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Columbus Woman Hoards
Stolen Library Materials

A Columbus, Ohio, woman accused of stealing $19,000 worth of books, audiocassettes, and videotapes from branches of the Columbus Metropolitan Library over the past seven years has been charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property.

According to the October 27 Columbus Dispatch, Library Security Investigator Adam Newman called on Martha Blair, 50, in September because she had returned the wrong videos to the library. He found boxes with hundreds of library items in her basement. Blair later led library officials to a rented garage where she had hoarded even more library materials. "She had no explanation except that she was sorry," Newman said.

A friend told the paper that Blair "has a compulsive disorder that causes her to collect items she doesn't need or use." Blair was scheduled to make her first appearance in county court this week.

Posted November 2, 1998.

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