CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio - Wherefore art thou, Quilliam? There's something new spiking interest in reading at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights' Lee Road branch, and it's usually burrowing in its cage in the teen section. The recent addition of Quilliam, an African Pygmy Hedgehog, has been a hit.

The idea was to bring in a pet that might capture the interest of teens. But Quilliam has been stealing hearts of all ages. With the online "Quillcam," you can see what he's up to at anytime. Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so even if you tune in at 4 a.m., you might catch him in action.

Quilliam is racking up fans - and Instagram followers - across Northeast Ohio. The attention all started with a naming contest ("Lettuce" came in a close second).

Meet Quilliam, the new hedgehog mascot at CH-UH library's Lee Road branch 11 Gallery: Meet Quilliam, the new hedgehog mascot at CH-UH library's Lee Road branch

"When we announced his name, everything exploded," says Sheryl Banks, the library's communication manager. Regular patrons sometimes like to refer to him as Quilliam Shakespeare and Quill.I.Am.

These days, Quilliam gets brought out to play often and even participates in kid's activities like story time. The best time to visit is 9 a.m., and he's sometimes active in the afternoon. (Hedgehogs do tend to spend a lot of their day sleeping.) And while he can only be held by a professional, like youth services librarian Sarah Rosenberger and associate Rebecca Fisher, you can still watch him scurry around and explore and occasionally pet him.

"He's actually pretty brave as far as hedgehogs go," Banks says. "A lot of them will curl up in a ball, but with him, he's totally willing to come out. He's very friendly and social."

And the library's patrons are just as excited and curious. Quilliam's unique markings help: He's an Algerian Pinto with split eyeliner - a black and white face - and at just around six months old, the tiny hedgehog is fully grown.

Sometimes you might hear him make a little "huffing" noise and puff out his quills. This is completely normal, Banks says. He still likes the attention - which is lucky, since he's quickly becoming a local star.

"The kids are so gentle and just entranced and sweet with him," Banks says. "They're all super respectful."

Of course, kids can tend to be glued to their computers and other screens after school. That all changed with Quilliam.

"They drop what they're doing immediately when we bring him around," says Banks.

Adopting this new prickly pal is just another way to engage with the community, in addition to their film screenings, workshops and a new teen music makerspace.

"There are so many awesome things at the library, and Quilliam is just one of them," says Rosenberger.