I am not much of a reader of sentimental books, especially those involving animals. Marley and Me held no interest for me, nor did The Good, Good Pig, although I suggest both to readers who like those sort of books, but I was recently browsing through latest catalog and read about a book called Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicky Myron. Although I haven’t encountered a library cat before, I do so love walking into an independent bookshop and seeing that they have a cat in residence. Books and cats just seem to go together and having one walking around or napping in a sunny corner while browsing for books gives a place a certain homey ambiance.

Dewey, as the story goes, was found in the library’s book drop one bitterly cold Iowan morning, and the library staff were immediately charmed. He took up residence, thanks to the efforts of the library director (Myron) and the support of the library board. There he stayed for almost twenty years, befriending patrons, and making both himself and the library known throughout the world. Myron shares details of her own life, the library, and that of the small town she calls home, generally enhancing the book and making the reader care not just about Dewey, but about those aspects of the story as well.

Perhaps because of their independent natures, there aren’t a lot of feel-good stories out there about cats; dogs are man’s best friend, after all. A library cat is not a unique thing, but Dewey’s story is – and it is an endearing and interesting one as well.

For those wanting to see more about Dewey, there’s a page devoted to him on the Spencer library’s website, and he even has his own Facebook profile – but if you plan to read the book, you may want to hold off looking at them beforehand as there are spoilers. And here’s a page that gives a brief history of library cats.