Tonya Better

Tonya Better serves as a key procurement professional within the Contracts Services office of the Library of Congress, where she manages acquisitions critical to the preservation and digital access of the nation’s cultural and intellectual heritage. She specializes in procuring information technology and media services that enable large-scale digitization, metadata management, and digital preservation initiatives. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to modernize infrastructure for public access to archival collections, ensuring compliance with federal standards for accessibility and long-term data stewardship. She routinely handles complex, performance-based contracts for software development, digital asset management systems, and assistive technology services. Tonya maintains consistent working relationships 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, all of which bring deep expertise in accessible digital content and archival systems. Her partnerships emphasize mission-aligned vendors with proven capabilities in ADA-compliant technology, audio description services, and metadata standards development. These relationships reflect a preference for vendors with institutional experience in cultural heritage institutions and a demonstrated capacity to deliver scalable, sustainable digital solutions. Tonya’s contracting portfolio reflects a 100% non-set-aside approach, with no reliance on 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. Her procurement strategy prioritizes technical capability and mission fit over socioeconomic classifications, ensuring that acquisitions meet the Library’s rigorous standards for quality, interoperability, and accessibility. This approach underscores a focus on outcome-driven contracting rather than compliance-based set-asides. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), encompassing custom software development, digital preservation platforms, and accessibility consulting, with a secondary emphasis on NAICS 511210 for digital content distribution and online publishing services. She consistently procures services that integrate with library systems, support born-digital archiving, and ensure compliance with WCAG and NARA standards.