The Year of Tober

Most of you humans out there (should) know that you get books from a library, right?

Well.  Have you ever wondered where the library gets its books?  My library gets a whole lot of books from Baker & Taylor.  They are a big-time book and entertainment distributor and they are very good at getting us books and movies and things super-fast.  They also have two cats as mascots.

Here are Baker and Taylor:

Baker and Taylor were Scottish fold cats who worked at the Douglas County Public Library before becoming international superstar mascots in 1988.  Their images continue to appear on Baker & Taylor marketing materials, and they are usually featured on Baker & Taylor's calendar.

This year B&T had a special Cat Calendar Contest in June.  Thankfully, June was back before AB Christine became a lazy bum, and she managed to take a whole 20 minutes out of her "busy" day to enter me in the contest. 

I was really excited to hear that I would be included in the 2014 Cat Calendar!

I wasn't quite expecting this, though:

I am gazing into your soul.

You guys.  I am a Cover-Cat!  Lookit this:

Click to biggify!

Too small?  Maybe this will help:

 

Guys.  I am on the front of 16,800 calendars!  All over the world, excited librarians are opening their eagerly-anticipated B&T calendars and seeing my gorgeous eyes and magnificent whiskers.  Probably fainting, too.

It's a good time to be a librarian--and a great time to be a Library Cover-Cat!

I'm on the BACK cover, too!

Here's the little "About Tober" box so you can read it better:

Our library's B&T sales consultant, Joan, made a special trip to the library to see me and take pictures and leave a few extra calendars for my staff.  (I thought there might be a scuffle over the couple that came in the mail.)  Joan was really happy because TWO Indiana cats made it into the calendar.  Uma (Miss August) was entered into the contest by Becca from Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library!

There are lots of nice-looking cats in the Baker & Taylor calendar, and I am honored to be the one chosen for the cover. 

It's obviously my whiskers.  They are pretty great whiskers.  Or my eyes.  Pools of molten gold.

Okay, I'd better wrap this up.  AB Christine is getting fussy and muttering something about a Big Head. 

My head is perfectly proportionate, thank-you-very-much. 

Maybe that's why I'm on the Cover.

Cover-Cat Purrs,

Tober

Excuses & Treachery

First of all, I did NOT receive 2:00 am Daylight Savings Time Visits from ANYONE on my staff. I am now taking applications for new AABs. If you're interested, just mail me a resume and several bags of Temptations.

Speaking of Mail, I'm finding that more and more people are using Library business as an excuse to contact, praise, and discuss me.

Exhibit #1: This is a Thank-you card from a person who visited the Library to do some Genealogy research.


Inside was a note to AB Karen and words, words, words and then:


Regards to Tober. Yes, this person was happy with our Genealogy help, but I think it was really just an excuse to send her regards to Me!

Exhibit #2:

Today we got a promotional card about an Indiana author's new book, and a personal note was included from a librarian!


Not really an Exhibit, but #3:

I have intercepted a disturbing email conversation between my Assistant Traitor Boss and another Library Director (you know who you are). Apparently there is some confusion about who writes my blog posts. Hrmph. Treachery! ATB Karen says that she and AAB Christine write my blog posts! Hrmph. I don't think so.

I have 85 Followers. They couldn't get 85 Followers if they were dragging 85-lb. bags of Catnip-crusted Salmon behind them.

I write my own stuff.


And I'm watching for more treachery.

Tober

An Official Visit

On Saturday, May 8, I had the honor of entertaining two foreign (i.e. not from Boone County) dignitaries who came to see me. They were very Official; they emailed in advance to make an appointment and asked what gift(s) they could bring.

I thought about asking for a hamster in a hamster-ball or some Cords or a pound or two of catnip, but I finally decided that a nice bag of Whisker Lickins would do.


A hamster in a hamster-ball would maybe have been a little bit greedy. And if I accidentally pushed the hamster-ball down the stairs, it might have broken open at the bottom and unleashed a fearsome beastie that would nibble Library books and then I would have had to hunt it down and that would have interrupted my regularly-scheduled naptime. I am very very pleased with my treats.

My visitors were named Pam and Debbie, and Pam hugged me and we took lots of pictures together. My Photographer did NOT bring her A Game because she was having all sorts of Technical Difficulties operating Pam's camera. She flashed me the first time, and then she kept making Pam's camera turn off. Then she used Debbie's camera which she figured out pretty quickly.

Then, just when I thought AAB Photographer was done, she decided SHE needed a picture of me (because she doesn't photograph me enough, you know).

I am a Very Patient Cat, but I can only be photographed so many times in a row while being hugged by a (very nice and thoughtful) stranger, so this is the picture my Photographer got:


Despite the Crazy Eyes in the picture, I had a wonderful Visit with Pam and Debbie, and have decided to make them Famous by mentioning them in my blog. (I got their Permissions first because now they're going to have to deal with the Paparazzis and stuff.)

Famouser and famouser,

Tober

One Fancy Cat!

It's time for my Big Huge Gigantic Super-News!


Cat Fancy Magazine featured 45 Amazing Library Cats in the February 2010 issue. Now, everyone should know that a list of Amazing Library Cats wouldn't be complete without me.

So I looked in Cat Fancy Magazine. Much to my disappointment, I was not #1. (I really don't understand why, either, since my AB and AABs seem to understand that I'm #1.)

I was not #2. . . or #3. . . or #4. By the time I turned the page, my tail was beginning to droop and my purr was weakening. Still, Amazing Library Cat that I know I am, I read on.


I was not #10 or #20. I was forming a letter to the Editor of Cat Fancy Magazine (who I thought should probably change careers) in my head.

But my reading paid off! I am #42 on Cat Fancy's list of Amazing Library Cats! I am famous! I didn't even have to TRY to get on the list. . . they came to me! It was a wonderful (and well deserved) surprise!

I immediately commanded staff to put up a display in my honor. They did okay, although I was expecting a bronze statue like the ones for the Secret Garden:

Just so no one gets overly excited, please note the paperclip on my photo. It is there for a reason. No offense to that other cat, but people need to know who's who around here.


(Ooh. AAB Christine just said something about now my head won't fit through my Litterbox Door. What does that mean?)

Tail up & motor running,

The World-Famous Amazing Library Cat,

Tober

Very exciting times!

First I must say Thank goodness my Assistant Boss is back! I am very, very happy that she is back where she belongs--with me. This library bunch is pretty difficult to manage, but I did my best. Let me tell you--it is very hard to manage people who can scoop you up and lock you in an office when they think you're being too bossy. This happened quite a bit. I told AB Karen, and I trust her to take care of this insubordinate behavior.

Special accolades go to Assistant Assistant Boss Friend Cathie, who went above and beyond the call of duty when I was missing Karen. Cathie brought in a mousie for me to chase. It was not a real mouse (which I would have considered a belated Christmas gift), but it moved around on the floor so I could chase it. It was as dumb as a real mouse, because it ran into walls willy-nilly, and got stuck under the rocking chair for a bit.
Here is a picture of me with the mouse:


I posed very nicely for this picture. This next picture, I did not pose for. I must say I am getting tired of folks creeping around with cameras, taking embarrassing photos.


It is very unnerving to look up from cleaning your nether parts to see someone turning on a camera. So far I have managed to avoid being photographed in that unfortunate position, but these people are very sneaky.

Now that my Assistant Boss is back, I can relax a bit. She is much better at Bossing, because the other Library Staff do NOT pick her up and lock her in her office when she begins roaming the building. I spent the day helping her catch up on paperwork. I also ate a lot of food and napped a bunch.

I also must tell you that today is a Big Snow Day in Boone County. Everything outside is white and cold, and I am very glad that I am a Library Cat. I am also glad that my library is open today, so that I can have plenty of food and petting.

Coming up I have a very important blog. I am famous. Look for it in a few days!

Stay warm,

Tober