Pender County Schools JH Lea Library Collection and District Library Services RFP 2026-MEDIA-002

Pender County Schools is soliciting proposals for comprehensive library services to support the opening of J.H. Lea Elementary School and the transition of the middle school library, along with an annual contract for ongoing library material procurement. The scope includes the development and delivery of age-appropriate, curriculum-aligned book collections, shelf-ready processing with barcode labeling compatible with the Follett Destiny system, MARC record creation, relocation and relabeling of existing materials, collection analysis, and annual purchasing support with an estimated annual budget of $150,000. The contract has an initial three-year term and includes an option for up to five one-year renewals, potentially extending the total value to $1.2 million. All materials must be delivered FOB Burgaw, North Carolina, in first-class condition, with hardcover or library-bound formats preferred for high-circulation items, and must include proper ownership stamps, Mylar covers, and genre labeling as specified by the school district. Proposals must be submitted as hard copies by August 17, 2026, to the Pender County Schools Purchasing Department, with no digital or fax submissions permitted. Offerors are required to submit a completed Vendor Information Sheet, customer references, a detailed Pricing Proposal, a Project Implementation Plan, and acknowledge adherence to PCS Standard Terms and Conditions. Evaluation will follow a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) basis, where technical compliance is assessed first and the lowest responsive bid among qualified offerors will be selected. Key requirements include strict compliance with confidentiality laws regarding student data, prohibition on selling personally identifiable information, annual criminal background checks for all personnel, and adherence to OSHA standards. The contractor may not subcontract or transfer obligations without prior written approval, and all documents and materials created under the contract become the property of Pender County Schools. Payment is due within 30 days of invoice receipt and acceptance, and disputes must first go through mediation under AAA rules before litigation. The contract is subject to funding availability, and failure to meet specifications—including barcoding errors or improper processing—will result in rejection and replacement at no cost to the school district.