Steve with Dusty on one of our first visits with him at the HSUS.
Soon, when visiting UTC’s Special Collections, you might encounter the archive’s newest “employee”- Dusty, our archives kitty. Through a series of discussions that have been several months in the making, the Special Collections has finally decided to announce its newest marketing strategy. We believe that the addition of a furry feline will create the “purr-fect” amount of ambiance and buzz.
Steve Cox, Head of Special Collections and University Archivist, says “It took a while for Chapel to sell me on the idea, but I am 100% behind it. The introduction of a cat into the Special Collections holds a lot of promise. People tend to have this misperception of an archive as a musty old cave– stodgy and unwelcoming . We intend to turn that stereotype on its head with the introduction of Dusty.”
Many of you might be thinking that a cat in the Special Collections is not such a great idea. Hello, hairballs? Because we believe whole-heartedly in providing a home for a rescued animal, we made our selection at the Humane Society approximately 2 months ago. They actually have a trainer on staff who we solicited to work on some basic training with Dusty. For example, he has been trained not to jump up on tables or laps without permission- a necessary bit of training if we hope to keep “litter paws” off of our rare documents and patrons.
Personally, I am really excited about this new addition. We’ve bought a harness for Dusty and I will be walking him around campus from time to time to introduce him to the UTC community. We’ve custom ordered a Mocs football jersey for him & will be bringing him to the games (hopefully this won’t make the mockingbird mascot nervous). Steve adds, “I have two cats at home and I really miss them during the day. I can’t wait to have a new snuggle buddy!”
Be sure to stop by and look for Dusty on his first day, April 31!