Library Bidder Won’t Surface; More Bids to Be Sought

By Rebecca Vandermeulen, Reading Eagle, Pa.

Feb. 14–The lone bidder who won an online auction for naming rights to the Womelsdorf Community Library either had a change of heart or wasn’t sincere from the start, officials said Monday.

The bidder, who agreed to donate $325,000, has not responded to the library’s efforts to contact him or her through eBay, the popular Internet auction site.

The auction ended Thursday.

"It could be somebody being cruel," said library Director Melanie J. Motchenbacher. "Maybe they thought they were doing us a favor. Maybe they were hoping this would generate some bids."

The library trustees will try again.

Trustee MaryAnne C. Beamesderfer said the board plans to start another eBay auction this week with a starting bid of $300,000.

"We’re hoping that somebody out there will be interested," Motchenbacher said. "Maybe somebody out there somewhere in the country."

The library board will not set a reserve price in the new auction. That means any bid at or above the starting price would be binding.

The previous auction had a reserve price of $375,000. Under eBay rules, the $325,000 bid could be rejected by the seller or withdrawn by the bidder because it did not meet that price. Officials did not know if that was the reason the bidder did not come forward.

Motchenbacher said the library board wasn’t able to obtain any information about the bidder except that he or she has been registered with eBay for several years and is in good standing with the site.

If the new auction is successful, the money will fund an expansion of the library at 203 W. High St. to about 5,000 square feet from the existing 2,000 square feet. Other improvements would include a new heating system, a new parking lot and renovations to an emergency stairway.

The board sought construction bids in September, and the lowest bid was about $680,000.

Motchenbacher said the improvements are badly needed for the library, which was visited nearly 38,000 times last year. Most patrons come from Womelsdorf, Marion Township and Newmanstown, Lebanon County.

"We just don’t have the room to keep up with the demand," she said.

Contact reporter Rebecca VanderMeulen at 610-371-5015 or rvandermeulen@readingeagle.com.

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