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How to participate

* Comedian and filmmaker Gary Roma is to discuss library cats and present his movie "Puss in Books," a 30-minute film about library cats throughout the country, at 2 p.m. Oct. 4 in the Frost Kalnow Room. Refreshments are to be provided by Friends of the Library.

* Mona Rutger from Back to the Wild, a wildlife rehabilitation and education center in Castalia, is to present information about the natural world for children and adults at 2 p.m. Oct. 11 in the adult reading room. Refreshments are to be provided by Friends of the Library.

* The Friends of the Library and Allen Eiry Senior Center are sponsoring a trip to Back to the Wild Oct. 14. For $22, plus the cost of lunch at Cold Creek Cafe, participants are to visit the rehabilitation and education center. The bus leaves at 11 a.m. and returns by 5 p.m. To register, call the senior center at (419) 448-9774.

* Patricia Hillmer, former library director, is to lead a book discussion at 2 p.m. Oct. 25. Refreshments are to be provided by Heidelberg University's Friends of Beeghly Library.

All events at the library are free and open to the public. No registration is necessary. Because events are Sundays, days when the library is closed, patrons should enter the library through the Frost Kalnow Room door.

Dewey participate, or Dewey sit out?

Tiffin-Seneca Public Library would say the purr-fect choice is to join in the festivities. It is starting its annual Community Wide Read next week, and this year's book is "Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World" by Vicki Myron.

Director Karen Culp said the book is one the library had thought about using for the Community Wide Read for a while, and it seemed like a natural fit for a library to feature a book about a library and library cat.

Debby Roszman, community relations coordinator, said the books will be available Monday and for a seven-day checkout period.

"We will have large-print versions, books on CD and PlayAway," she said. "We'll have all types of books."

Culp said the author was a library director in Spencer, Iowa. She discovered a kitten had been placed in the library's book drop during the winter.

"They decided to rescue it, of course," she said, adding a decision was made to make it a library cat. "Its home was the library. It was beloved by the entire community."

Dewey was the library cat for 18 years, and people would come and visit Dewey. He stayed at the library overnight and would acknowledge the librarian when she pulled into her parking spot in the morning.

Culp said the cat generally was around the library and would go into the meeting room.

"The cat just seemed to sense when somebody needed it," she said.

Culp said the director decided to write the book, and Dewey Readmore Books became known worldwide. The book was on the New York Times Bestseller List for 30 weeks and also spent time at first on the list.

A Japanese film company came over and filmed Dewey, she said.

"He was known in Japan," she said. "His obituary was in the New York Times."

People can read the book now and participate in events next month.

"I think it's a good lineup," Roszman said.

Activities begin Oct. 4 with a program by Gary Roma, a comedian and filmmaker, and he talks about library cats. Roszman said he did a movie titled "Puss in Books," and it features library cats.

"Dewey is in the movie," Culp said.

Mona Rutger, director and founder of Back to the Wild rehabilitation center in Castalia, is to bring her animals to the library a week later. The program is to be in the reading room to accommodate a larger crowd.

"We're hoping for a bigger crowd with that one," Roszman said. "I hope it'll be pretty popular."

The following week, the Friends of the Library and Allen Eiry Senior Center are sponsoring a bus trip to Back to the Wild. The visit is tying in the rescue theme, and Rutger is going to show people around the facility, Roszman said.

"After last year's trip, it was just wonderful," she said. "I'm excited about that one."

Culp said the last activity for Community Wide Read is a book discussion with refreshments provided by Friends of Beeghly Library.

"That will be led by Pat Hillmer, librarian and cat lover," she said.

The Community Wide Read has been a library event since 2002. This year, National Machinery Foundation donated about $1,500 for the entire Community Wide Read program.

"We wouldn't have been able to have these great programs without them and their help," Culp said.

On the Web:

Tiffin-Seneca Public Library:

www.tiffinsen.lib.oh.us