“I really appreciate Baker & Taylor’s CATS service. The staff is courteous and knowledgeable about children’s and young adult materials. I consider them an important resource in my collection development process”

- Youth Collection Development Librarians, Charleston County Public Library

 
Where We Are

Contact CATS

 

Meet The Team
Jill Faherty

Jill Faherty

VP, Library Programs

P: 908.541.7405
E: [email protected]

As the creator and ongoing manager of Children’s and Teen Services (CATS), Jill is an advocate for public libraries and youth services. Having worked as a children’s librarian in public libraries such as The New York Public Library and Montclair Public Library (NJ), before joining Baker & Taylor, she brings a unique perspective that continues to drive the passion to maintain and create services that best support the needs of children’s and teen librarians.

Bobbie Bensur

Bobbie Bensur

CATS Sales Manager - Eastern Region

P: 207.560.7241
E: [email protected]

As the CATS sales manager for the Eastern Region, Bobbie works to support the children’s and teen librarians east of the Mississippi River. Before joining Baker & Taylor, she spent nearly ten years on the publishing side of the children’s trade book industry, most recently as a sales rep for Random House Children’s Books. She has a Masters in Creative Writing with a concentration in children’s fiction, and is currently working on a YA novel of her own! Bobbie is based in southern Maine.

 

Rita King

CATS Sales Manager - Western Region

P: 616.402.0619
E: [email protected]

As the CATS Sales Manager for the Western United States, Rita works to support children and teen librarians west of the Mississippi, including Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Rita started working with public libraries as a youth librarian for Kent District Library in Michigan over 15 years ago. She then worked as a Branch Manager at Muskegon Area District Library before joining the CATS team at Baker & Taylor.


 
Erica Sommer

Erica Sommer

CATS Brand Manager

P: 908.541.7449
E: [email protected]

Erica Sommer came to Baker & Taylor in 2000 as a children’s buyer, then moved over to the CATS department, which is aptly fitting since she is a bonafide cat lover (the furry variety)! The absolute favorite part of her job is hearing from happy customers after they’ve won one of our raffles. In her free time, she leads the Teen Book Group at her local library, and as a Board member, is honing in on her library fundraising skills.

Alison Curtin

Alison Curtin

Prebind Manager

P: 908.541.7406
E: [email protected]

Alison Curtin is a Prebind Manager for FollettBound binding, formerly Paw Prints, and has been with the team since just after the program was launched in 2007. Located at our Bridgewater offices, she enjoys getting know our CATS customers and their library patrons’ needs. A highlight of the job is getting out to meet librarians at regional conferences and at our CATS TitleTalk events.

 

Baker & Taylor

Baker & Taylor

Beloved Company Mascots

Baker and Taylor were the pride of the Douglas County Public Library in Minden, Nevada. The first of the pair took up residence there in 1983 and was named Baker, because he slept in a Baker & Taylor box. The librarians told a Baker & Taylor sales director that Baker needed a friend. Taylor followed two months later, thanks to a grant from Baker & Taylor. Baker and Taylor carried on the long tradition of working library cats and have been immortalized on our company's posters, tote bags and calendars.