Charles Hertenstein

Charles Hertenstein serves as a key procurement professional within the Contracts Services office of the Library of Congress, where he manages complex acquisitions to advance the nation’s digital stewardship of cultural and intellectual heritage. His responsibilities center on securing information technology and media services that enable large-scale digitization, metadata enrichment, and long-term digital preservation of library collections. He routinely handles task orders and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts for software development, cloud infrastructure, and accessibility-focused digital services, ensuring alignment with federal standards for accessibility, security, and interoperability. Hertenstein maintains sustained partnerships with a select group of specialized contractors, including the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Accessibility Services Inc., and the University of Washington, reflecting a preference for organizations with deep expertise in accessible technology and archival digitization. His working relationships are characterized by long-term collaboration with vendors that possess proven capabilities in ADA-compliant digital platforms, audiovisual preservation systems, and metadata automation tools. These partnerships are often built on performance history and technical specialization rather than broad market competition. His procurement strategy shows no reliance on socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven focus on technical capability over socioeconomic categorization, prioritizing the highest quality solutions for mission-critical digital infrastructure. While small businesses are not excluded, they compete on equal footing with larger firms based on demonstrated expertise in digital preservation and accessibility. Hertenstein’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) and 518210 (Computing Infrastructure Providers), with a secondary emphasis on 513210 (Software Publishers). He consistently acquires custom software solutions, cloud-hosted digital archives, metadata management platforms, and web-based access systems designed for high-volume, multi-format cultural content. His technical domain expertise centers on digital preservation architectures, accessibility compliance (WCAG, Section 508), and scalable data infrastructure for national-scale library initiatives.