Joan M Fitts

Joan M. Fitts serves as a Contracting Officer for the Library of Congress Fedlink, where she plays a pivotal role in securing essential information resources that support federal library and research operations nationwide. Responsible for the full lifecycle of procurement activities, she manages competitive acquisitions for books, periodicals, non-print media, and digital content critical to federal agencies’ research infrastructure. Her work directly advances the Library’s mission to ensure equitable, authoritative access to information across the federal government, with a strong emphasis on modernizing digital collections and enhancing cataloging systems through strategic sourcing. Fitts maintains established vendor relationships primarily with merchant wholesalers specializing in book and periodical distribution, as well as providers of digital content and library services. She engages with a stable network of suppliers who consistently meet federal standards for quality, delivery, and compliance, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in reliability and adherence to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements. Her contracting approach prioritizes performance-based outcomes and contract administration excellence to ensure seamless fulfillment of agency needs. Fitts’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions classified as “No Set-Aside.” While she does not currently utilize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her approach aligns with the Library’s mandate to procure high-volume, mission-critical materials efficiently and at scale, prioritizing capability and continuity over socioeconomic preferences. Her primary NAICS focus is on 424920 (Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers), reflecting her deep expertise in acquiring physical and digital publications for federal libraries. She also procures services under 519190 (Other Information Services) and 541990 (Other Professional Services), demonstrating proficiency in managing complex contracts for metadata enrichment, digital archiving, and specialized library support. Her domain expertise centers on the acquisition of authoritative, curated information resources that underpin federal research and public service missions.