MADreads

Get ready for the awww factor

November 12th, 2008 Molly - Central

Are you an animal lover? Library lover? Lover of all that is good and sweet and wholesome? Maybe looking for a little heartwarming adorableness? Look no further than Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. This delightful book will renew your faith in humanity, and sometimes you need just that.

Dewey Readmore Books was found stuffed into the after hours book drop of a small public library in Iowa on the coldest night of the year, with temperatures dropping below minus 15 degrees. Only a few weeks old, the little grey kitten was frostbitten, and desperate to be saved. Library director Myron gave the ice cold kitten a bath to warm him back up (and wash his grey fur into orange and white tabby), and from that point on Dewey warmed the hearts of the library staff, the residents of the town, and legions of fans worldwide. He resided at the Spencer Public Library for 19 years, until his death in 2006.

There is no disputing the fact that Dewey was an extraordinary animal - handsome and winsome and bright. And while some might argue that having a cat in a library poses more problems than positives (allergies, kitty litter, and fur balls to name a few), Dewey served as an official library ambassador in the small farming town of Spencer and helped the community rally together during a very difficult time. Dewey came to live at the library during the height of the 1980s farm crisis. The residents of Spencer were hurting, the family farms were collapsing and the economy took an abrupt downturn. The public library was busier than ever with residents using the job bank, scouring the papers for job notices and making use of free books, magazines, videos and programs for enrichment and entertainment.

During that tough time, the library was a more vital community center than ever. It was also at this time that the Spencer Public Library was fighting for a much needed renovation. Director Myron urged her City Council to appropriate more funds with this speech:

“Newly paved roads are nice, but they don’t lift our community’s spirits. Not like a warm, friendly, welcoming library. Wouldn’t it be great for morale to have a library we’re proud of?”

And so it was that Dewey started to make the argument on behalf of the library. Because of this remarkable cat, visitor numbers were up, people were staying longer and leaving happier and spreading the word that the library was the place to be. Before long the renovation was approved and Dewey the Library Cat lived on for almost two more decades, keeping the residents of Spencer, Iowa, entertained and in touch with the community spirit while the library met their information needs.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction