Ace the Library Dog

Our dear library dog Ace resigned from his NOPL post at the end of 2011. He visited each library one final time during December where he issued buttons bearing his likeness and issued pawtographs. His therapy dog vest was adorned with buttons made by all his friends from the library. It rattled a lot when he shook.

We’re currently out scouting for the best therapy dog in the tri-county area to assume the duty of library dog for 2012. Stay tuned.

2 years of circulating Ace

Ace the Library Dog was added to NOPL’s collection in January 2010. Ace is a five year old mixed-breed dog who is registered as a Canine Good Citizen and Delta therapy animal. He is also Pet of the Month at Nottingham Pet Clinic, and was voted class clown in Beginner Agility to boot. Ace visits each of the three NOPL libraries once per month for a stretch of two or three hours at a time. Zipped into the special green vest he wears at the library is his barcode (or barkcode, as we say), and with this, patrons are allowed to check Ace out for short-term in-library use.

Ace eagerly awaits meeting new people. His tolerance for having his ears and fur pulled is good for teaching very young children how to safely approach and pet an animal. His gentleness is valuable for people who wish to become less afraid of dogs. His playfulness lends itself well to study breaks, and his obedience can teach anyone the basics of behavior science and animal learning. Ace seems especially fond of working with people with sensory sensitivities. His literary tastes run the gamut: he considers Clifford and Mudge dear friends, and he still paces around mulling over Of Mice and Men (What if Lennie had a therapy dog-loaning library, where he could learn how to interact safely with soft things?). If allowed, Ace will simply devour any newspaper he can get his paws on.

To reserve a 20-minute visit with him, call a NOPL library and schedule an appointment for the next time he’ll be there (see schedule above). He comes with a bag of toys, treats, and tricks, and is available to all ages. After visiting him 5 times, we’ll make you a custom coloring sheet of you and the dog.