Even when it looks like that computer you’re working on is worthless, its parts still may be useful.

After campus computers are taken out of a classroom or a lab, they are sent to Property Control at NIU, where they’re deleted from the inventory and sent to Central Management Services in Springfield. The items, which include other office machines and furniture, must be sent to the state surplus since state money bought the equipment.

The items come from state money and are returned after they are of no use to the school or agency.

By law, the computers cannot be given to individuals. Jodi Schrage, a spokeswoman for Central Management Services, said NIU sends equipment about every 45 days. The equipment can be useful to many other states.

“Sometimes, what one agency may not need, another agency can use,” Schrage said. “It helps a lot of local governments and municipalities offset their costs if they’re under budget crunches.”

A public auction is held every few months in Springfield for equipment that other universities or state agencies couldn’t use.

Schrage said that every item that comes in is logged and the money from the auction goes back into the program and helps pay salaries.

John Berezinski, a computer science systems manager, said the department usually rolls over equipment every three years, but he’s hoping that the equipment will last another four or five years.

“I think the newer equipment is 100 times better than it was 10 years ago,” Berezinski said. “They’re reasonably powerful machines for our current needs.”

Joe Baird, director of materials management, helped start a furniture resale program on campus.

Instead of faculty having to wait up to a month for a new chair to be ordered, the department can purchase used furniture in good condition right on campus.

“The program is intended to find good quality, inexpensive, used furniture and office equipment for university departments,” Baird said.

The program only sells to departments that need the furniture. Staff from the departments can choose and purchase furniture on Tuesday mornings or Thursday afternoons.