One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

The Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library held a surplus sale on July 9 in order to help raise money for the library and rid itself of some unwanted items.

Miscellaneous items declared as surplus by the library’s Board of Trustees, ranged from broken computer monitors to wobbly chairs. At the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. sale, there was a bid box, where potential buyers placed sealed bids for the items.

Items were awarded to the highest bidders. Bid winners were announced publicly on July 10 in the library’s Boehm Meeting Room. Bidders were made aware that the items were to be sold “as is” and that most of the items were not in operating order.

Other items included printers, calculators, and computer chairs with non-working hydraulic functions. Conducted annually, and sometimes twice a year, the sale gives people a chance to get better use out of otherwise discarded items, library officials said.

According to library director Susan O. de Sciora, people bought these broken items with hopes to fix them up and make them pieces in their homes where they wont get the abuse that they receive at the library.

“We can’t throw things out without making it available to the public,” said de Sciora, “even though we received very few bids this year.”

The library raised a mere $6.25 from the sale for the purchase of several chairs. That was low considering in past years more than $100 was collected from similar sales.