'March Meowness': Public library accepting cat photos as payment for lost books

WORCESTER, Mass. (TND) — While March Madness is nearly a week underway, for many in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts,March Meowness has been the banner event of the month.

The event is a month-long campaign put on by the Worcester Public Library that allows residents to reactivate their library cards by bringing in photos, drawings or magazine clippings of cats in exchange. This loss in library privileges was often due to patrons losing books and media, or returning damaged items, and then never paying the fines or replacement fees.

Even if you don't have a cat in your life, you can still draw one," the library's Executive Director Jason Homer, told NPR Boston-affiliate WBUR. "Even if it's one of the big cats, like a tiger or a lion, and we'll be excited to see those.

According to the New York Times, in just the first few days of the program, hundreds of book returns took place across the Worcester library's seven branches, dozens of pictures were uploaded by members to the library's Facebook page and a dedicated wall in the main branch was flooded with drawings of residents' feline friends.

Homer went on to explain that the headline-grabbing event inspired by the continued fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn around it, as people lost homes and or employment.

We know that a lot of people, unfortunately, through being displaced in housing, or life getting in the way in the global pandemic, lost a lot of materials.

March Meowness also features month-long programming with cat-focused events on crafting, film screenings, therapeutic engagement and awareness for the local shelter system.

There are limits to the cats for forgiveness as they must be owned by the Worcester Public Library and lost items but have been lost for over two months and the waiver of item returns is not guaranteed and subject to the library's discretion.