And now -- the Word from the Idaho State Journal, Pocatello's finest (and only) daily newspaper, for Friday, July 16, 2004:

Libraries see many duplicate CDs from settlement

By Emily Jones - Journal Writer

POCATELLO - Marshall Public Library Director Mike Doellman doesn't have anything against Ricky Martin or Whitney Houston.

He just doesn't expect the library users to check out 11 copies of Whitney singing "The Star- Spangled Banner," or 15 copies of Ricky crooning "She Bangs."

Along with Houston and Martin, Doellman came back from a business trip Thursday to find 1,074 CDs waiting to be sorted and catalogued.

The CDs were sent to Marshall and more than 90 other libraries across Idaho. The music was sent as part of an anti-trust settlement between music companies and 40 states. The state attorneys general alleged five music distributors and three large CD retailers conspired to raise the price of CDs. In addition to paying fines and restitution, the companies agreed to donate CDs to non-profit organizations.

Many libraries, like Marshall, have seen lots of duplicates. One library in Washington state received more than 70 copies of Houston's "Star-Spangled Banner," Doellman said.

The library staff is slowly going through the CDs, deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. The multiples (such as "Timeless: Honoring the Music of Hank Williams" - 15 copies), will be given to Friends of the Marshall Public Library for sale.

Money from the sale is legally required to be spent on something music-related, and must supplement the already-existing budget, Doellman said.

"If you like Ricky Martin, I've got a deal I think you're going to like," he said.

In smaller communities, such as Grace, the CDs were a welcome gift. Grace Public Library received 78 CDs, and only a few were duplicated. Before receiving the CDs Thursday, Grace had no collection at all.

"It's going to be really nice for us," said Grace Library Director Linda Rasmussen.