HD5 - The Virginia State Library's Contract with The Computer Company


Executive Summary:
On March 12, 1984 Speaker A. L. Philpott requested a special review of the contract between the Virginia State Library and The Computer Company (TCC).This contract calls for TCC to convert card catalogs of local libraries to machine readable form. During April 1984, the commission authorized three issues to be examined during the course of the inquiry: (a) Did the VSL follow State procedures in awarding a contract to TCC? (b) Are there provisions in the contract protecting VSL's proprietary interests in computer software? and (c) Are public libraries satisfied with the services being provided by TCC?

Findings and conclusions contained in this report are based on interviews with State Library and TCC personnel; letters and documentation supplied by several local libraries; and a telephone survey of 19 public libraries which have received funds under the State contract. Key findings of the study are:

1. State procurement procedures for computer services were followed by the State Library in awarding the catalog conversion project to TCC.

2. The State contract clearly specifies the State Library's ownership rights in certain computer software.

3. Public libraries believe that the quality of TCC services and products have improved since the conversion project was initiated in 1980. However, most of the libraries, which received grants in 1980 and 1981, reported dissatisfaction with TCC's overall performance. This is the period of time when the project was in its developmental stages and TCC, the public libraries, and the State Library were novices in catalog conversion. Public libraries had certain service expectations of TCC which were not always met. As time passed, TCC was better able to deliver on its earlier promises of services and the public libraries gained more experience with catalog conversion. Today, many public libraries believe that TCC's catalog conversion system has great promise and have opted to continue their business relationship with the company.

4. Better project management and communication by the State Library at the outset of the project could have averted some of the problems public libraries were having with TCC's services. The contract with TCC should have been revised in subsequent years to better reflect TCC's contractual and performance responsibilities. Greater attention needs to be given by the State Library to monitoring the performance of TCC and to improving communication with public libraries on matters related to the catalog conversion project.