Hilco Trading LLC, a company that specializes in the analysis of corporate assets, has announced that it has purchased 8,000 books from the bankrupt bookseller Border’s and plans to donate them to Chicago’s public school libraries. Hilco is handling the liquidation of the recently shuttered chain, and the donation will be a immense boon to the school district which is laboring under severe budget constraints.

According to Liz Dwyer of Good Education, and the company’s press release, Hilco president Jeffrey Hecktman announced the donation, valued at around $130,000, at Chicago’s Carl Schurz High School. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Governor Pat Quinn were all present at the ceremony to mark the gift.

“Our company has enjoyed great success over the years, largely due to the incredibly intelligent people who manage it,” said Jeff Hecktman. “We believe that education, above all other factors, is the foundation of commercial success and so we have decided to do what we can to help ensure American children receive the best education possible.” He added, “The book donation was only our first step in a continuing commitment to align our corporate resources with the needs of public education.”

Donated books include both fiction and nonfiction, prose and poetry, and cover topics such as mathematics, science, history, and law. The selection was culled from Border’s inventory throughout the United States.

“Hilco and (company chairman/CEO) Jeff Hecktman felt it was an opportunity … to support childhood education,” said Richard Kaye, executive vice president of Hilco.

Chicago Tribune reports that the last Border’s stores in the city will be closing this week, while the suburban locations will remain open until Sunday.