How to Get What You Want @ the Library

Here’s how to improve your success rate in receiving items requested from the Ridgefield Library.

• If you place a reserve on an item our catalog lists as being in, please wait for confirmation that the item has been located and is ready for your pick-up.

• If our copy of something is out, first place a request in our catalog rather than going out to an external source. In most cases, this will automatically trigger a request to our 40 sister libraries in Bibliomation, and the first available copy will be shipped here for your use. The statewide catalog, referred to as iCONN.org or reQuest, only gets updates from many libraries periodically (Ridgefield information is sent once a quarter) so does not accurately reflect our current holdings or availability.

• If you want to reserve a specific number of a multi-part DVD series, ask a staff person to help you. The public catalog interface only allows you to place a request on a title in general, but we can get behind the scenes to select a particular volume.

• Ask for assistance! Our staff is trained in the intricacies of navigating the various catalog and Inter-Library Loan systems, and we are happy to help.

Simple Changes Make Using the Library Easier

Small improvements can sometimes make a big difference. Here are a few changes that make using the Ridgefield Library more convenient.

• Our self-service Express Checkout computers at Circulation and in Children’s Services have a new interface. Now both units look and act the same, and it should be easier to follow the instructions to use this convenient service.

• To make check-out easier for staff and patrons, we are now putting the barcodes in the upper left corner on the outside of most items. Older items still have these in the original location, mostly inside the front cover.

• You may now pay for outgoing faxes with cash as well as credit cards. A new vending machine allows you to purchase pre-paid cards for this purpose. Exact change only, please!

• Sign-up for adult programs requiring registration is now being done online. Look for the “Register” button on the event calendar on our website, or ask at the reference desk for assistance. Most of our programs still operate on a drop-in basis, but this new system assures orderly and fair registration for those that require it.

Let us know if there is anything else we can do to make your life easier!

New Ridgefield Library Website Debuts

The new Ridgefield Library website is here! The address remains www.ridgefieldlibrary.org, but it takes you to a brand new place. This site is designed to evolve and grow to meet your needs, so take a tour of our new “virtual branch” and let us know what you like, what doesn’t work, what you would like to see that you can’t find there.

Here are just a few of the new features:

• Extensive homework help resources for students and topical research pages for adults
• Everything you need to know about getting a library card, reserving a book or signing up for the ELF notification service
• A page of tips and links for parents
• A feed from our new Twitter account, where we can post breaking news, such as status reports on last week’s closing due to lack of heat
• Details of upcoming programs, arranged by date, by type of program and even, for children’s programs, by age of the target audience
• Interactive displays of new books and other materials, with live links directly to our catalog to check availability
• Facts, figures and history about the Library
• How-to manuals for downloadable audiobooks and other special services

Visit today to try all this and much more!