BARD Mobile Development Services IDIQ

1/3/2024

The purpose of this revision is to post Amendment 0001 which updates the Statement of Work, Section L and posts a Question and Answer document (title Attachment J4). 

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This is a combined synopsis / solicitation for a multiple-award BARD Mobile Development Services IDIQ.

Please see attachment solicitation 030ADV24R0004 and its attachments J1 – J7. Below is a brief summary of the solicitation:

The Library of Congress (Library) National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) requires contract support to provide software development services to be performed using an agile development methodology.

NLS provides a suite of freely available iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and PC software applications for eligible U.S. residents and citizens that allow a patron to search, browse, and play back items from the NLS collection of braille and talking-books. For iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire platforms these applications are known as BARD Mobile. For Windows PCs this application is known as BARD Express. BARD Mobile and BARD express have been publicly available for several years.  This contractor will be responsible for the existing “BARD” suite of software as well as future other NLS reading applications.

NLS reading applications are unique in that they support playback of both ANSI/NISO Z39.86 Digital Talking Books protected with the PDTB 2.0 specification and braille books in the BRF format. NLS reading applications have been specially designed to use the native accessibility features of the underlying platforms and connect with devices such as refreshable braille displays to provide a high-quality user experience for NLS patrons. NLS reading applications also support communication with the NLS BARD system to provide user authentication, searching/browsing of the NLS collection, and access to user created reading lists and preferences.  The NLS collection includes books, magazines, musical scores, and even recorded musical performances performed for and at the Library of Congress.  The NLS reading application software resulting from this contract must be able to serve its eligible patrons with a reliable, usable, and accessible product to allow access to NLS books, musical performances, scores and other content. The NLS reading application software resulting from this contract must be expansive in meeting the diversity of NLS eligible user types and their needs and preferences.

This contract shall provide agile software development activities involving the maintenance, enhancement, and development of existing and new NLS applications for searching, browsing, and reading content from the NLS collection of braille and talking books on the relevant iOS, Linux, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac OS, Windows platforms, and other platforms. The contractor shall perform all software