UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 22, Page 4
February 29, 1996
Author, ASPCA head to speak at library dinner

     Roger A. Caras, a prolific author and president of the American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since 1991, will be
the guest speaker at the annual dinner of the University of Delaware
Library Associates on Thursday, April 18, at Arsht Hall. The social
hour begins at 6 p.m., and the dinner and program start at 7 p.m.
     Caras will present "140 Centuries of Indebtedness," focusing on
the selection and care of pets and the preservation of wildlife and
wilderness areas.
     The event is open to the public by reservation.
     Caras is head of the oldest humane society in the United States
(it was founded in 1866), with a membership of 350,000 and offices in
Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles and headquarters in New York City.
     Caras once said, "I was born to be exactly what I am, a
professional practitioner of show and tell with a deep concern about
our planet and its future." He travels throughout the world to learn
about the animals, places and people that interest him and then makes
them interesting to others in his books. He has written more than 50
books, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper columns and
articles, lectures and radio and television appearances. Since 1975,
he has served as special correspondent for animals and the environment
on ABC-TV.
     Caras, who holds several honorary doctorates, serves as adjunct
professor of animal ecology at the University of Pennsylvania School
of Veterinary Medicine, of which he is also a member of the board of
overseers. In 1977, he was awarded the Joseph Wood Krutch Medal. In
1984, he became the first recipient of Israel's Oryx Award for
wildlife conservation, and, in 1985, the first recipient of the Humane
Award of the Year from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
     Among his books, most of which are enjoyed by both adults and
children, are Cats of Thistle Hill: A Mostly Peaceable Kingdom (1994),
A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us (1992)
and Animal Families of the Wild: Animal Stories (1990).
     The hardbound edition of The Cats of Thistle Hill will be
available for purchase the evening of the dinner and the author will
be available for signing.
     The dinner is $50 for members and $65 for nonmembers who also
will receive a first-year membership in the UD Library Associates.
     Founded in 1958, the organization works to enrich the library's
research collections through gifts from individual members and
donations of significant books. Membership is available by making a
tax-deductible donation in cash, securities or an equivalent gift of
books to the library. Annual membership begins at $25, with a student
rate of $5.
     To request an invitation to the annual dinner, or for Library
Associates membership information, contact the Office of the Director
of Libraries in the Morris Library, or telephone 831-2231.