On a warm day in the 1970s, Cromaine Librarian Sandy Scherba ascended the limestone steps and turned her key into the lock of the historic 1927 building entrance. At this time, the entire collection and all of the services of Cromaine Library resided in what is now the third floor Community Room and the second floor Teen Room– there were no additions to the original building yet.
Sandy stepped into the Library, set her bags down, and began preparations for another day at Cromaine. At some point during the day, the doors opened and a small, fluffy brown critter scampered into the Library-- Rachel the Cat, Cromaine’s Library mascot. Sandy thought nothing of this, as it was typical to see Rachel moving in and out of the Library throughout the day.
Suddenly, a screeching howl came from the main reading room of the Library. Rachel was furious! Sandy turned and saw that the creature she had let into the Library was not Rachel after all, but a raccoon– and that Rachel, who had been in the building the entire time, was outraged at the intrusion. Jumping into action, Sandy grabbed items from her lunch bag and slowly lured the raccoon back out the door. Rachel remained crouched in the stacks with her hackles raised, watching from afar and clearly scandalized that any critter would dare to invade her Library.
Moments like these were rather common at Cromaine between the years of 1971 and 1984, when Rachel the cat caused mischief, mayhem, and plenty of laughter around the Library. She was a beloved member of the community and an official Cromaine staff member, who made a tremendous impact on Hartland during her thirteen years as the Library mascot. This is Rachel’s story, from the cold winter day in 1971 when she chose Cromaine as her home, to the moment that you are learning about her today.
Making Cromaine Her Home
It was just before Christmas in 1971 that Rachel made her first appearance at Cromaine. Library Director Ann Zick, upon opening the Library for the day, noticed a scrawny little cat shivering in the cold near the building’s entrance. Never one to allow a creature to suffer, she brought the cat inside and slowly nursed her back to health, with the help of other Cromaine staff members.
As winter passed into spring and Rachel began showing signs of good health, the Librarians searched for a permanent home for her. But the search was somewhat half-hearted, as Rachel had clearly chosen Cromaine to be her home, and it seemed that no one would change her mind about it. By April of 1972, a staff member reflected that “....Rachel rules the house, whether peering down from the tops of high bookcases, taking a shortcut through stairway railings, or just stretching out in a patch of warm sun.” She had also proven that she was willing to accept employment from the Library: “She’s killed a mouse for us,” Ann said. “So I guess that makes her worthwhile.”
Rachel seemed to love all of the Library patrons: Director Sandy Scherba reflected in 1984 that Rachel “defies the stereotype of the ‘aloof feline’”. She was exceedingly gentle with the children and tolerated the many tiny hands that reached out to pet her tortoise-shell fur as she passed. She also enjoyed making herself comfortable on patrons’ laps as they read books in the armchairs. In typical cat fashion, she inserted herself into whatever situations around the Library she wanted to, regardless of how well she was received. In fact, she seemed to have a knack for finding the patrons who least liked cats and invading their reading time. On one occasion, a patron perusing the stacks was in for a shock as she pulled a book from the shelf and saw a pair of glowing orange eyes peering at her from behind it– Rachel had been relaxing behind the books!
Another day, Rachel jumped up and plopped her little body onto the lap of a former school superintendent, who was not fond of cats. Surprised and flabbergasted, the man jumped up just as Rachel was making herself comfortable, grumbling and letting Sandy know just what he thought of Cromaine’s mascot. Sandy explained that Rachel is the staff member with the best work record and the most seniority, and the man chuckled. He said that, at Rachel’s next staff performance review, she ought to be told to be less aggressive with patrons.
Rachel took the opportunity to make nearly every surface of the Library her personal space for rest and relaxation. One December, while a group of vintage dolls were displayed on a reading table to support the Livingston County Empty Stocking Fund, Library staff discovered that one of the dolls was exceedingly fluffy, four-legged, and breathing! Rachel had made herself comfortable amongst the dolls, enjoying the display in her own special way.
The longer Rachel resided at Cromaine, the more shenanigans she inflicted on the Library staff. She prowled the stacks in search of mice, and when she didn’t find those, she would jump on the windowsill and steal from the Librarian’s lunches– especially if they contained tuna! She would wander to the book catalog at Circulation if no one noticed she was hungry, clawing at all of the rubber-banded cards until they fell out of the catalog and scattered everywhere. For such a little cat, Rachel certainly made her presence known with her huge personality! Rachel is even listed as a Library staff member in the booklet for the Library’s 50th Anniversary Open House, in October of 1977.
Rachel’s Vacation
Like Rachel’s relationship with Library patrons, Cromaine’s programs, materials collection, and availability of services continued to grow. By the late 1970s, it was clear that the historic building would not be sustainable without more space for collections and programming. In 1978, the taxpayers of the Hartland School District supported two referendums to fund the construction of a 9,400 square foot Library addition. This would make much needed space for an expanded adult collection on the new first floor, an entire youth space on the new second floor, meeting spaces, and more. The original Library would become the Community Room that we know and love today, arranged for programs, meeting space, and other events; the lower level of the 1927 building would be an organized staff work area (though it is now the Teen Room). To accomplish this tremendous building addition and reorganization, Cromaine’s book collection was boxed up and moved. Soon enough, the sounds of construction filled the Library, and Rachel the cat was bewildered.
One evening, Director Sandy Scherba decided to take Rachel home with her for the night, to give her a little peace and quiet away from the chaos of construction. Previously optimistic that it would be a peaceful evening for herself and Rachel, Sandy quickly realized her mistake. Rachel howled all the way home in the car and hissed at Sandy’s two housecats, crouching grumpily in the corner of one of the bedrooms all night. The next morning, Rachel was in the exact same spot, and in such a grouchy mood that Sandy brought her right back to Cromaine. Back in her home, the Library, Rachel was much happier– but she still wasn’t impressed with all the dust and noise.
One evening in August of 1979, Rachel slipped out the door following a meeting in the Library. She dashed out to the cemetery, as she often did– but this time around, Library staff had a hard time finding her. When staff still couldn’t locate Rachel after a few days, the community began to worry. By this point, Rachel had made Cromaine her home for more than seven years, and she was beloved by Library patrons and staff. “If I’m sick nobody cares, but if the cat is sick…. That’s a different story,” Sandy reflected at the time. “The children all love her dearly, and it’s not like her to stay away.” Fliers and posters were distributed around Hartland, and Rachel was featured in newspapers, both local and not-so-local, calling for her return. Her picture was even featured in the Alpena newspaper! The Library received many phone calls from concerned patrons inquiring about Rachel, but staff had no answers for them. Eventually, they put Rachel’s food dish away, and gave up on the idea of her return.
After nearly two weeks, Rachel returned from her brief vacation. On Monday, September 10, staff members Carol and Coreena were opening the Library to the public when they saw Rachel, perched outside a window of the Library and meowing grumpily to be let in. Staff members shouted so loudly in excitement that Rachel zoomed down to the lower level of the building to hide! She looked healthy and well cared for, leading Library staff to believe that she had been vacationing in someone’s home over her absence– but Rachel wouldn’t say a word about where she’d been. She was home at her Library, and that was all that mattered to her.
Almost a year later to the day, on September 8, 1980, Library staff-- including Rachel-- proudly opened the doors to the new addition, welcoming the Hartland community to enjoy the new facility.
The Golden Years
Rachel had many more healthy years as Cromaine’s beloved mascot, quickly returning to her old mischief after her return to the Library. She enjoyed her time outside and brought her prey to the front doorstep every day, proudly displaying her catch to disgusted Library staff. One morning she ate a frog, while poor Coreena was working. Rachel was throwing up and having fits all morning, and so was Coreena!
She enjoyed relaxing on any surface she pleased, including on the typewriter, which made it difficult for staff to get work done. She sauntered through the Library– both the original building and the addition– and visited patrons of all ages to sit and read with them. As she began to slow down with age, Cromaine staff showed concern for her– after all, she was our staff member with the most seniority and best overall job performance! She received lots of gentle care and TLC, and was soon back to her old ways– but by 1984, her gate was becoming a little unsteady. Library staff ensured that she received regular and excellent veterinary care, to keep her as healthy and comfortable as possible as she enjoyed her life in the Library.
A Permanent Part of Cromaine’s Story
Rachel passed away in the summer of 1984, leaving behind a Library and a community that cherished her deeply. She was a huge personality at Cromaine, bringing joy to readers of all ages, keeping Library staff on their toes, and serving for thirteen years as Cromaine’s chief mouser. To this day, she holds the high distinction of being Cromaine Library’s only feline staff member. Rachel left a lifelong impression on our community, encouraging patrons of all ages to settle in, relax, and enjoy a good book.
Although we don’t see Rachel the cat prowling the stacks of Cromaine anymore, she is still our mascot in many ways. From the framed painting of Rachel that sits at the top of the second floor staircase to our stickers featuring hand-drawn images of Rachel, we still love sharing our beloved Library cat with the Hartland community. One of our recent Bookmark Contest entries even features a silhouette of Rachel in the Library window!
Rachel is still a popular topic among library staff and patrons. She’s even mentioned each spring during our history tours for children! The energy, humor, and joy that she brought to the Library lives on in everything we do with our community. Rachel, just like each and every person who walks through the doors of Cromaine, is an impactful part of our story.
Written by Shelby Dinser, Cromaine Library Community Engagement Coordinator, in March of 2026. A very special thanks to my fellow Cromaineans, Sandy, Ann, Carol, Coreena, and Dawn, for your incredible job documenting Rachel’s stories over the years, and for your invaluable work preserving her memory.
Sources Cited Include:
50th Anniversary Open House for Cromaine Library, by Cromaine Library Board and Friends of Cromaine Library. Sunday, October 23, 1977. Retrieved 3/19/26 from VF #6. I.D.4 Cromaine Library History, 1970-1989.
At Hartland Library, Tail of Cat is Among Books. Tri-County News. Thursday, February 9, 1984. A-16. Retrieved 3/19/26 from VF #6. I.D.5 Cromaine Library Personnel, 1935 - 1989.
What’s Happening for Children at the Library. Community Life: October, 1979. Page 12.
Cromaine Library Scrapbook: 10/80. Dawn Long and Carol Maczik. Second Floor Storage [Private Archive], Cromaine District Library.
Library Lines: Cromaine Library Staff Newsletter. Volume 1, No. 3. July, 1983. Retrieved 3/18/26 from VF #6. I.D.5 Cromaine Library Personnel, 1935 - 1989.
Library Lines: Cromaine Library Staff Newsletter. Volume 1, No. 9. January, 1984. Retrieved 3/19/26 from VF #6. I.D.5 Cromaine Library Personnel, 1935 - 1989.
Library Lines: Cromaine Library Staff Newsletter. Volume 2, No. 4 & 5. August and September, 1984. Special Combined Issue: In Rachel’s Memory. Retrieved 3/18/26 from VF #6. I.D.5 Cromaine Library Personnel, 1935 - 1989.
Purr-fect Mousetrap: Tail of Cat is Among Books at Area Library. Monday, April 24, 1972. Gerald A. Ziegler, Journal Fenton Bureau. Flint, MI. Retrieved 3/19/26 from VF #6. I.D.5 Cromaine Library Personnel, 1935 - 1989.