RFPs: a necessary evil or indispensable tool?

The purpose of this paper is to assess attitudes amongst librarians and system vendors towards the use of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for selecting a library management system; and to use the results as the basis of recommendations for best practice.

A focus group of librarians and a focus group of system vendors were asked open‐ended questions. Similar groups answered quantitative questions through an electronic survey.

Librarians and vendors both found some value in the RFP process provided it was done well.

Best practice is recommended in three aspects of the RFP process: communication, preparation, and documentation.

No previous research has assessed attitudes to the RFP process amongst librarians and vendors, and compared the results.