By M. Diane McCormick 

Before Jesse Rothacker’s mother would let him get a pet snake, she imposed a condition. He would have to read a lot of books on snakes and their care. 

That was the beginning of Rothacker’s lifelong passion for reptiles, culminating in his founding Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary in 2004 (www.forgottenfriend.org). Forgotten Friend is a central Pennsylvania-bas

of the most rural and some of the most urban people in central Pennsylvania. You can see that every Library is open to whoever comes in, and they meet a vast diversity of needs. It’s very cool to work with them and see the way they serve the different folks within Dauphin County.  

ed haven and adoption center for abandoned and wounded reptiles, including pythons, turtles, and alligators. 

Reading promotes responsible reptile stewardship by warning potential owners that cute pets can grow into large responsibilities, Rothacker said.  

“If they just do a little research about owning them as pets, they would understand what the problem is going to be and avoid a lot of the pitfalls,” he said.  

Rothacker and his scaly sidekicks return to Dauphin County Library System’s Summer Reading Challenge entertainment lineup on July 3 at George & Hettie Love Memorial Library (formerly Kline) and Madeline Olewine Memorial Library.  

Did those first books you read come from a library?

It was a combination of libraries, bookstores, and these old, stone-age things called encyclopedias. I read “The Corn Snake Manual” by Kathy and Bill Love, and since then, I’ve become friends with them. We visited their breeding facility in Florida, and I saw some of the things I learned from their books that I still put in practice. 

What makes libraries a good place for your educational programs?

Libraries are unique community centers because they are a true cross-section of America. They are for all ages, all races, all backgrounds. There are so many categories where people are fragmented, saying they’re on this side or that side. When it comes to animals, people can gather at libraries as a community and spend a good 45 minutes just having fun with everyone.  

What do you enjoy about working with Dauphin County Library System?

The Library serves some of the most rural and some of the most urban people in central Pennsylvania. You can see that every Library is open to whoever comes in, and they meet a vast diversity of needs. It’s very cool to work with them and see the way they serve the different folks within Dauphin County. 

How does a program on reptiles fit into The Library’s Summer Reading Challenge?

I ask libraries to pull all their reptile books and display them. My goal is to get 100 percent of that reptile table checked out. I tell the kids at the end that you don’t have to stop learning this summer, because there’s this entire table of reptile books that are already pulled out for you. Many kids see what I do for a living and ask how they can do it, and I say the best thing you can do is open a boo