Massachusetts Library Offers to Waive People's Fines in Exchange for Cat Photos

It's scientific knowledge that two of they very best things on earth are libraries and cats. Public libraries provide free access to a vast array of books, magazines, newspapers and other educational resources. Kitty cats are soft, amusing to watch play, and you can pet them.

The Worcester Public Library in Worcester, Massachusetts is taking these two great things that go great together and during the month of March you can get your library fees forgiven if you show them a picture of a cat.

This (amazing) library posts on Facebook, "Today is the day! We've got one month of fee forgiveness for lost or damaged WPL items! Show us a picture of your cat, a famous cat, a picture you drew of a cat - any cat, and we will forgive WPL fees on your account."

Related: Two Dogs Abandoned at Local Library Find Happy Ending By Being Adopted Together

If this wonderful program isn't fun enough, the library also has a workshop where teens can construct their very own cardboard cat house.

If they don't want to take their cardboard creations home with them they can donate them to the Worcester Animal Rescue League!

In addition to Feline for Fees Forgiveness, the library has cat themed events all March long, including DIY cat toys (which can also be donated), a cat eye makeup tutorial, a De-Stress with Cats from the Worcester Animal Rescue League - which entails hanging out with rescue cats, and lots of other themed activities.

Over on Instagram, the library is showing off their amazing cat photo wall.

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Including lots of adorable cat photos and some drawings of cats. 

Jason Homer, the executive director of the library, said in an interview on Monday that about 400 people have had their library accounts unblocked and borrowing privileges restored after bringing in their pictures or drawings of cats. Any cat will do, or even, for that matter, any creature will do.

“We take a lot of honorary cats,” Mr. Homer said. “Any ungovernable animal.”

The New York Times reported, "If you don’t have a cat? No problem. One cat-less 7-year-old boy, who never returned a “Captain Underpants” book, had his library card reactivated after the staff gave him paper and crayons to sketch one."

Libraries really are the cornerstones of communities. They are champions of equal access, available to everyone no matter their income, age, or status. This library has gone so above and beyond for their community that we can't help but applaud them. Now we just have to figure out how we can all relocate to Worcester!

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