And the Oscar Goes to: A Book

The Academy Awards took place Sunday.  The nominees were particularly literary this year. Six of the nine best picture nominees were based on books: The Descendants, The Help, Moneyball, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Hugo and War Horse.  Hugo, the film with the most nominations (11), was based on a children’s book, Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Even comics got their due: The Adventures of Tin Tin was based on Herge’s classic graphic novels and was nominated for Best Musical Score.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 even had three nominations: for Art Direction, Make-up and Visual Effects.  Three of the five best actors nominated gave performances based on characters in a book - George Clooney for The Descendants, Brad Pitt for Moneyball and Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – as did all five of the best actress nominees – Viola Davis for The Help, Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady, Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn and Rooney Mara for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The Ridgefield Library has or can get all these books.  Why not experience these Oscar nominated tales in their original, print form?  You can even eat popcorn while reading them!

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

Library Participates in Far-Reaching Initiatives

For most people in town, the Ridgefield Library is their local destination for books and DVDs, assistance with homework or other information needs and educational and cultural programs for all ages.  But did you know that our Library has a role that reaches far beyond the boundaries of our town?

One example is the upcoming Astro4Girls and their Families program using the MicroObservatory Online Telescope Network operated by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (a pilot collaboration among NASA-funded Astrophysics education and public outreach programs and the American Library Association Public Programs Office). This project uses a remotely controlled telescope as well as more down-to-earth technologies such as Skype to connect our young people with prominent scientists and their work.

A second project of note is “Advancing Creative Thinking: Imagination to Innovation,” a two-day conference on April 27 and 28 organized by the Library, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and the Ridgefield Arts Council, with media sponsor The Morris Media Group.  Speakers and participants from around the world will convene in Ridgefield to explore the imagination and innovation which are at the heart of the creative process in every discipline, from the arts to education to business to government.

More about both of these projects can be found at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Best Books for Children 2012

It is awards season: the Golden Globes just happened, the Grammy’s are coming up, and the Oscars are not far away. But on Monday, January 23, the American Library Association (ALA) gave out their Youth Media Awards, honoring the best in children’s literature.  The Newbery Medal goes to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in the previous year. This year the winner was Jack Gantos for his book Dead End in Norvelt , a somewhat autobiographical novel about a young man who gets “grounded forever.”  The Caldecott Medal is awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the previous year. Chris Raschka won this year for A Ball for Daisy, a wordless tale about the little things that can bring you down, or bring you joy.  Of special interest to me as a Teen Services Librarian is the Printz Award, given to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. This year’s winner, Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, is the story of one young man’s very difficult summer before senior year.  This is a notable win for Whaley as it is also his first novel.  Stop by the Ridgefield Library and check out these award winners!

Contributed by Geri Diorio, Teen Services Librarian and head of Children's Services

What to Read Next…

Are you ready to curl up with a good book, but just can’t decide what to read next?  The library’s NoveList Plus database, which offers book recommendations for adults, teens, and children in an easy-to-use online format, is like having a book expert at your fingertips.   Search fiction by genre (such as fantasy, historical fiction, thrillers, romance, science fiction, and mysteries) or nonfiction by category (such as biography, history, travel, arts and entertainment, sports, politics, science and nature).   Discover all books written by a favorite author or explore  ”Author Read-alikes.”  The ”Book Discussion Guides” can lead to a deeper understanding of a favorite title or help you shine at your next book club meeting.

Access NoveList Plus from the library’s homepage at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org,  by clicking the “Research & Reference” tab and then selecting “Databases A-Z.”  

To learn more about NoveList Plus or any of the library’s other online databases, speak with a reference librarian at x1015 or x1016 or visit the reference desk.

Contributed by Reference Librarian Carole Clark

‘Tis the Season

It’s that time of year again when we all get excited about filing our income tax returns.  Well, maybe not all of us get that excited, but in any case, the Ridgefield Library can help you get started whenever you want to.  IRS forms and instructions have arrived, and this is what we have so far:  forms and instructions for the 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040ES, 2106, 2441 and 4868.  We have free copies of the following schedules: A, C, CEZ, D, E, EIC and SE.  If you have a need for forms other than those mentioned, you may find them in  the IRS’s reproducible  form binder.  Publication 17, the Federal Tax Handbook, Ernst & Young Tax Guide and Lasser’s Your Income Tax are here if you have questions about   preparing your taxes.  Our “Need Help Preparing Your Taxes?” binder provides phone numbers of local sources for answering your questions.

You can also find the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services  tax forms here at the Library. Both the Resident and Nonresident/Part Year form booklets are available.  

Our webpage (www.ridgefieldlibray.org) provides URLs for both IRS and CT forms as well as other information.  Click Government & Legal from the Research & Reference section.

Contributed by Victoria Carlquist, Head of Reference Services.