Libraries Lead! (National Library Week, April 8-14, 2018)

Do you know where you're going?  The library can lead you there.  The journey begins April 8th.

This year's theme is "Libraries Lead!"  Share your story with us and become eligible to win prizes!  (We're working on lining-up prizes as my minions type this.)  Complete the form (available at the library) and return it to our circulation desk during National Library Week (April 8-14, 2018).

Casey at the Bat and Scowl-Face would like to make some videos of patrons and staff reading their "libraries lead" stories for the camera.  Your big chance for fortune and fame!  Well, you get to sit in a comfy chair while they're filming you.  If you're interested in participating in our videos, just add a postscript to your form with your phone number or email address, and we'll be in touch.  We're planning to record the videos during National Library Week, so keep your calendar free!  (Actually, we'll work around your schedule.)  It'll be totally fun!

Questions?  Just ask our library staff.  That's what they're there for.

I'm hoping that my library can lead moi to a full supper dish.  Minions, take the lead.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

For When You Need A Really BIG Book Cart

My library has these little handheld metal baskets patrons may pickup and carry around to hold all the stuff they want to checkout.  They're perfectly adequate for ordinary needs, but what if you want to checkout LOADS of books, movies, audiobooks, kits, music CDs, or whatever?  You'll need a REALLY BIG book cart for that.  Fortunately, we've got you covered.

Click Photos to Bigify

Key Words:  Inside and Return Here

Obviously (Duh!)

These grocery carts are kept next to the Hold Shelves by the elevator.  Patrons may use these carts throughout the inside of the library.  Don't take them outside, or else we'll unleash our finely-trained crew of feline enforcers--like this dude.

You've Been Warned

After gathering together everything you wish to checkout, and our helpful circulation staff (or our self-checkout kiosks) have checked the items out to you, then you should return the cart to where you found it.  If not, then, once again, it's attack cat city.  Nobody wants that.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

April Library Displays

It's practically April--it has been raining for the past two days--so it's time for my library to put up some Spring-themed displays.  As always, click the photos below to bigify.

CatPro, our relatively new (she's been here a couple months) technical services coordinator, created this display for National Garden Month (April).  Checkout these (and other, similarly topical) books (and other stuff) using your Evergreen Indiana library card.

The Decorinator added this John Deere toy display to the glass cabinet next to the library's front entrance.  You can't get more Spring than farming in Indiana.

Drop by to see these (and other) displays.  It makes sense to come into the library.  It's raining outside.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Our Go-To Go-Tabs

So, you're visiting my library, and you need to access the Internet, but you've forgotten your mobile device or laptop or whatever.  You could use our computer lab, but that cramps your style (I'm only guessing here, but let's just say for fun).  You'd really like to be able to checkout a portable tablet with Internet access that you could use while you're inside the library, taking it to one of our many quiet areas with tables by the windows.  Guess what?  We've got you covered.

Use your Evergreen Indiana library card to checkout our Hublet portable Internet tablets available at the circulation desk.

Click Photos to Bigify

You'll need your Evergreen Indiana password (i.e., PIN) to checkout the tablets.  If you've forgotten your password, our circulation staff can reset it for you.

Our I.T. guru T. Rex has pre-loaded these tablets with our mobile app (MPL2GO), as well as some popular, super helpful apps.  These may require your own login credentials, however, so you may need to setup an account with the app providers to use them.

These tablets only function inside the library, so don't try to take them outside.  If you do, we've got a highly trained squad of attack kitties standing by.

Okay, Maybe Not

The tablets should automatically connect to our WiFi network after you check them out.  There are instructions on each tablet to help you.

When you're done, just return the tablet to the Hub at the circulation desk, insert it into a vacant slot, and it automatically checks-in.  It's as simple as that.

Try out our tabs on the go.  (We need a catchier name.)  Go-Tabs?  I like the sound of that.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

There's Snow Telling About Hoosier Weather

When it comes to Indiana weather, there's snow telling what's next.  I've checked my calendar, and it's definitely Spring.  So, what's all this, then?

Honestly, the Videos Aren't Really Blurry

(Click to Play)

It's not much snow--certainly nothing like what they've been getting lately in New England--but it's still a bummer.

My supper dish is completely covered!  Minions, make with the snow shoveling!

Snow, shmow.  My library's open anyway.  Drop by where it's warm and dry.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Johnny D's Furry Felon

There are a surprising number of famous folks from my hometown.  The most notorious is John Dillinger, bank robber during the early 1930s, whose family moved to Mooresville when he was a child (technically, just north of town, on a farm along Old State Road 267).  The Dillingers were well-liked.  John was a friendly fellow.  The Dillingers shopped at the West End Grocery, owned by Frank Morgan, at 135 West High Street in town.  It was probably quite a shock when Johnny and a friend, Ed Singleton, attempted to rob Mr. Morgan on Saturday, September 6, 1924, just a block from my library.  Scowl-Face made a local history video about it.

John Dillinger's Hometown Holdup
(Mooresville Moments #7)
by Mooresville Public Library

You can read Scowl-Face's blog post (if you can stand it) for more details.  For moi, I was curious if the Dillinger gang had any felines.  Apparently so, but that wasn't the biggest surprise.  One of my distant relatives worked for the F.B.I. as an undercover feline on the Dillinger case.

Special Feline Agent Sylvester Rhodes

F.B.I. (Furry Bureau of Investigation)

In 1933, Sylvester Rhodes, who lived near Camby, Indiana, became a special feline agent for the F.B.I. (Furry Bureau of Investigation).  Sylvester's director, Jedgar Whover, assigned Sylvester to the Mooresville area to monitor the movements of any cats that John Dillinger might bring along during visits home.  Along with two human F.B.I. agents, Sylvester was stationed on the Hensley farm to observe the Dillinger farm across the road to see if they could catch Dillinger (and his cat).  But nothing came of this stakeout.

Later, Sylvester was with the law enforcement team that arrested Dillinger (and his gang's cat) in Tucson, Arizona (January 25, 1934).  Sylvester took furry felon "Kitty Face" Nelson into custody without incident.

"Kitty Face" Nelson incarcerated

(Officer McRuff guarding jail cell)

In 1937 Sylvester retired from the Furry Bureau of Investigation will full pension (canned tuna-in-oil for life) and honors.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

A Half Mill

Earlier today, my blog reached half a million views.

Click Image to Bigify

If that doesn't deserve some canned tuna-in-oil, I don't know what would.  Minions, make with the can openers.

That's What I'm Talking About

Thanks so much to all my loyal readers for helping us reach a half mill.  That's quite a milestone for a small township public library like mine.  If you missed the recent article about it in my hometown newspaper, take a peek here.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz . . .

Today (Monday, March 12, 2018) is National Napping Day.  It's celebrated on the first Monday following the start of daylight savings time in the Spring.  I think we all know where this is headed.

Yep.  Pretty Much.

Humans are always so behind the wave.  We felines have been celebrating National Napping Day on a daily basis forever.  If there's one thing cats know how to do, it's celebrate sleeping.

My advice is simple:  Embrace your inner ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzs.  You'll be glad you did.

Disturbing My Sleep, But a Headscratch is Kinda Nice

Having trouble napping?  Maybe you're a parent whose little human is having trouble catching those Zs.  We've got several sleep-help books available to checkout.  Naturally, we have book trailers, too (click below to play videos).

The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight, by Kim West

(MPL Book Trailer #21)

Nighty-Night, Sleep Tight, by Jennifer Berne & David Walker

(MPL Book Trailer #169)

Of course, you could always listen to Scowl-Face talking about whatever.  That should put anyone to sleep straight away.

Here's 23 Minutes of Ol' Scowlly Droning On and On

Just to be clear, the video's about Samuel Moore, founder of my hometown, Mooresville, Indiana.  Scowl-Face is narrating.  That's the soporific component working, there, so you have to keep the sound turned on.  You've been fairly warned.

Here, you'll definitely need this later, when you're trying to stay awake.

Reuse as Needed

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

What's That Silver Thing?

If you've read Scowl-Face's local history blog and survived to tell the tale, you may have seen his articles about Mooresville's new Bicentennial Park downtown.  It looks like this (it may look blurry, but it will be in focus when you play it):

Click Above to Play Video

What's that big silver thing in the middle?  Actually, there are three silver things.  Is this a new place for moi to hangout and set my supper dish?

Click Photos to Bigify

Moi Sitting Next to the Silver Things

I don't see a place to sleep on these silver things.  The edges are too small and aren't flat enough.  It does make an excellent scratching post, as you can see from the marks there.  I wonder if most of my feline friends from around town have already visited here?

Scowl-Face just told moi that the silver things represent the flames atop the torch on the Indiana State Flag.  Funny--I don't feel any heat, and they're not orange or red like fire.  Maybe it's some kind of cool flame.  Let's compare it to the state flag.  What do you think?

Same Shapes as the Torch Flame, For Sure

Scowl-Face also says that it's a sculpture, not real flames.  Since Mooresville is the home of the Indiana State Flag, I guess that sculpture makes sense.

Drop by for a visit.  There's a nice park to walk around in.  See?  I'll "borrow" some photos from Scowl-Face's December blog post.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat