A dispute over a state contract for courier services has led to the disruption of a popular program used by Maine kids to obtain library books otherwise not available at their local library.
The Inter Library Loan (ILL) program is a state-funded service that allows Mainers to request books from 203 public libraries across the state and have them delivered to their local library. It’s a popular resource for young readers, especially within Maine’s homeschooling community.
However, following the conclusion of the contract evaluation process, one of the companies that was pursuing the contract has filed an appeal disputing the legitimacy of the evaluation outcome.
The courier service contract was most recently held by Freedom Xpress, a Brewer-based transportation company. According to vendor payment records, Freedom Xpress received payments totaling $513,373 in 2023.
However, earlier this year, the Maine State Library (MSL) concluded the Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation by awarding the contract to the Brooklyn-based STAT Courier Service, Inc.
State Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) was among the first Maine parent to bring significant attention to the ILL disruption after encountering the problem with her own family.
“This is an example of how unelected bureaucracy impacts daily life… and whether you believe taxpayer funds should be spent on Inter-Library Loan services or not, the fact is, those funds have been allocated, and there SHOULD be accountability!” Rep. Libby said in a Facebook post.
According to documents from Maine’s Division of Procurement Services, the new pending contract with STAT Courier Service, Inc. amounts to $984,048 per year — nearly twice what was paid to the Maine-based company in prior years.
According to state records, Freedom Xpress was among the companies pursuing the new contract, along with the Vermont-based Vital Delivery.
State library officials, in communications with local librarians and interested parties, have refused to disclose which party has filed the appeal.
A representative from Freedom Xpress declined to comment on whether they had filed the appeal.
According to the RFP award document, STAT Courier did not receive the highest score during the evaluation in the category of “Qualifications & Experience” and scored the lowest in the cost category, meaning their proposal was the most expensive of the three submitted.
Per the RFP document, those negative scores were outweighed by the “Proposed Services” that STAT Courier promised in their response to the RFP.
Freedom Xpress scored the highest in the “Qualifications & Experience” category and submitted a request that was significantly less expensive than the eventual winner, yet was not awarded another two-year contract to provide the ILL loan service.
According to a copy of an email from Lori Fisher, the Maine State Librarian, the contract dispute has disrupted ILL service and a resolution date can not be provided.
In the email, a copy of which was obtained by the Maine Wire, Fisher said that, despite submitting the RFP to State Procurement on January 3, 2024—earlier than planned—delays arose when the Office of Information Technology (OIT) insisted on reviewing the proposal for a non-existent technology component. This review postponed the RFP release until early April. Bidders were notified of the award on April 30, 2024.
The legal appeal triggers broad statutes allowing for a hearing governed by State Procurement and the Attorney General’s office. The appeal process, expected to conclude in early July, has prevented the establishment of a new contract before the current van delivery agreement expires on June 30, 2024, Fisher said. The current winning bidder has stipulated a six-week implementation period, further delaying the service’s resumption.
To mitigate the disruption, Fisher said, MSL has collaborated with Maine InfoNet to disable inter-library loan requests for van delivery, allowing items to return to their home libraries before the contract ends. MSL plans to request that any remaining materials be delivered to MSL for mailing to their respective libraries.
This situation is not due to funding or legislative issues but the legal rights of an unsuccessful bidder.
The appeal hearing was held on June 12, with a decision expected within 25 calendar days, a date that lands on July 9.
The ILL disruption is not anticipated to have deleterious impacts on any drag queen story hours.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="28832 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=28832">4 Comments
We use(d) it quite a bit, and to be honest are kind of missing it. Books, Audio Books all good stuff. Something doesn’t sound right.
Gee, I wonder who in the state government has an interest in STAT Courier Services?
I am in my 70’s and have used the Maine State Library for many years. This dispute has messed me up too. I can only get books at the moment that are actually in the MSL. This is messing up an awful lot of people in Maine who depend on these services. Once again bureaucracy does not give a damn about “we the people”.
Steve – who did you reach out to at the Maine State Library for information and comment about the situation?