I recently did an internship where my major project was a
deaccessioning one.  Well, lots of issues came up at this small historical
society.  The first came when a book was not within the collection scope,
but was worth a small sum of money.  That went on to higher powers and, to
my knowledge, is still unresolved.
        Another issue concerned the use of an online auction service to
get rid of unwanted materials.  I consulted a prof. and he said that while
auctions are not out of the question, careful attention has to be paid to
bidders, the auctioneers relationship to the institution, his or her fee,
etc.
        Actually, I began by sending a letter to other local historical
societies and transferred some materials that way.  After that, I posted a
message on this very discussion list and got quite a few responses.  I am
happy to say that many materials found new homes all across the country.
        Careful documentation is key.  Keep track of all correspondence
and conversations.  Regular reports to board or committee members are
important as well.  In my case, the original donor names were lost due to
poor records, but the original donor or heirs should be contacted first.
        Hope this helped.

                                Vince

Vince Brooks
239 S. Mathilda St. #2
Pittsburgh, PA  15224

412-661-0666

"You can't spend what you ain't got, and you can't lose what you ain't
never had."

                                                - Muddy Waters