The Board’s authority for the purchase of materials, equipment, supplies, and services is extended to the library administration through the listing of such items compiled as part of the budget-making process and approved by the Board through its adoption of the annual appropriations resolution and subsequent amended appropriations resolutions.

The library administration shall make purchases at the lowest responsible cost, in compliance with all governmental statutes, regulations, and guidelines, and in compliance with all applicable policies of the library. Except as set forth below, for those purchases not falling under sections 3375.41 (bidding) and 153.65–153.71 (professional design services) of the Ohio Revised Code (“ORC”), the solicitation of quotations for prices is recommended where practical. In certain circumstances, as determined by the Director, Requests for Proposals or Requests for Qualifications may be appropriate instead of a quotation for prices.

Whenever reasonably practicable, the library administration shall take full advantage of State of Ohio contracts for goods and services negotiated with suppliers from the State of Ohio as well as other cooperative agreements approved by the Board of Trustees.

Shaker Heights Public Library will provide an opportunity for diverse suppliers to compete for its business when procuring goods and services, while seeking to engage the best suppliers and keeping cost effectiveness as a top priority. Shaker Heights Public Library’s supplier diversity perspective includes minority-, women- and veteran-owned business enterprises.

Prior approval of the Board of Trustees is required for all expenditures that exceed $50,000, regardless of whether bidding is required by the ORC.  Exceptions to the threshold shall be cases of emergency or where the security and protection of library property, customers, or staff is threatened. (Examples of emergencies include fires, floods, storm damage, roof damage or theft damage to buildings or properties.) In the case of an emergency, the Director shall notify the Board President promptly and the Board shall ratify the expenditure at the first regular board meeting after said emergency.

The Fiscal Officer shall verify that the expense is a legal expenditure of library funds, that adequate funds to cover the expenditures have been previously appropriated by the Board, and that funds are either available or are in the process of being collected prior to approving any expenditures.  Except in the case of an emergency, if the expenditure amount exceeds $50,000 and/or causes an overage in the budgeted category, the Fiscal Officer must also verify that the Board has approved the expenditures.

After verification by the Fiscal Officer, the Director or Director’s designee is authorized to sign all contracts.

The library administration will follow bidding procedures outlined in ORC 3375.41 for contracts to construct, demolish, alter, repair or reconstruct a library or make any improvements or repairs to same, or as otherwise required under such statutory section, which meet or exceed the competitive bidding threshold defined in ORC 9.17, except in cases of urgent necessity or for the security and protection of library property. In addition, special rules as described in ORC 153.65-153.71 shall be followed for the purchase of professional design services.

The library administration shall require bidders for contracts exceeding the competitive bidding threshold to file with the bid, a bid guaranty in accordance with ORC 153.54, guaranteeing the carrying out of the contract’s specifications and payment for all labor and materials.

Approved by the Shaker Heights Public Library Board of Trustees 12/04, revised 4/13/2010, 5/9/2011, 4/8/2013, 4/24/2017, 6/18/2018, 4/15/2019, 1/22/2024