Library (Mini) Limelight: Meet Lewis the Sloth!

Submitted by Melissa Gunter

Forsyth County Public Library has a number of hardworking volunteers. One who is unique to the Cumming branch is Lewis the Sloth. He’s been here for a few years now, left behind by a young patron and never reclaimed. Instead, the branch has adopted him! Read on to find out more about Lewis’s special talents and how he interacts with everyone who visits the library.

Where is your home library branch?

I live at the Cumming Library and I usually hang out on the shelf behind the Ask Us desk.

How long have you been at FCPL?

I came to the library in 2022 and liked it so much I decided to stay.

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

In my time here, I've taken part in end cap displays, posed with kids for their 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten photos, and helped advertise library programs. I like to celebrate different holidays and wear a fun new costume every month.

Why did you choose to work in a library?

I didn't choose the library; the library chose me!

Describe your job in five words or less:

Looking cute on a shelf.

What is unique about your job?

I'm the only sloth I know who gets to help out at a library. I view myself as a book ambassador who helps the librarians interact with all of the patrons who come to visit.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love it when kids want to pose with me for pictures. My favorite costume is when I dressed up as a pirate with the summer theme of Adventure Begins at Your Library!

What's the most interesting place you've lived or traveled?

My family is from the Isla Escudo de Veraguas, a small island off the northwestern coast of Panama where pygmy three-toed sloths like me live.

What are your hobbies?

I like to look through the inter-library loans that patrons request. I also like trying new costumes.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished reading The Secret Life of the Sloth by Laurence Pringle and am now rereading one of my favorites - "Slowly, slowly, slowly," said the Sloth.

Paper books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

I like to stick to paper books. Audiobooks put me to sleep.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Next time you visit the library, stop by the Ask Us desk and say hello!