[Michlib-l] Library Pet

[Kirk Nims]

Some interesting history to some perhaps.

During the late 1960s and 1970s, at the UofM Undergraduate Library [the UGLi], there were 3 Library dogs for many of those years.

They were protected from the City Dog Catcher by the Head Librarian, Miss Rose Grace Faucher, on several occasions.  She even hid Hieronymus in the knee hole of her desk and straight faced lied to the Dog Catcher's face that she had NOT seen a dog enter into the Library.  I stood there hoping that a tale did not appear from under the desk.

Hieronymus was a blond pointy eared short coated mut.  H belonged with his caretaker Bill, who worked in Circulation. He was an expert at working the Diag at lunch time.  Nobody begged better than H.  He would also wait at corners and only cross with humans across traffic.  Smart as a whip.

Riley was a similar mix breed but with more Beagle coloring.  He too had a caretaker Shifrah, who also worked in Circulation. Riley and H were the duo on the Diag at lunch getting students to feed them.

Michael was an extremely large Irish Wolfhound whose person was Susan.  She was a student assistant who often worked closing shifts, often with only one other staffer in the Library.

If a student dared to raise their voice to Michael's Susan, Michael would arise from back where all of the staff desks were, sort of screened off from view.  This is where all of the dogs would hang out.  Well, if the upset student, over a fine or something got too harsh or loud in tone, Michael would arise.  He would slowly and confidently walk up from behind Susan, and stand at eye level, with the upset student, who was often backpedaling like crazy at that point.  Without a sound.  The discussion was over.  I watched this myself.

These 3 were fully tolerated because, if a Campus stray dared to enter the front doors of the Library, they would quietly, never aggressively, turn them around and see them out the doors they dared to enter through into THEIR domain.

Oh, Miss Faucher kept a library mouse and fed it, in the staff lounge on the third floor.  It was cute.

Yeah. Library critters are very cool and useful.


Kirk Nims



________________________________
From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org> on behalf of Ingrid Fournier via Michlib-l <michlib-l at mcls.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 1:23 PM
To: michlib-l at mcls.org <michlib-l at mcls.org>
Subject: [Michlib-l] Library Pet

Perhaps an odd question...library pet? Anyone have one? If so, how does the maintenance work? We recognize that fur and pet hair create allergies so that limits the pet choices but wanted to ask.

Thanks,
Ingrid Fournier
Branch Manager, Scottville
Mason County District Library
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail3.mcls.org/pipermail/michlib-l/attachments/20240806/78cc8532/attachment.html>