A Massachusetts library network is hoping to get patrons old and new to step inside its branches (Picture: Getty/Collect)
Angela Gerard, 31, is feline pretty good right now.
Her good mood – and that cat pun – is justified. She’s got one less bill to worry about and it’s all thanks to her cat family, Groot.
The rent for her home in Worcester, Massachusetts, just went up by $200, daily groceries easily reach up to $50 at the tills and her 18-month-old keeps her and her husband’s hands full.
‘Currently living paycheck to paycheck, it is difficult to save any extra,’ Angela, a manager at the homeware boutique Crompton Collective in the Canal District, tells Metro.co.uk.
Her son’s late fee at the Worcester Public Library had long hung over her. But the library’s new late fee forgiveness programme, March Meowness, changed that.
Angela and her son Logan, 13, came into their local branch and handed a librarian a photo of Logan’s ‘best buddy’ and video game partner, Groot.
Groot is quite the handful, according to Angela (Picture: Angela Gerard)
Logan, who racked up late fees after misplacing Pokemon books, and his cat (Picture: Angela Gerard)
And with that, their late fee for Logan’s lost copy of Captain Underpants and some Pokémon books was waived – and one less thing for Angela to worry about.
Through the end of March, people who have racked up fees for lost or damaged items can bring a picture of a cat and get their library cards reactivated and borrowing privileges restored at any of the library network’s seven branches.
Library administrators hope to encourage people who may have avoided paying the fees out of embarrassment to rejoin the library, with hundreds handing in cat pictures to join the main library building’s growing ‘cat wall’.
Indeed, the photo of a wide-eyed Groot is one of the 3,000 photographs, crayon drawings and magazine clippings of felines submitted worldwide.
And a few non-cats too. ‘We will accept honorary cats as well, so you may show us a picture or drawing of a dog, raccoon, orca, capybara, or any other animal,’ the library states.
‘I was super excited when I heard about this,’ Angela says, ‘and ran to tell my son to get his cat picture ready so we can clear his library balance.’
The library has received thousands of submissions (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Any photo of a cat will get your charges and fees forgiven (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
That includes this photo of man-spreading Salem here (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Pig is quite a poser (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Doodles of furry friends are also accepted (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Over 94% of Americans feel libraries improve the local community. Many, including Worcester Public Library, provide storytime sessions and craft lessons for kids as well as classes in wellness, 3D printing and genealogy.
In 2016, Worcester Public Library had 103,202 library cards across its branches, with 7,000 issued that year alone.
However, library usage nationwide has been decreasing for years. Almost six in 10 rarely, if ever, visit one, a 2021 survey found.
Gen Z and Millenial readers, however, are using public libraries at higher rates than older generations – they even prefer physical books over digital ones.
Keen to get people of all ages grabbing books from their shelves, a special task force asked Worcester Public Library communication manager Linnea Sheldon if she had any ideas earlier this year.
‘The task force was very specific that they wanted this to be a low barrier programme, so that anyone could participate, regardless of their situation,’ Linnea says.
A cat late fee forgiveness (fur-giveness? Maybe we’ll leave the marketing to Linnea) initiative was a no-brainer for Linnea. Last year, a visit from the Worcester Animal Rescue League ended with almost every library staffer adopting a kitten.
‘Everyone, including our planning group, was surprised just how far this initiative has spread,’ Linnea admits. ‘But we are thrilled that our message of everyone is welcome at the library is spreading and raising awareness for library services all over the world.’
Ms Olive needs her glasses to read library books (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Say hello to Star the cat – you can see where they get their name (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Library administrators did away with charges to make their facilities more accessible to lower-income residents (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Jason Homer, the executive director of the library, says it stopped charging fines for late returns in 2020,
Before that, most late fees were about 10¢ a day. While library patrons had a fair few options to pay, Homer says research suggests fees and fines don’t make people return items any faster.
‘In fact, many people with lost items elect to never return to the library,’ Homer says. These fines go against the idea libraries are community spaces.
‘We know life can get in the way,’ he adds. ‘As long as you return it, you owe us nothing.’
After all, Angela, who also holds down a second job at the Haberdash clothing store, says Logan got his books from the library’s bookmobile that visited his school.
Loki likes going on walks (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Both Karma the cat and her canine friend would count in the scheme (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Frankie has helped her owner have her library card reactivated (Picture: Worcester Public Library)
Homer, 37, a librarian of 12 years, says this is precisely why March Meowness was done.
‘March Meowness gives us an opportunity to invite people back into the library without a fear of punishment or not being able to afford our services,’ he says.
‘We are free and open to everyone.’
About 600 library accounts have been unblocked since March Meowness started – foot traffic has also increased as returning patrons like Angela and Logan tell people to pop by their local branch.
But for Homer, pictures of cats are the only way he can get close to one.
‘Unfortunately, I am very allergic to cats,’ he says, ‘but I love them so much.’
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