Not Such Bad Cats, I'll Venture

This week a charming new children's picture book arrived at my library.  I think that title's misleading, however.  Those seven cats were never so bad!  At least, not from their point of view.

Seven Bad Cats, by Moe Bonneau

(MPL Book Trailer #435)

The book's available to checkout from our Evergreen Indiana catalog.  It is a wonderful readaloud that human kids (and cats) will enjoy.  The book is written in rhyme, so that's how we did the book trailer.

Remember, cats having fun are never bad.  That's our story, and we're sticking to it!

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Surely I Don't Look Like That

The Decorinator and BizMeister have just put-up our October decorations around the library.  'Tis the season to be Halloweeny, to be sure.  The decorations are wonderful, as always, but I have to take issue with a few of them.

Surely, I don't look like the felines in these photos!  (As always, click the pictures to bigify them.)

That's Not Moi

Not Moi, Neither

Definitely Not Moi with Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty

Cute, But Still Misses the Mark

We black kitties are NOT always arching our backs and hissing-and-spitting, I hope you know.  I understand the reputation black cats have, especially around this time of year--it's an unfair stereotype (just ask the ancient Egyptians)--but we need to fight against unfair stereotypes, right, librarians?  Or should I play this game, too?

Deux Can Play At This Game, Librarians!

All Dolled Up For Work, Barbie?

Right Back At'cha, Shush Lady

Some of our old favorites have a new look.

Hank & Willy Are Ready For Trick-or-Treating

Haunted Kiddy Crossthrough Is New!

It should be another fun month at the library.  We've got several Halloween-themed programs happening later in October, so visit our online events calendar to see dates and times.

Remember--if you see a black cat crossing your path, it means s/he is going somewhere.  Black cats always bring good luck to everyone who knows them.  Just ask all of my library colleagues and friends.

Your (Retired) Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

True Feline Literati

Anyone who knows anything about library cats surely must have heard about Baker and Taylor, who lived during the 1980s until the mid-1990s at the Douglas County Public Library branch in Minden, Nevada.  They became famous, of course, when they were named the official mascots of Baker & Taylor, the gigantic library resource supplier.

In the early 1980s, librarians Yvonne Saddler (1927-2014; DCPL director/county librarian, 1967-1989) and Jan Louch (born 1931); DCPL assistant county librarian/reference, 1978-1997), discovered that their brand new library building had a rattermeece problem (humans call them mice).  In 1983 they decided to hire a feline to control the unwelcome visitors, who were known to damage books by chewing paper and glue bindings.  (From the condition of some of the books that are returned to my library, I wonder if some of our human patrons are following suit.)  The rattermeeces quickly disappeared, but the kitty (called Baker) was kept on the staff to serve the public in different ways (e.g., official greeter, bossing colleagues, assisting patrons, supervising acquisitions and cataloging, etc.) Louch and Saddler intended to have two cats on staff (to keep one another company), and they planned to call the second Taylor, to go with Baker, after the huge library resource supplier, Baker & Taylor.  Thanks to B & T, Taylor soon joined Baker and the crew.  Subsequently, the kitties became the official spokescritters of B & T.  That's when they became world famous.

Jan Louch and Lisa Rogak have written a biography of Baker and Taylor that is now available in our Evergreen Indiana catalog to checkout. Naturally, we have a book trailer.

MPL Book Trailer #277

The True Tails of Baker & Taylor:  The Library Cats

Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town ... And the World,

by Jan Louch (with Lisa Rogak)

Taylor and Baker with Jan Louch

(photo courtesy of Jan Louch)

 Baker and Taylor gracing their namesakes' book bag
(photo courtesy of Baker & Taylor, LLC)

 Baker & Taylor mascots at a library conference (2005)

(photo courtesy of Genie Alisa)

The second Baker & Taylor poster
(photo courtesy of Baker & Taylor, LLC)

One of the nice features of Louch's book is that it includes vignettes featuring modern library cats, including the late Tober, former boss kitty (2008-2015) at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library; and Elsie (of St. Helena [California] Public Library fame).  (Since I don't actually live inside my library, I wasn't mentioned, but that's okay.)  These stories demonstrate that library cats continue to serve as invaluable resources, just as Baker and Taylor did so long ago.

I've enjoyed reading the book (or, rather, having my minions read it aloud to moi).  It's one of the aspects of my retirement that is most pleasant.  I think you'll like the book, too.  Check it out from your local library (or buy a copy from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or some other bookseller).

Your (Retired) Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat