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Libraries are wonderful places for people who love books, and wonderful places for cats to meet book lovers. There are an estimated 808 documented library cats, including 301 cats who currently reside in libraries around the world. Here are just a few.
1. Dewey
Dewey Readmore Books became the official cat of the Spencer Public Library in Spencer, Iowa in 1988. Someone had left him in the book return bin. Dewey faithfully executed the duties of a library cat: attending meetings, greeting patrons, and inspecting every box delivered, until his death in 2006, just after his 19th birthday. He proved to be such a popular addition to the library that people drove hundreds of miles to meet him. Library director Vicki Myron wrote a book about him, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. The book is going to be made into a movie, which will star Meryl Streep. Watch Dewey in action in this series of videos. Dewey’s story has inspired other libraries to adopt cats, but while he may be the most famous, there are many other library cats.
2. Squeakers
The Willet Memorial Library on the campus of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia was the home of Squeakers for nine years. Before becoming the library cat-in-residence, Squeakers roamed the campus for a decade. It is believed that Squeakers was 23 years old when she died in 2008. Squeakers would spend most of her time in her later years sitting in a comfy chair near the library entrance, so she could see everyone who came through the doors.
3. Browser
Since 2002, Browser the blogging library cat has lived at the Pine River Library in Minnesota. He even moved along with the library to their new building. See more pictures of Browser at Flickr, and a video at YouTube.
4. Nyx
Nyx is the resident cat at the Chesterfield County Public Library in Virginia. Nyx was born without eyeballs in May of 2008. She also has a stubby tail, possibly due to an injury. Nyx gets around by echolocation, meaning she produces sounds and is aware of how far they travel when they bounce back. Even when she is still, she has a loud purr. Nyx seems very happy at the library. The patrons and staff alike spoil her with attention and toys. Nyx has a Facebook page for her fans.
5. Belle
Belle, the cat who lives in the Charles & Ona B. Free Memorial Library in Dublin, Virginia, may have to find another home. After three years of Belle having the run of the library, the Pulaski County Library Board discussed some complaints from library patrons about the cat. No action was taken at the time, but Belle fans became alarmed. They collected 787 signature (so far) on a petition to keep Belle.
6. Max
Max achieved library cat status at the Hastings Branch Library (a branch of the Pasadena Public Library), without ever living there officially. Max had a home nearby with his owner Leah Thompson, but he visited the library so often that he was issued his own library card! Max would wait at the door until someone opened it and walk in like he belonged there, from the early 80s until 1996. When Max stopped visiting, the library staff looked into his fate, and found his family had moved away. Presumably, Max found the public library in his new location.
7. Addison
Addison lives at the Nash Library on the campus of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Addison is more than just a library cat. She also is a fundraiser for Friends With Four Paws, an Oklahoma shelter for adoptable pets.
8. TLC
TLC is short for Top Library Cat. He is the cat-in-residence at the Broken Bow Public Library in Broken Bow, Nebraska. TLC has it made, as this library has a working fireplace! That’s where you’ll find TLC spending his days in the winter months.
Meet more library cats worldwide with the help of the Library Cats Map.
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The companion piece to this post is Bookstore Cats. See also: Five Famous Felines and Five Fantastic Felines.
Comments (16)
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I was pleased to see that Belle overcame the naysayers.
posted by BassMan on 6-2-2009 at 9:53 am
Fab cats but – ewww – what’s with the creepy Scientology advert?
posted by azahar on 6-2-2009 at 10:46 am
Did you know Dewey Readmore Books got his middle name from a fictional library cat? O.G. Readmore – the cartoon cat that taught all of us kids growing up in the ’80s that reading was fun. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OG_Readmore
I am such a nerd for knowing that.
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 6-2-2009 at 11:39 am
“Many thanks to each of you that signed the “Save Belle the Dublin Library Cat”. The Library Board voted tonight (with a lot of public pressure) to keep Belle in the library as long as policies and procedures are developed for her safety and the public safety. YEAH, YEAH – Victory! Come visit Belle if you are in the Dublin Virginia area – she would love to meet you!”
A small victory for us cat lovers.
posted by Jen on 6-2-2009 at 12:37 pm
And there’s BAKER AND TAYLOR, the mascots of the company of the same name…
I had a few posters/shopping bags with various incarnations of them back when I was working toward my MLIS… my favorite was the poster of the ‘Lone Reader’ (one of them was drawn dressed as Tonto)
posted by Amy on 6-2-2009 at 1:46 pm
My mother gave me “Dewey” for Christmas this past year. A month later, and before I had finished the book, I had to put my cat Mozart to sleep due to renal failure (his, not mine). I still can’t bring myself to finish the last few chapters.
posted by AmyD on 6-2-2009 at 3:15 pm
I’m most fascinated by the echolocating cat! Maybe she’s part bat?
posted by Random on 6-2-2009 at 4:14 pm
Ever see Logan’s Run? My favourites were the “hundreds” of cats in the library of congress (I think that was the building it was supposed to be) :)
posted by S on 6-2-2009 at 4:48 pm
I wonder how many of these cats like Hemingway’s stories :)
posted by Melissa on 6-2-2009 at 4:55 pm
Great article, Miss. Taupe, Sabrina, and Hemi (who was found sleeping on a Dodge engine) loved it.
posted by gus on 6-2-2009 at 5:10 pm
Great article! i wonder if the people who complained about Belle were allergic or just nasty people.
posted by J.T. Oldfield on 6-2-2009 at 6:09 pm
Dewey has such a sweet face… kund of resembles my late Simon.
posted by Anon Emous on 6-2-2009 at 8:53 pm
I know this post is about library cats. But any former UTSC student (University of Toronto at Scarbrough) will know Pookie. He lives nearby the campus but likes to hang around residence and visit the students. During frosh, there is even a speacial cheer for him to introduce students to Pookie. “Look its a bird, Its a plane ….its POOKIE”
posted by B on 6-3-2009 at 2:20 am
my boyfriend got me the Dewey book for christmas. before wrapping it, he read the last few chapters. he came out of our bedroom sobbing because it was just too sad.
i still can’t bring myself to finish the book, even though i know he had a long happy life.
long live library cats!
posted by emmiline on 6-6-2009 at 7:21 am
RIP Squeakers…. I have fond memories of you from my time at Wesleyan in the late 90s. You were always there for a quick pet before running away while I went into the library.
posted by Tiffany on 6-23-2009 at 9:39 pm
Does anyone know how to get these blog postings to print? In IE Explorer 7.0, it jams up, blanks out, and I have to close out. In Firefox 3.0.11, I only get the first page and the rest disappears. Any tips or is it a lost cause?
posted by Jenny on 7-21-2009 at 2:17 pm