Come Playaway with the Ridgefield Library

 Audiobooks are a popular item at the Library. Being read to is something one never outgrows. Listening to a narrator read you a story is enjoyable whether you are an adult commuting to work, a teenager walking through town, or a child stuck in the middle seat of an airplane on a trip to visit Grandma. 

You may know that the Library offers audiobooks on CD and downloadable files through our website.  But did you know about audiobooks on Playaway? A Playaway is a small (3.5 by 2.25 inches) device with an audiobook digitally saved on it. It comes with a battery, and all you have to do is plug in your own headphones to start listening. The little device easily bookmarks where you leave off listening, so you can pick the story back up again quickly.

The Ridgefield Library has Playways with adult, YA, and children’s fiction and non-fiction titles, and we are getting more in all the time. So if you are in the market for an audiobook by Stieg Larsson, Sandra Brown, Avi, John Steinbeck, Wendy Mass, Diana Wynne Jones, or Jodi Picoult, why not try a Playaway next time you visit the Ridgefield Library?

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

New and Improved Book Drop

 

Good news for those in wheelchairs and everyone else who has had difficulty returning items through our outside book return. A new, ADA-compliant, easy-to-use external book drop has now been installed. It is located on the same corner of the building as the former unit, but just around that corner – follow the sign!

It has been introduced to make it easier for our patrons to meet our request that ALL routine returns, including all types of media, be made at this location, prior to entering the building. Of course, if you wish to pay a fine, report damage or have another problem with a returned item, you are still welcome to come to the Circulation Desk.

Returning will now be a one-handed operation, simply pushing items through the slot – no need to pull the drawer down towards you.  There is also now a separate slot for media items such as DVDs and CDs.

We appreciate the way patrons have responded to our request, which truly makes our job of checking in materials more efficient.  This can only improve as even more of our patrons make use of the simplified arrangement.

Contributed by Trevor Gladwin, Circulation Supervisor

Library Offers eBooks 24/7

Even when the Library is closed, you can still check out a book. Your Ridgefield Library card gives you access to eBooks that are available 24/7.

Whether youʼd like to try this new digital format or are looking to borrow books for an eReader, the OverDrive link on our website offers a growing collection of both current and classic titles. These eBooks can be downloaded to computers and to a wide array of mobile devices including the Nook, Sony Reader, iPad, and many smartphones (sorry, no Kindle at this time). The complete list of compatible devices is online.

Access to eBooks is easy. After a free onetime software download of Adobe Digital Reader, youʼre ready to borrow an eBook. Apps are also available for iPhones and for smartphones running the Android operating system.

We are offering OverDrive in conjunction with the Bibliomation consortium. In order to make the most in- demand titles available on a timely basis, we are also part of OverDriveʼs Library Advantage program. Log in with your library card barcode to find copies of eBooks that can only be checked out by Ridgefield Library patrons.

For more information or for assistance in downloading an eBook, please contact Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski at dlpawl@ridgefieldlibrary.org or 203-438-2282 x1003.