Whenever Schaumburg Township District Library property is determined to be broken, obsolete, beyond its useful life, or no longer necessary or useful for Library purposes, it shall be either sold or disposed of pursuant to the Public Library District Act of 1991,75 ILCS 16/30-55.30; 75 ILCS 16/30-55.32 (the “Act”). No real or personal property owned by the Library shall be sold or disposed of without prior authorization from the Library Board through passage of a resolution declaring said property to be no longer necessary or useful for Library purposes. Disposal of supplies and consumables do not fall under this requirement.
Library staff shall strive to sell all surplus Library property at its true current fair market value. If it is not economically prudent to sell the asset, or if no willing buyer is found, the property can be disposed of.
Neither Library Board members, employees, nor their families or friends, shall be given or sold Library property unless said property is obtained through a competitive sales process. Employees involved in the competitive sales process as part of their employment duties shall be prohibited from submitting a bid or offer. Library Trustees and employees shall not be allowed to participate in the negotiated sale of any Library personal property, or the sale, by sealed bid, of Library real estate property.
Process for Sale or Disposal of Library Materials
The Library Director is authorized to sell or dispose of Library materials (print and non-print), obtained through purchase or donation, which he or she determines to no longer be useful or appropriate for inclusion in the Library’s collection. It is not necessary for the Library Director to bring the list of materials to be sold or disposed of to the Library Board for approval.
Proceeds from the sale of Library materials shall be recorded as revenue in the General Fund. Proceeds from the first sale of Library materials in each calendar year, however, shall instead be earmarked for either the employee picnic or holiday dinner being held that year.
Process for Sale or Disposal of Library Personal Property
Property declared surplus by the Board, regardless of its value, may be donated or sold to any other tax-supported library under terms or conditions determined by the Board and consistent with the Act.
For property declared surplus by the Board with a true current fair market value of less than $1,000, the Library Director shall have the authority to dispose or sell that Library property as he or she sees to be in the Library’s best interest, provided the provisions of this policy statement are adhered to.
For property declared surplus by the Board with a current unit value of $1,000 to $2,499, the Library Director shall attempt to sell said property through a competitive process by posting the notice of sale at the central library and both branch libraries. The Library Director is also to consider any other means of obtaining the best price possible for the property, such as advertising in the local newspaper, or through online auction houses such as eBay or craigslist.
For property declared surplus by the Board with a current unit value of $2,500 or more, the Library Director shall attempt to sell said property through a competitive process by posting the notice of sale at the central library and both branch libraries, including the date and terms of the proposed sale. The notice of sale shall be posted at the central and branch libraries for at least 2 successive weeks. The Library Director shall also cause the notice of sale to be printed in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the district, which is published in Cook County, once each week for the 2 successive weeks the notice is posted at the libraries.
On the day of the sale, the Board shall proceed with the sale and may sell the property for a price determined by the Board or to the highest bidder. If the Board determines that the bids submitted are inadequate, it may reject all of the bids and re-advertise the sale at a later date.
When it is perceived to be in the best interest of the Library, the Library Director may request that the Library Board authorize the trade-in of equipment or vehicles when similar property is being purchased.
Process for Sale of Library Real Estate Property
Any land and buildings declared surplus by the Library Board are to be sold through a formal bidding process only after receiving a Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) certified appraisal of the real property’s current fair market value. The Library Board must approve the final sale once bid results are received.
These general policies shall apply to the sale and disposal of Library property unless additional procedures are required under the Act.
Approved by the Schaumburg Township District Library Board of Trustees on March 17, 2014 and revised on March 20, 2023.