REQUEST FOR INFORMATION -LOC Novel High-Density Optical Data Storage

The Library of Congress (LOC) Office of the Chief Information Officer has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the "Novel High-Density Optical Data Storage Pilot." The purpose of this initiative is to explore innovative preservation methods for the Library’s massive digital collections. Currently managing 33 petabytes of data, the LOC is investigating the feasibility of utilizing a durable, immutable, and high-density optical storage medium with a long lifespan and reduced maintenance or migration requirements. Under the draft Statement of Work, the selected contractor will develop and execute a plan to encode 1TB of multi-format digital data (video, audio, text, and images) onto the novel optical medium. Key objectives include achieving 100% data recovery with robust error-correction and validation protocols, ensuring the storage medium can withstand indoor library environments for at least 50 years, and demonstrating random-access searchability consistent with cold storage standards. Additionally, the contractor must design a modest, offline educational/artistic display of the data for Library visitors and provide a comprehensive report detailing the scalability and projected costs of the technology up to the petabyte scale. The anticipated contract structure is a firm-fixed-price award with a one-year period of performance starting in January 2027. Work will be performed at the contractor's facility, requiring a qualified Project Manager and Technical Experts with proven experience in optical data storage. RFI responses and feedback on the proposed task objectives, deliverable schedule, and CLIN structure are due by July 30, 2026.