March Meowness – Redefining Library Engagement in Massachusetts

In a world increasingly dominated by technology, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, it would be easy to assume that libraries would be going the way of the dinosaurs. In fact, far from heading into extinction, many libraries are evolving to become just as relevant and vital to communities as they were before the internet.

Far from being musty, beige buildings where silence was golden and fun was banned, modern libraries have become places where communities can come together to learn new hobbies, skills, and languages, get fit, make some friends, or fall in love! Of course, your local library still has books, but you might be surprised to find what else they have going on.

Cats to the Rescue

Last year, Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts found another way to bring back some of their estranged members with a seemingly minor promotion that became a worldwide phenomenon.

After realizing that they had thousands of library accounts that had been deactivated over the years due to unpaid fees, the folks at WPL came up with a fun way to welcome them back, fee-free. Although book fines were eliminated in 2020, many people were reluctant to come back to the library for fear of the fine that awaited them for that Lawn Bowls manual they forgot to return back in 1982. Enter, March Meowness.

The premise was simple: if you wanted to come back to the library, instead of paying your fees, all you had to do was submit a cute cat photo. It didn’t even have to be your cat. Little did they know that this simple scheme would go viral.

The end result was over 4000 reinstated library accounts, a huge surge in new and existing members coming to explore what the library had to offer, and best of all, more than 10,000 cat photos!

March Meowness 2.0 - Marchy-er and Meowy-er

With the unprecedented success of March Meowness 2024, the team at WPL have felt the pressure of following up with a bigger, better, and meowy-er March promotion for 2025, and it looks to be a huge one! This year, the library wants you to show them your cat, and for every photo they receive, the Worcester Public Library Foundation will donate $1 toward summer programming for all ages.

They will accept:

• Pictures of your cat, a famous cat, a shelter cat, your friend’s cat

• Drawings of cats

• Honorary cats are also welcome – dogs, raccoons, or even your favorite capybara!

Just bring your picture to any WPL location, email it to comms@mywpl.org, or share it on any WPL social media. Be sure to tag @catstermag so we can share in the fun!

More Feline Fun

In addition to their picture promotion, WPL have an action-packed calendar of feline-themed activities for old and young alike, including make-your-own cat suncatcher, magnet painting, and stained-glass cats. They will also have foster cats visiting for the teens and a chance to name the WPL new cat mascot!

If you’re in the Worcester region, get down to your WPL branch and get involved in the cat-loving community. If you’re not a local, you don’t have to miss out on the fun. Get creative, get your cat pictures in by March 31st, and help put some smiles on faces. And if you think you’ve got the perfect name for the Worcester mascot, you have until March 14th to submit your idea – the winner will be announced at the end of the month.

If it’s been a while since you checked out your local library – maybe you've never been – you might want to see what’s changed. They’re not your grandparent’s libraries!

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