Introducing the College Corner

The Ridgefield Library has a new College Corner to help parents and students with college decisions and the application process. We have the latest resources covering college listings, admissions and applications, the college essay, campus visits, test prep including the new SAT and PSAT, scholarships, paying for college, college living, and academic success.

The College Corner is located near the Teen Center on the upper level in the Library. One of the helpful features of the College Corner is that we have reference copies of many of the best college books, creating a comprehensive core collection, which stays in the Library. These “always available” books will be ready for you to refer to in the Library and for photocopying or free scanning to your email or USB drive. Of course, there are plenty of copies of these and many other college books available for checkout.

While visiting the College Corner, also ask about online resources such as LearningExpress Library for test prep and a schedule of upcoming lectures and workshops related to this complex process. You can also learn about our new exam proctoring service.

Let the Ridgefield Library and the new College Corner help you on your road to higher education! 

Contributed by Reference Librarian Christie Mitchell

It's a Wrap for Summer Reading

Super readers were frequent visitors at the Ridgefield Library this summer.  In Children’s Services, 1309 children signed up for the Summer Reading Program.  They logged a total of 38,867 books read over the summer with many children exceeding the 50 book goal. 

The Library hosted special events for children and their parents that included a magician, a Frisbee demonstration and musical performers. Children had the chance to code like a superhero.  Others had the chance to create fascinating art projects.  Children shined when they displayed their own talents at the library’s talent show.  Those who read 30 books were thrilled to have their picture taken like a superhero. 

The Library would like to thank those who sponsored the reading program.  We could not provide the wonderful programs and incentives without their support.  The Friends of the Library sponsored our special event programs and prizes. Deborah Anne’s Sweet Shoppe donated ice cream cones and The Toy Chest donated $5 gift certificates.  Their support allows us to offer incentives to our young readers.  We would also like to thank the parents who helped their children log the books, bring them to the library, and who spent hours reading with and listening to their children read.  

Contributed by Gayle Pulley, Head of Children's Services

Get Outside the Lines @ your Library

September 13-19 is the week when libraries around the country are showcasing how they help their patrons get “outside the lines” – and the walls – of the traditional library building.  In Ridgefield we are using this as an occasion to launch our latest digital collection.  hoopla digital is an online service, available anywhere with your Ridgefield Library card for login, which offers music albums, movies and television shows to stream or download, as well as audiobooks, eBooks and even comics.  It is easy to use and works with both Apple and android apps as well as on most PC browsers.  You can get all the details on our website at ridgefieldlibrary.org.

To cap off the week, Friday the 18^th is International Read an eBook Day.  All you have to do is download one of the thousands of eBooks available to Ridgefield Library patrons through the OverDrive service. Then post about it on social media with the hashtag #eBookLove, and our library will be automatically entered into a drawing for $2,500 of credit towards additional eBooks for you to enjoy.

September is also Library Card Sign-up Month – what a great time to make sure you can take advantage of everything in the Library – and outside the lines!

Changing Seasons at the Library

The Library will be closed on Sunday and Monday, September 6 and 7, for Labor Day, but we will be open our regular hours 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday the 5^th for your convenience.

Registration for children’s fall programs is underway through September 20^th, with most sessions beginning the last week of September.  Many activities are offered on a drop-in basis, but others do require registration online. We have a number of changes to the line-up this fall, so check out the details on our website or pick up a calendar in Children’s Services.

Sunday hours 1:00 – 5:00 PM resume on September 13^th.  We will be celebrating the occasion with the first Ridgefield Folk concert of the season (the young singer/songwriter phenomenon Hayley Reardon) and the Grand Opening of our new Store @ the Ridgefield Library.  Stop by to check out our new line of library-branded items for gift-giving or personal use, from magnetic bookmarks to blank journal books.

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and we have some exciting new products and services we will be introducing that add even more value to your card.  Stay tuned for details, and stop by the Circulation Desk soon to make sure every member of your family has an up-to-date card.