Slobberdogs, Lend Moi Your Ears

LAST UPDATED:  April 3, 2018.

Little human kids love reading aloud to our Paws 2 Read slobberdog, Darla, who is an excellent listener.  (Humans call her a dog, but I call all canines slobberdogs, because, well, they do.  They just do.)

Darla

(Click Image to Bigify)

Paws 2 Read is a literacy program offered at the Library to help young people folks improve their reading skills.  Please drop by our youth services desk to sign-up.  Darla will be listening to young readers on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 10-11 a.m. in one of our study rooms.

I applaud the wonderful service this nice slobberdog is doing for our community.  Maybe she can open a can of tuna-in-oil for moi as well.  You can never have too many useful skills, slobberdogs.  Just saying.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Book Trailer #363

P.S.  A few days ago, we created this book trailer (above) featuring the children's picture book, Madeline Finn and the Library Dog,  by Lisa Papp.  It's a fun read!  It would be especially good to read to Darla.

Our "History Buff"alo

Look who paid my library a visit this week.  That's a real HISTORY BUFFalo, I'd venture.

 Click Photos to Bigify

That's the official Indiana bicentennial bison for Morgan County grazing in our grand hall.  Ordinarily, I don't like other animals stomping around my turf, but when they're as big as this dude, I try to be more broadminded and less territorial.  The library has plenty of space for everyone.

The bison will be hanging out here until the end of August; then it's back to the migratory tour to places far and wide.  Here are some more photos taken by Scowl-Face, one of my trusty minions.  Some are close-ups, so you can see the bison's unique historical markings. That's tons of Morgan County history on the hoof, for sure.

When you visit the library to see our bison, remember NOT to touch!  He bites.  Unless it's a she.  I bet she bites, too.  So just touch with your eyes, okay?  'Nuff said.

August 23, 2016 Update:  His name's Brutus.  Really.  They held a contest and everything.

Your (Retired) Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  Naturally, our musical closer comes from the Buffalo Springfield.  There's Neil Young's "Mr. Soul," on the LP Buffalo Springfield Again (1967).

Thorntown's Second Chance

Last November, we lost a wonderful library spokescritter at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library (TPL).  We all loved Tober and were crushed by his sudden passing.  He was a truly grand library cat.

But life is all about second chances, as Tober well knew.  His life significantly improved when TPL adopted him, and he made the lives of TPL's staff and patrons (as well as all of us who followed his blog) immeasurably happier.  He would be glad to see another street feline have such a wonderful forever home.

A couple of months ago, TPL adopted another friendly feline to be their resident library cat. His name is Chance, and, given the tough life he's had before his new job at TPL, he has been given a second chance at life.

We've borrowed a few photos of Chance from TPL's Facebook page, where you may see additional pictures and learn more about this handsome boy.  As always, click the images to bigify (as Tober used to say).

Chance, TPL Resident Cat

Chance will be writing to Tober's blog, so be sure to take a peek.

Looks like TPL has a superb new library greeter and PR man.  You've got big paws to fill, Chance, but you'll be fine, I can tell.  Welcome!  Now tell your minions to get to work.  Treats and belly scratches don't do themselves, you know.

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

MPL Readaloud (New Video Series)

Once again, I'm called away from my retirement to blog about something new at my Library.  This had better be worth it--I had to get up from my comfortable bed and everything.

Scowl-Face is launching a new video series at my Library called MPL Readaloud.  We have one of our staff (or volunteers) read aloud from a children's picture book.  As you may recall, Crafty Gal did this a few years back.

Great job, minions.  Now get moi that snack, pronto.  I'm heading back to my nap.

Your (Retired) Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat