Library Consortium Promotes Resource Sharing

The Ridgefield Library and approximately 50 others within Connecticut constitute the Bibliomation consortium for sharing resources, including automation technology and materials.   In many cases, this allows your request for an item to be fulfilled automatically by a copy from another Bibliomation library.  However, be aware that not all libraries lend DVDs or audiobooks via Inter-Library Loan; also, loan periods on media items may check out for less than the week we allow. We recommend asking our staff for help with requesting these items.

Libraries such as Redding, Brookfield, Bethel and Newtown are in Bibliomation and share our computer system. Within Bibliomation, functions such as check-in and fulfillment of requests are closely coordinated. A number of other Fairfield County libraries, however, are not in Bibliomation, including Wilton, Danbury, New Canaan, Norwalk and Westport.  Through the statewide ConnectiCard system, we can accept items borrowed from them and mark them as returned, but be aware that there may be a delay before they are actually checked in.

Returns and requests are transferred between libraries by the ConnectiCar delivery service, and it can take several days for the process to complete, so please be patient when taking advantage of these convenient reciprocity opportunities.

Contributed by Trevor Gladwin, Circulation Supervisor

Holiday Schedule Changes

Please note the following changes to the Library schedule in observance of the holidays.  We will be closed on Friday, December 24^th, Saturday the 25^th and Sunday the 26^th. In addition we will be closing early at 3:00 PM on New Year’s Eve and closed on Saturday, January 1st and Sunday the 2^nd.  All other hours remain the same (check www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details), and we welcome those looking for books and DVDs to keep the kids occupied during cold vacation days or self-help volumes to get a jump on those New Year’s resolutions!

We hope you have noticed the cheerfully painted windows in the Storytime Sculpture Room at the Library.   Penguins, polar bears and snowmen are spending time on pine tree-dotted, snow-covered hills, and each creature has a book in hand. The whimsical painting was done by the Library’s Teen Advisory Group  (TAG) to celebrate the holidays. This is just one of the many ways this hard-working group of teenagers helps us out.  Be sure to look closely at the big green candle.  There is a Tolkienesque reference hidden in the flame!

The Care of Library Materials

Here are a few tips for the care of materials loaned out by the Library. Let’s pretend I am a book. Please keep me clean. Use a bookmark to keep track of where you are in me. Bookmarks are available at the library – just ask at the circulation or service desks. Please don’t crack my spine when you open me up.

Now let’s pretend I am a disc such as a DVD, CD or CD-ROM. Keep me away from the sun in your car. My case will distort from the heat, and I can fall out onto the ground. I appreciate being handled in a gentle manner by the outer edges.  Lift me out of my case by releasing the center button - no yanking please.

If you have a problem with me, report it when you return me and the staff in Technical Services will inspect me.  Please alert the folks at the circulation desk which disc and track is defective.  The Technical Services department uses a machine to polish and clean me when I am soiled or scratched. Unfortunately, I can only be polished about three times. So the cleaner you can keep me, the longer I can be borrowed.

Contributed by Bobbie Hermann, Technical Services Supervisor

Downloadable eBooks and Audiobooks Now Available through OverDrive

The Ridgefield Library now offers Overdrive, a service for downloading both audiobooks and eBooks from our website, anytime and anywhere.    All you need is a valid Ridgefield Library card to have access to hundreds of popular and non-fiction titles from your PC, Mac, or from many mobile devices.

Overdrive offers a user-friendly interface even for those who don’t consider themselves tech savvy.   For audiobooks, a simple one-time installation of OverDrive® Media Console™ will offer access to a broad selection of titles to enjoy on your computer or to transfer to a wide range of supported portable players.    Many audio titles can also be burned to CDs.   

To read eBooks, you’ll need to download Adobe Digital Editions from OverDrive’s website.   Titles can then be enjoyed immediately on your computer or transferred to a variety of devices including smartphones and selected eReaders such as the Nook, Sony Reader, or Kobo eReader. 

 

Patrons who currently use NetLibrary Downloadable Audiobooks will still be able to access them through the end of the year.  After that, you can continue to enjoy downloadable audiobooks through this new service.

Feel free to contact me as below.  I am happy to assist anyone who needs help getting started with Overdrive.  

Contributed by Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski, who can be reached at 203-438-2282 x1003 or dlpawl@ridgefieldlibrary.org  .

Baby & Me Joins Children's Program Line-Up

Looking to accommodate the very youngest patrons, the Ridgefield Library is adding a new program called Baby & Me.  Planned for caretakers and infants through age 12 months, fun activities will enhance language enrichment through songs, rhymes, movement and books, of course!  Research shows that the development of early literacy skills through early experiences with books and stories is critically linked to a child’s success in learning to read. Adults will learn methods to encourage early literacy through ideas presented in Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library, a program that models parent behaviors that increase phonological awareness and vocabulary development in the young child. Information and resources will be also shared regarding infant health and well being. The Baby & Me program is limited to the caregiver and infants under 12 months (no older siblings please) and will be an excellent supplement to our popular Mother Goose program. There will be special time for babies and caretakers to visit and network. Registration for children’s programs including Baby & Me will be held in Children’s Services from Dec. 6 – 12. Registration is by a lottery system. Programs will begin the week of Jan. 3. 

Contributed by Diane Antezzo, Children's Programmer

Scrabble Tournaments @ the Library

Scrabble has been around since the 1930s, and people all over the world enjoy the word game.  According to the official Scrabble website, there is even a National Scrabble Association (NSA). The NSA runs the National School Scrabble program and the National School Scrabble Championship and publishes a Scrabble newsletter. The NSA coordinates efforts with Scrabble players to run more than 200 local Scrabble tournaments every year and organizes the annual National Scrabble Championship. The Ridgefield Library is in on all the Scrabble fun, and we hope your children will be as well.  The Library is holding a monthly School Scrabble Tournament for 4^th through 12^th graders.  The next one will be Sunday, December 5^th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. During that time, the students will play three 44-minute School Scrabble games.  All skill levels welcome, but you must register in advance.  If your child needs practice before the tournaments, they are welcome to come to our regular Tuesday Scrabble sessions from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in the children’s program room.  Or check out the Scrabble website for tips like the word of the day, like alkyl (it means a univalent radical). That will help with those double word scores!  

Contributed by Geri Dioro, Head of Children's and Teen Services