Celebrating Finding Day With Tober

Yesterday (Friday, October 19) was Tober's Finding Day, and it was indeed a day to celebrate his becoming Boss Cat at Thorntown Public Library.  It was also cold and rainy, neither of which is acceptable weather to moi, so I decided to remain indoors at one of my several "homes" in my Library's neighborhood.  (Unlike Tober, I am still officially cattona non grata inside my Library.)  So I dispatched my senior minions to Thorntown, neatly nestled in Boone County, Indiana.  (The town is nestled, not my minions.  No nestling on the clock, minions!  Relax on your own time!) 

We have pictures, naturally.  Some of them were even in focus (Scowl-Face is slightly improving as MPL photographer).  But before we take a look at those, I'd like to showcase my contribution to Tober's happy day:  a promo trailer featuring the fine feline fellow in all his mancatliness.

Promo Trailer Celebrating Tober's Finding Day

(October 19, 2008)

A Cauli Le Chat Video

In honor of Tober's Finding Day, The Music Man, who composes all of my Library's original musical soundtracks for videos, has declared the compositions used in the promo trailer to be ceremonially re-titled Tober's Theme.  Well, since there are two compositions featured, it should probably be plural.  Just saying.

A great big shout-out thank you to Thorntown Public Library for having posted all those great photos of Tober online.  (I would have had one of my minions ask permission beforehand to use them in the video, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise.  Hope it's okay.  Otherwise, the agency and I disavow all knowledge of the mission impossible team, and . . . well, you know the rest.)

Minions, make with the photos!  As Tober would say, click the images to bigify.

The Lady With the Red Hair

congratulates the Big Man himself

for four years as TPL Boss Cat

Naturally, my minions came bearing gifts.  We fondly remember Tober's n'yum n'yum surprise he and his AB & AABs kindly sent to us along with "Flat" Cauli following her historic library world tour.

AAB Christine and The Lady With the Red Hair

stand prepared to assist Tober in opening his gift treats

We gave Tober some tasty party snacks plus a catnip bag.  Minions reported that he liked them quite nicely.

Then Tober showed a treat of which he is particularly fond.  And get this! It's not even an actual kitty treat!  You'll never guess what it was.

Tober knows those n'yum n'yums

are in here somewhere

(AB Karen and AAB Christine help out a bit)

Kinda sticky, these n'yum n'yums

(AAB Christine records the moment

for Tober's internationally renowned blog)

After downing a few nibbles of these "sticky treats" (his AB and AABs police this consumption quite carefully so bellyaches are avoided), the big fella tried our catnip bag.

T.L.W.T.R.H. is pleased that Tober

appears to enjoy his catnip bag present

For those unfamiliar with Tober's blog, I should explain that AB Karen is his "assistant boss," and AAB Christine is his "assistant assistant boss." There are several AABs at Thorntown Public Library, but there is only ONE boss cat.  That's as it should be.

It's hard to imagine who wouldn't be following Tober's blog.  Don't dillydally!  Click my hyperlinked Tober image near the bottom of my blog. Keep scrolling down until you see it.  You can't miss it.  The handsome dude is easy to spot.

My minions enjoyed visiting Thorntown Public Library and meeting Tober on his special day.  We hope he enjoys many more years as TPL Boss Cat.

Now, if only Boss Lady would allow moi to live inside my Library like Tober lives inside his.  Perhaps Boss Lady could be persuaded if we made a date with a Mister Washington.

A Vintage Year?

Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink, Say No More!  (Apologies to Eric Idle and Monty Python),

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Tober News Beat

P.S.  We tried using just one of The Music Man's original compositions as the music soundtrack to our Tober promo trailer, but we prefer the two-theme version.  To comply with the equal time doctrine (even if it's irrelevant to this scenario; better safe than sorry), here is the alternate soundtrack promo trailer celebrating Tober's Finding Day.

Goodbye, Tober

Tober, Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library, has passed over.  I am so sad I can hardly lift my paws to type this.

Tober

Tober posted his farewell blog.  All of his previous postings will be kept active for his many fans to enjoy.

Tober came to Thorntown Public Library on October 19, 2008, and he immediately took charge, as we felines should do.  Humans need our supervision and direction, after all.  He had a terrific forever home there, and he made many lifelong friends among staff and patrons.

Tober was (and will continue to be) a world-famous library cat.  He appeared on the cover of the 2014 Baker & Taylor cat calendar.  Hundreds of thousands of humans followed his blog posts.

Tober, calendar cover kitty

Tober's blog has a worldwide audience, with over 180,000 viewings (new count), which, when added to a previous blog count (approximately 175,000), meant that his blog posts have been viewed over 355,000 times.  That's more than my blog, folks.

Tober was the inspiration behind a 2011 Indiana Library Federation (ILF) workshop about library critters being outstanding marketing tools for libraries (especially public libraries). Had it not been for Tober, that workshop would never have happened.

In 2012 my minions made a special trip to visit Tober on his Finding Day (October 19), about which I blogged here.

There are many wonderful library cats throughout the world, but none made a bigger impression on his library patrons and colleagues than Tober.  He was an exceptional goodwill ambassador for Thorntown Public Library, bringing good cheer and happiness to thousands of visitors.  He set the standard for what exceptional library service should be. His friends will truly miss his happy purr, gentle headbutts, and charming personality.

Although we are crying as we type this, we know that Tober is among friends as he has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  The Summerland is a wonderful place for kitties to be with other departed pals, and we know that, when our time arrives to cross-over, we will see him again and romp together.  Those will surely be good times.

For now, we remember Tober as he would have wanted.  He brought sunshine into our lives and made life better everyday for everyone who knew him.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  We reprise our promo trailer celebrating Tober Finding Day, October 19 (2012).

P.P.S.  Here's our Tober promo trailer with an alternate soundtrack (2012).

P.P.P.S.  2016 Update:  Peaches & Paprika created a touching, beautifully rendered video tribute to our loving feline friends, including Tober, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2015.  My human friends should grab the tissues--there will be tears--but the love that remains in our hearts will reach our departed pals in their new heavenly homes.  Visit the Peaches & Paprika YouTube Channel for more videos, and also peruse their blog.

A Trip To Toberville

"Flat" Cauli V is currently guarding my Indiana Roving Reporter Room in the secluded sleeping spot.  But she is planning a big adventure trip, and this will be quite exciting, let moi assure you.

"Flat" Cauli V wants to travel through the U.S. Mail, like "Flat" Stanley.  She knows exactly where she wants to go. She wants to visit Tober, Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library (TPL).  I'm trying to convince Five (as I'll call "Flat" Cauli V from now on, to avoid redundancy) that she should travel to Thorntown in an E.I. transit bag.  TPL, like MPL, is an Evergreen Indiana (E.I.) library.  Since my Library has to return materials checked out from TPL and checked-in by us here, that would be the perfect travel arrangement for Five.  E.I. transit is "free," meaning it's already included in operating costs for the consortium.  Free is good, after all.

Tober the Thorntown Public Library Cat

(Photo From Tober's Blog--Thanks For Letting Us Borrow It!)

Visiting Tober is like going to a rock star's house to party.  Tober is a bona fide world-famous feline, and it would be quite the social event for moi to have Five drop by Tober's cool library pad.

But it's not as simple as just dropping Five into a bag and sending her off with the other E.I. materials bound for Thorntown.  We have to write letters of introduction for Five, which I'll assign to my minions.  Then we need to meet with our E.I. Transit Team, which arranges for everything to get back to home libraries safely and soundly.  But these are all just details, and my minions are good at detailing.

Five is bound for quite an adventure, to be sure.  Tober keeps things ship-shape up there in Thorntown, so we know a great time will be had by all.



Wishing I Could Go, But I Must Stay Here, Doing the Roving Reporter Thing,

Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
"Flat" Cauli Travel News Beat

P.S.  Tober is a stern, but fair, taskmaster at TPL, but he has his cute side, as we cats all do.  Watch Tober's video.  This is massive cuteness.  Resident kitties make libraries much more fun.  Just saying, Boss Lady.

OcTOBER 19 is Tober Finding Day

Today is Tober Finding Day.  Long-time readers know that Tober is Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library, which is celebrating its centennial in exciting fashion. Although Tober is miffed about all the attention being focused on non-Tober activities, he gives a fine accounting of all the terrific things TPL has been doing lately.  Check-out his blog post for the four-one-one.

Tober enjoying a sun-patch at Thorntown Public Library

(in all his handsome man-catliness)

Although his colleagues seem to have forgotten to spring a huge celebration for Tober Finding Day, we certainly remember!  Let's reprise our Tober tribute video, which you may remember from my previous blog post:

Celebrating Tober Finding Day (October 19)

by Cauli Le Chat

(MPL Promo Trailer, 2012)

Alternate Soundtrack Version of Tober Finding Day video

(MPL Promo Trailer, 2012)

Thorntown should hold a parade specifically to honor Tober and his finding a forever home at TPL.  This is a good month for Fall parades, after all.  I hope there's at least a big party at the library.  Catnip cake for everybody!  N'yum, n'yum.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Flat Five (and Six?) Hanging With Tober and Morgan

"Flat" Cauli V, or Flat Five for short, has arrived safely in Thorntown, Indiana, and is hanging out with Tober, the world-famous Boss Cat at Thorntown Public Library.  Check out Tober's cool blog posting about the first part of their exciting adventures together.  Click here to go to Tober's blog.

Somewhat amazingly, Flat Five is simultaneously visiting Morgan the Library Bunny at Morgan County Public Library (MCPL) in Martinsville, Indiana.  This suggests several possible scenarios:

• Flat Five is a master at bilocation and is transcending the time-space continuum to simultaneously appear at two different public libraries separated by a whole bunch of mileage.

• My minions made a mistake identifying Flat Six as Flat Five in our letter of introduction to MCPL.

• Flat Six is actually masquerading as Flat Five because she is doing some sort of secret agent stuff.

I like the bilocation scenario.  Sounds like pretty neat science fiction to moi.  But the spy thing is pretty cool, too.

Morgan has posted an excellent blog, too, with great photos of Flat Six Five, so please be sure to take a look.

I wonder if Tober and Morgan would mind if I borrowed a couple of their photos?  Sort of like a "teaser" that television stations use to get people to watch an upcoming program or the news broadcast.

Tober graciously shares his chair with Flat Five

Flat Six Five hangs with Morgan the Library Bunny

Want the entire scoop?  Film at Eleven.  (Do I sound like a big-time TV anchor feline?)  Actually, you should click here and here, just to wrap-up the full story of the beginning of their adventures.

This is the first leg (or two legs, maybe the front legs) of Flat Five's world library tour to meet famous library critters.  You can't get more library celebrity famous than Tober and Morgan.  I know for an absolute fact that both of these wonderful library public relations pals are quite well known around the globe.  They have been showcased in statewide seminars about marketing libraries.  Perhaps someday they will each become movie-star famous, like Sparkle.  They're certainly on the right path.  Of course, Sparkle is a superstar, but it's good to have aspirations.

Really Excited That Flat Five is Bilocating,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Flat Feline Travel Log News Beat

P.S.  Flat Five hanging with Tober and Morgan reminded moi of "Friends," by Bernie Taupin and Elton John (performed by Elton John), from the movie soundtrack of the same name (1971).

Tober, Our Working Class Hero

November 2015 Update:  Tober passed away in early November, 2015.  We are so terribly saddened by his loss.  See this blog posting for details.

---

Tober, Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library, is an inspiration to all us working class felines everywhere.  Follow Tober's adventures here.

Tober has many great ideas to share about how libraries can be fun for you to explore. His feline observations are insightful, clever, and humorous. But that's no surprise.   Kitties have been running the show since at least the Egyptians.

 

Thanks to Thorntown Public Library for the use of Tober's picture.  What a handsome fella!

Tober is featured in one of our book trailers (click to play the video above).  Watch for him at around the 1:13 mark.

Purr-fectly Yours,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

OcTOBER is a Special Feline Month, For Sure

You simply must visit Tober the Library Cat's blog and read about the Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library's proclamation declaring the month between September and November (i.e., OcTOBER) to be Tober's Finding Month in Boone County, Indiana.  I predict that tourism in Boone County will skyrocket this month and each subsequent October.

The Handsome Fellow Himself

He Who Puts the TOBER in OcTOBER

(Thanks to Mousebreath.com for this photo)

I presume that the assistant bosses at Thorntown Public Library will be having a month-long celebration of Tober's findingness.  There should be endless kitty treats, cake for all patrons, and other culinary delights.  Of course, that costs money, and cash is tight for public libraries right now, so perhaps a custom-made bookmark including Tober's photo and his proclamation would suffice. What do you think, AB Karen?

Congratulations on this month's designation, Tober!  It is a well-deserved honor, and your loyal patrons and fans should flock to your Library and shower you with gifts.

Um, I Gave at the Office?  Just Saying,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Tober News Beat

P.S.  An appropriate musical closer for this post, "Rescue Me," a single by Fontella Bass (1965), shot to the top of Billboard's R & B charts and reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 pop charts.

Tober Banishes Winter

This has been a truly strange winter for Indiana.  Now that a cold snap has returned, I protest to the powers-that-be.  It has been an unusually mild winter thus far, at least around my hometown, and as it is almost the end of February, I think winter has forfeited its right to go cold and snowy on us.  That should have happened in January, and since winter missed its chance then, it's unfair and against my rules to bring arctic chills back to Hoosier land this late in the game.

Hoodie Hoo'ing at Thorntown (Ind.) Public Library

Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

So I'd like to follow the lead of Tober, the Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library Cat, and his staff and patrons to banish winter.  On Monday, February 20, it was Hoodie Hoo Day in Thorntown, at which time (noon, to be exact) TPL staff and patrons engaged in a winter-warding ceremony that looked a whole lot more effective than any shadow-seeing from Punxsutawney Phil was.

Check out Thorntown's video on Tober's blog by clicking here.  You'll see that this group means business.

Winter, you've been officially hoodie hoo'ed.  Go away now.  We can repeat this ceremony as long as it takes.



Wind Chills Tonight in the Single Digits (Fahrenheit)?  Are You Kidding Moi?

Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Hoosier Weather News Beat

P.S.  Hey, Boss Lady.  Moi, sleeping inside our Library tonight.  It is SO happening.  I've got Scowl-Face's key fob to the secret locking staff door.

P.P.S.  "A Hazy Shade of Winter," by folk-pop legends Simon & Garfunkel, was recorded and released as a single (1966) and later appeared on the album Bookends (1968).  Paul Simon was one of the greatest folk-pop lyricists and musicians of the 20th century.  He's still cranking out great songs today.  As for Art Garfunkel, every guy Scowl-Face knew in high school choir wished desperately that his voice was as wonderful as his. Garfunkel's, I mean. (Who'd you think I meant?  Scowl-Face couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.)  Seriously, that's a true story.

P.P.P.S.  The Bangles recorded a cover of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987) to include on the movie soundtrack to Less Than Zero (1987).  The group recorded a live rendition of the song for AOL Sessions (2003), shown here in this nifty online video.

Redheads Should Celebrate, For Sure

Today (November 5) is National Love Your Red Hair Day.  You can look it up.  Here, too.  The Lady With the Red Hair, who is head of Technical Services at Greenwood (Indiana) Public Library, and volunteers (and offers craft programs) at my Library, should definitely celebrate.  So should Tober, Boss Kitty at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library.  As always, click the photos to bigify.

The Lady With the Red Hair with Tober,

Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library

(on Tober Finding Day, October 19, 2012)

Miss Susan, Communications Director for

Mooresville (Indiana) Consolidated School Corporation

(I call her "The Talk of the Town")

I, of course, have black hair (humans call it fur), but I know many feline red-hairs.  "Fur" instance, there's Tober (see above), as well as Biscuit, one of my home pals, and Oliver, children's catbrarian at Clinton (Indiana) Public Library.  Don't forget Porter C. Bibliocat at Anna Porter Public Library in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Biscuit, commander of Feline Enforcers XIV (right),
with Harley Quinn, MPL feline "cub" reporter

Tober made the cover of the 2014 Baker & Taylor cat calendar

Oliver, Children's Catbrarian at Clinton (Indiana) Public Library

Porter C. Bibliocat

Advertisers recognize the selling power of redheads, especially when combined.

Two is better than one

Naturally, this excludes unnatural kitty redhairs, such as this faux-red-furred feline.

You're not fooling anybody, I hope you know

How should redheads celebrate today?  For the humans, chocolate is always good.  For us felines, some kitty treats or my personal favorite, canned tuna-in-oil, unless your V-E-T has restricted your diet to exclude tuna products.

Then there are the big celebrations where redheads congregate and have great fun.

Courtesy of Ginger Parrot website

Courtesy of Cosmopolitan (Hearst Magazines UK) website

Maybe your favorite library should put up a book display featuring redheads, including, of course, Clifford the Big Red Slobberdog, created by Norman Bridwell, who grew up in Kokomo, Indiana.

Natural or artificial color?

If that's not Clifford's natural hair color, I certainly won't be telling him.  Who needs a gigantic slobberdog angry at moi?

Enjoy your day, redheads!  You rock!

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

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

"Flat" Cauli V Returns! With Shaved Swimming Dinner!

"Flat" Cauli V (Flat Five for short) returned today from her adventures with Tober, Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library.  She brought a nice note from Tober and--this was simply fabulous!--a bag a real shaved swimming dinner!!!

Click to Bigify

N'yum, N'yum, N'yum

This was the real deal, folks.  No faux-flavored treats for moi.  Tober sent real swimming dinner shavings.  These were fresh, even if my minions thought they smelled fishy (what else would they smell like?  Sometimes humans can be kinda dense).  I decided to share this delicacy with my special correspondents.  Boy, I've never seen so many felines come running so fast!  It's like people when the chocolate comes out from the desk drawer.

Thank you so much, Tober and his AB and AABs, for this wonderful surprise.  Flat Five got a portion, too, by the way.  Since she's flat, she has to eat swimming dinner shavings.  'Cause they're flat, too.

Tober has posted more adventures with Flat Five.  This is simply must-read, so be sure to click here.

Where will Flat Five be heading next?  Well, remember, she bilocated to also see Morgan the Library Bunny at Morgan County (Indiana) Public Library.  But that doesn't mean that she can't continue on her library critter world tour.  Next stop--Pine River (Minnesota) Public Library to see Browser the Library Cat.

Flat Five Can Be In Two Places At Once, Which Is Pretty Cool,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

"Flat" Cauli Library Critter World Tour News Beat

P.S.  In 1975 John Lennon released a singles compilation album called Shaved Fish.  It included "#9 Dream," which was released as a single in the U.S. in 1974 and the U.K. in 1975.

Tober, Calendar Cover Kitty

Tober, Boss Cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library, has made the cover of the 2014 Baker & Taylor library calendar.  This is HUGE!!!!

Click to Bigify

Read Tober's blog post to learn more about this exciting tribute to Indiana's most famous library feline.

But Tober isn't the only Hoosier library kitty featured on the calendar. There's also Uma, resident feline at Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County (Indiana) Public Library, who graces the August 2014 calendar page.

I wasn't eligible for the calendar, because, unlike my library kitty colleagues, I don't live inside my Library.  I just visit outside (but sometimes sneak inside to report on what's happening, although I usually just send my minions for routine stories).

As Sparkle the Designer Cat would say, conCATulations, Tober and Uma! All Indiana library-associated felines are honored that you represent us.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  Two humans were given the important task of impersonating Baker & Taylor at the 2009 Texas Library Association conference in Houston.