Chinese Library ‘Hires’ 7 Cats to Comfort Lonely Readers Because of Quarantine

A library located in one of Tianjin, China’s tallest buildings has recently hired seven new cat employees or “intern curators,” to help comfort visitors who had been stuck inside their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement came from Wang Yan, the vice-general manager of the 415.2 meters (1,362 feet) landmark in Tianjin, according to China Daily.

“On Aug 24, the cats will officially assume their duties at the Western Shore Book House, a library with thousands of books,” Wang said.

Some of the cat breeds in the library include a Ragdoll, an Exotic Short-Hair and a Chinchilla.

The library, which first opened on January 18, is located 257 meters (843 feet) above the ground. It went through a temporary shutdown due to the rising cases of coronavirus to limit the spread.

Its re-opening is part of Tianjin’s “Fragrance of Books” project that the city’s publicity department launched where people can borrow books for free.

The building was first completed in 1991 and became the tallest building in Asia in the early 1990s.

The Tianjin library is just one of the other famous libraries in the city. One of the most famous places in the city is the futuristic Tianjin Binhai Library located at the Binhai Cultural Center, which was unveiled in 2017.

All images via China Daily

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