Improving Access for Readers

We are always looking for ways to make the many facets of our collections more visible and accessible.  Here are a few of the latest improvements we have made.

• ·  Our extensive collection of opera recordings on CD has moved up to the Ruggles Fine Arts Reading Room on the Upper Level, convenient to books on the performing arts.
• ·         New large print books are now on display at the beginning of the large print shelves in the Bossidy Commons.  If you’re partial to this format, start your browsing there to see the latest acquisitions.
• ·         In the Ellis Family Teen Center, biographies have been separated from non-fiction materials and are highlighted in a more visible location near the new teen books.
• ·         Newly and recently returned DVDs are stored on a small cart near the Circulation Desk for easy browsing of the latest and most popular items.  Also look for the nearby list of our newest DVD acquisitions.  We are happy to put you on the waiting list for a particular favorite.
• ·         In addition to thematic book displays around the building, look for featured items showcased at the ends of the aisles in the adult fiction and nonfiction stacks on the Upper Level to tempt you!

Making STEAM @ Ridgefield Library

You may have wondered about a colorful new logo on Library flyers and emails, incorporating the phrase “Making STEAM @ Ridgefield Library.”   This is our new initiative to offer activities and programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math to the community. Some may be familiar with the concept of STEM, which has been a hot topic in education and industry. It relates to developing proficiency in these closely-related disciplines to foster creativity and innovation.  More recently, there has been a movement to incorporate an element of art and design into this approach, thus STEAM.

With the opening of our new building and expansion of our technology infrastructure, the Ridgefield Library has been able to embrace the opportunities of this approach through a major expansion in the number and range of STEAM-based programs we can offer. Teens enjoy Crafternoons and Tech Thursdays each month; folks of all ages flock to 3D printing orientations; and programs like Science Scouts and a field trip to the World Maker Faire fill up quickly. Adopting the principle of “Making STEAM” allows us to provide context and connection among all these activities, promote them more effectively and stay abreast of current trends in both school-based education and lifelong learning.  Stay tuned for more STEAM as we move into the New Year.

'Tis the Season @ the Library

The Library will be closed on Thursday, December 24^th and Friday the 25^th but open again our regular hours for the weekend (9:00 AM-5:00 PM on Saturday and 1:00-5:00 PM on Sunday).  The next week, we will close early at 3:00 PM on New Year’s Eve and remain closed on New Year’s Day, but will be open for the weekend.  Watch for news of some special LEGO programs on January 2^nd.

Don’t forget to stop by the Library Store at the Circulation Desk whenever the Library is open, through the holidays and beyond. Check out our selection of gifts perfect for stocking stuffers, Secret Santa or teacher appreciation, including the new Ridgefield Library sticky note sampler book.  Get one for yourself while you’re there, to help you get organized for the new year.

On Saturday, December 19^th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, our Holiday Gift Wrapping service will be back.   Bring in your gifts, purchased anywhere, and we will make them festive for holiday giving.  We will wrap while you wait, or you can drop them off and pick up later in the day. Small suggested donation per package benefits the Library.  Look for our volunteer elves in the Main Lobby.

Cheers for Coding @ the Library

You’re never too old – or too young – to learn the mysteries of coding.  For those of us of a certain age, “coding” is the newer terminology for “computer programming,” and it is fast becoming a ubiquitous job skill, even for fields outside the tech world. In recognition of that fact, educators around the globe have launched a project called the Hour of Code, which seeks to introduce people of all ages and computer experience levels to the basics of coding during Computer Science Education Week (December 7-13 this year). In the few years Hour of Code has been going on, over 146,151,391 people have participated so far.

In Ridgefield the K-8^th grades in the public schools, plus many students at local private schools, are participating in Hour of Code this week.  At the Library, we have scheduled numerous activities to bring others into the coding fold.  We have open lab times available, along with structured hands-on workshops for preschoolers, parents, seniors and more. Check our website for the schedule, come in for help, or go straight to ridgefieldcodes.org to get started on your own.  It’s simple and fun!  The entire Library staff will be participating this year, and we invite you to join us.

Strolling to the Library

This weekend is the annual Holiday Stroll organized by Downtown Ridgefield, and the Library is pleased to be part of the festivities.

Starting at 6:00 PM on Friday, you’ll be greeted by the sounds (and tastes) of the Ridgefield Music and Arts Center’s RMAC-n- Cheese presentation, which will entertain you while you wait your turn for a horse and carriage ride down Main Street to the Lounsbury House.

In The Gallery on the Library’s Lower Level, you can take in an exhibit opening and reception from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for artist Spencer Eldridge.

Come through the Main Street doors to the Library and enter our Holiday Boutique. Here you will find great gifts for readers and writers from our new Library Store, including book bags, blank journals, magnetic bookmarks, various computer accessories and more.  They’re great for teacher gifts, Secret Santa surprises and stocking stuffers.

Bring along your gifts, no matter where you bought them, and our volunteers will wrap them for a small suggested donation per package, to benefit the Library.

Library Store sales and gift wrapping run Friday evening from 6:00 – 9:00 PM and continue 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Saturday. 

Saturday morning at 10:30, don’t miss drop-in storytime for ages 3 and up featuring a special “Frozen” theme.