard to a group buy?

NewsBank is open to providing a statewide license to any combination of products listed under this bid. Please contact Scott Sawyer for more details regarding options and pricing.

NewsBank provides a discount off of our list price for Academic Libraries, Public Libraries and School Libraries. Additional group buying discounts are available based on the following criteria:

Academic Library and Public Library Discounts:

The below Academic Library and Public Library Discount Grid applies based on the following conditions:

When NewsBank receives a single order that includes 20 Subscriptions to any individual product. (Note: A single order is an order for multiple schools using one PO/Payment. Subsequent orders will not qualify for the discount unless that particular order meets one of the discount requirements above.)

Note: Current NewsBank customers, who are subscribing to products which becomes part of a group buy, will be provided a prorated credit for their unused subscriptions that overlap the subscription period for the qualifying group buy.

Academic Library and Public Library Discount Grid

Revenue Over
50% of FTEs
or 5 total sites

75% of FTEs
or 10 total sites

100% of FTEs
or 20 total sites

$10,000 5% 5% 5%

$25,000 10% 10% 10%

$50,000 15% 15% 15%

$75,000 - - 20%

School Library Discounts:

The below School Library Discount Grid applies based on the following conditions:

When a School District orders any combination of products that fits the following criteria:

Minimum of 2 non-elementary schools to qualify. (Can be 2 High Schools or 1 High School & 1 Middle School)

If no High Schools are in the district, then you must have at least 2 Middle Schools to qualify for the District Discount.

OR

When NewsBank receives a single order that includes 20 Subscriptions to any individual product. (Note: A single order is an order for multiple schools using one PO/Payment. Subsequent orders will not qualify for the discount unless that particular order meets one of the discount requirements above.)

Note: Current NewsBank customers, who are subscribing to products which becomes part of a group buy, will be provided a prorated credit for their unused subscriptions that overlap the subscription period for the qualifying group buy.

School Library Discount Grid

Revenue Over
50% of FTEs
or 5 total sites

75% of FTEs
or 10 total sites

100% of FTEs
or 20 total sites

$10,000
5%

5%

5%

$25,000
10%

10%

10%

$50,000
15%

15%

15%

$75,000
-

-

20%

9. Please provide the name and contact information (toll-free telephone number, e-mail address, hours, etc.) for libraries to make further inquires. (Sales representatives for our area preferred.)

Contact information is as follows:

Product, Pricing or Ordering Information:
Sales Staff
Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (EST)
Phone: (800) 762-8182
Fax: (941) 263-3004
E-mail: [email protected]

Customer Service and Technical Support:
Customer Service Staff
Hours: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (EST)
Phone: (800) 243-7694
Fax: (802) 875-2904
E-mail: [email protected]

WA State Trial Contract Information:
Scott Sawyer
Sales & Marketing Project Manager
Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)
Phone: (800) 762-8182 ext. 103
Fax: (941) 263-3004
E-mail: [email protected]