No Rock And Roll Fun

IT WAS ALL A COMPUTER ERROR. APPARENTLY: That's the reason that's being given for the libraries receiving dozens of copies of the same CD under the terms of the overcharging settlement. You'll recall that the record labels of America were caught overcharging American consumers (even although prices in the US were about half of what they charge us in the UK), and as part of the deal to make things right, they're having to give free CDs to libraries. But a computer error at the company adminstrating the giveaway has created some odd situations:

Among them are the librarians at the Tacoma (Wash.) Public Library, who last week received a shipment of 1,325 CDs that included 57 copies of “Three Mo’ Tenors,” a 2001 recording featuring classically trained African American tenors Roderick Dixon, Thomas Young and Victor Trent Cook; 48 copies of country artist Mark Wills’ 2001 album “Loving Every Minute,” 47 copies of “Corridos de Primera Plana,” a greatest hits compilation by Los Tuscanes de Tijuana (2000); 39 copies of “Yolanda Adams Christmas” (2000); 37 copies of Michael Crawford’s “A Christmas Album” (1999) and 34 copies of the Bee Gees’ “This Is Where I Came In” (2001).
“Not to disparage the artists represented, but I was pretty surprised by the numbers,” said librarian Lara Weigand, noting that the library system normally would stock no more than two copies of the most-popular titles at each of its 10 branches. “I didn’t know what the terms of the settlement were for schools and libraries, but I did not think that it was the intent that we would get more copies than we could use.”

But even if the multiple copies have been a mistake, it doesn't seem that the titles themselves are - is it really in keeping with the spirit of the agreement for the companies to use the opportunity to dump piles of shit, unwanted old toss onto the public library service? It's as if publishers sent round copies of Geri Halliwell's biography, Nasty Nick's book and some old latin primers. Christina Aguilera's Christmas album? Let's give it to the libraries. Entertainment Weekly's Greatest Hits of 1971? That's been taking up space in the warehouse. Des Moines got the most wooden of all the wooden spoons on offer - 430 copies of a CD containing just Whitney Houston singing The Star Spangled Banner. We'd be interested to hear if any library got a record that anyone in their right mind would have considered paying for.