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Akron woman accused of taking 1,000 items
By Phil Trexler
and Katie Byard
Beacon Journal staff writers
Published on Friday, Dec 21, 2007
By police accounts, she had 34 kids, each with a love for DVDs, books and toys.
In reality, Tammie Ware of Akron had just four kids.
And, according to officials, she also had more than 1,000 ''borrowed'' library items, ranging from movies to books to music and toys inside her home.
Some of the items were obtained with a library card, others were not.
The items belonging to the Akron-Summit County Public Library and collected by police this week rang up at more than $15,000, plus about $1,000 in overdue return fees, according to police reports and library officials.
Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said it took a pickup truck to haul the materials from Ware's home this week, but the library has its stuff back, generally in good condition.
As for Ware, 36, she is facing charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She is free on bond. No phone number could be found to reach her for comment.
''This is the first time in the history of our library that someone has done this,'' said library spokeswoman Carla Davis. ''Usually, most library users understand the principle of borrowing and returning our shared resources. Unfortunately, this person could not abide by this idea.''
Police say Ware would open new accounts with her children to continue ''borrowing'' library items, including children's and adult books, DVDs and VHS tapes. She also took toys kept at libraries for children to play with, police say.
They say her collection started back in 2000.
By last count, Ware had obtained 34 library cards from different locations on behalf of her children. She used her address and listed herself as the guardian, with the kids assuming aliases, authorities said.
The gig was up this month, when a library circulation worker believed she recognized the Ware family from other visits, Davis said.
Police obtained a search warrant and went to Ware's home. Some of the items recovered had been gone so long, librarians had written them off as missing or stolen.
As a result of this case, the library is reviewing its policies for applying for cards and pledges to prosecute people who misrepresent their identity.
''There have been people who have taken items before,'' Davis said. ''There have been people who have probably had library cards in different names. I wouldn't say to this magnitude. It has never happened.''
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.
By police accounts, she had 34 kids, each with a love for DVDs, books and toys.
Get the full article here.
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