Three - Dewey - Vicki Myron

How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

January 18, 1988 Vicki Myron walks into work at the Spencer Public Library and hears noises coming from the book drop. Inside she finds this tiny kitten shivering from the cold trying to stay warm. As she lifts out the kitten, she feels an immediate connection with him as she looks into his eyes. And that is how Dewey's story begins. Vicki and the staff warm Dewey up and feed him. Throughout that first day, Dewey makes friends with the patrons and staff and lifts everyone's spirits on a cold winter day.

Only being the library director for a few years, Vicki knows she needs to get approval from the library board before keeping the kitten at the library. She researches concerns from parents over allergies and finds out the library is perfectly structured to not allow dander to pile up.

Vicki explains with little stories in each chapter how Dewey impacted not only the library patrons, but her own life as well. Dewey became famous outside of Spencer and Iowa itself via many documentaries. Even a small documentary crew came over from Japan.

This book is very heartwarming and provides a great picture of small town life as well as the inside workings of a library. I never knew there was a library cat society until reading this book.

You can see pictures and read a "job description" for Dewey on the Spencer Public Library's website.