New Museum Passes Now Available

Planning a “staycation” for your family this summer? Then the Ridgefield Library Museum Pass program is for you. Free or discounted admission is now available to 17 area museums, zoos and other educational and cultural institutions, including three exciting new additions.

• You’ve seen the movies – now visit the real thing! The American Museum of Natural History is THE place to go for dinosaurs, dioramas and much more.

• The landmark Guggenheim Museum in New York City is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year and remains a premier destination for lovers of art from the late 19^th century through the contemporary cutting edge.

• Mystic Seaport, beloved for its tall ships and re-created 19^th century village, hosts dozens of family activities each week.

Passes may be borrowed for 3 days and may be reserved up to 7 days in advance. Museum pass privileges vary, so pick up a brochure at the Library or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details. Museum hours, exhibits and programs are subject to change; always check for updates before planning your trip.

Our museum pass program is made possible by the Friends of the Library, along with the generosity of local institutions such as the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

Downloadable Audiobooks Now Available for the iPod

Here's some good news from Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski.

The Ridgefield Library is pleased to announce that NetLibrary, our downloadable audiobook service, is now iPod compatible.

The Library offers Ridgefield residents a wide selection of downloadable audiobooks, or eAudiobooks as they are known in the trade, that can be accessed from our website www.ridgefieldlibrary.org. Until now, eAudiobooks were only available to those with Windows-based computers and portable players. However, now over 500 titles in NetLibrary are in MP3 format, making them Apple and iPod compatible.

We wish we could tell you that all of the over 1,800 titles on NetLibrary can be played on an iPod, but due to the world of digital rights management, only a portion of the offerings are available. These titles do include a wide range of fiction including mysteries by Alexander McCall Smith and Anne Perry, contemporary fiction by the likes of Anne Tyler and John LeCarré, and non-fiction including selections from the Modern Scholar series, college courses in audio format.

Upgrades to NetLibrary have streamlined the procedure for downloads. The new Media Center, available from the NetLibrary homepage, makes it a one-click process and formats titles with multiple tracks for listening convenience. So if you haven’t tried an eAudiobook recently, visit the Library’s website and see and hear what you’re missing.

E-mail Overdue Notices Now the Norm

Beginning July 1^st, the Ridgefield Library will be moving exclusively to e-mail instead of printed and mailed overdue notices. To make sure you are receiving these “courtesy reminders” (including advance notice of when items are coming due), please stop by the Circulation Desk at your earliest convenience to sign up your entire family.

We have a new, simplified procedure which allows you to register every card your family has without having to fill out duplicate forms. We will now be collecting e-mails for children’s cards, however we require the e-mail address of the responsible adult (i.e. parent or guardian) who should be receiving notices on behalf of their children.

You may also sign up for Library ELF, a service that allows you to customize the timing and delivery method of your reminders, plus allows you to get notices for your entire family in one convenient message. It is important that you also make sure the Ridgefield Library has all your appropriate e-mail addresses, as Library ELF is an independent product and we do not have access to the information they have on file.

Signing up for e-mail notices is easy, and it will save you and the Library time and money. Do it today!

Summer Starts Soon @ the Library

Beginning June 21st, the Ridgefield Library will be switching to its summer schedule and dropping Sunday hours until after Labor Day. We will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 9 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Don’t forget that many library resources are available on our website even when we are closed, such as our catalog, event calendar, downloadable audiobooks, numerous research databases and the InfoAnytime 24/7 virtual reference desk.

Our Summer Reading Programs begin Monday, June 22^nd and run through August 1^st. “Be Creative @ your Library” is the theme this year, and we have lots of wonderful programs, prizes and creative activities in store for children, teens and adults. Sign up any time from the 22^nd on; just read one book before you come in to get started.

Training for Summer Reading volunteers will take place on June 15 and 17. All volunteers must attend one session. Contact Children’s Services for information.

Also coming soon is the addition of a self-service check-out station in Children’s Services. We hope this will shorten the lines and reduce the hubbub at the Circulation Desk, especially during Summer Reading.