Trick or Treat @ the Library

Calling all young goblins and princesses! Drop by the Library during the downtown Halloween Walk on Saturday, October 29^th from 10:00 AM – noon, show us your costume and get a special treat – a book provided by the Friends of the Library (while supplies last).

Seasonal books and other materials fly off the Library’s shelves ahead of each holiday, but now we can offer an alternative if you miss the boat for these special occasions.  Hoopla offers a wealth of downloadable and streaming content for all ages that can be enjoyed on computer, tablet or phone.  For Halloween they offer scary movies from Stephen King to Disney; TV series such as Dark Shadows and the animated Sabrina; Walking Dead and many other comics; spooky songs and sounds to provide a soundtrack for your Halloween party; and audio and eBook versions of many favorites from picture books to Goosebumps to adult horror thrillers.  Check our website or ask at any service desk to set up your account.

Our fall School Scrabble Tournament takes place on November 5^th, but keeps up the Halloween spirit, with costume contests and themed activities.  Scrabblers in Grades 4 through 12 are invited to send in their registration forms, available at the Library or online at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Reading Across Generations

For many years, the Library has offered the popular Reading Is a Family Affair intergenerational book discussion several times a year, thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Children in grades 3-5 and a parent or other adult read a book together and then come to the Library for discussion and enrichment activities – plus a pizza supper! Last year we expanded this program to middle schoolers and their families as well.  Stay tuned for announcement of titles and dates for 2016-2017.

A recent addition to our annual calendar for teens and adults is Books Building Bridges, an initiative that brings together Ridgefield High School students and adults for book chats, lectures and other activities.  This year’s title, selected by the students from the reading list for the English curriculum, is Ken Kesey’s “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Scheduled activities include a lecture on October 27th by Dr. Mark Schenker of Yale College and discussions for adult and student readers on November 1^st and 2^nd. Copies of the book are available for borrowing at the Circulation Desk.  Please join us to gain a fresh perspective on a 20th century classic.

Hurrah for our Friends!

October 16-22 has been declared this year as National Friends of Libraries Week.  Here at the Ridgefield Library, we think a single week of recognition is not nearly enough. Every day, we give thanks for all the ways in which the Friends of the Ridgefield Library support our library.  Everyone who walks into our building benefits from materials, programs and special services made possible only through the generosity of the Friends, mostly by virtue of their indefatigable efforts as sellers of used books. Twice yearly onsite sales (coming up October 14-16 and October 21-24) have been joined by robust year-round online sales via their storefront at amazon.com/shops/forl. They even hold pop-up sales on the lawn during community events such as Summerfest.  All told, they fund over $40,000 worth of grant requests from the Library administration each year – all for activities that are not covered in the organization’s annual operating budget.  They also have made extraordinary major gifts in support of the Campaign for the New Library and other one-time needs.

You can support their work by patronizing the book sales (onsite and online), becoming a member of the Friends, or volunteering to help with their projects. Learn more about the impact and the activities of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library at http://www.ridgefieldlibrary.org/about/FriendsoftheLibrary.shtml.

On the Road with the Ridgefield Library

I’m getting ready for a vacation trip to Canada, and the following services from the Library have been a great help.

• A dedicated section of travel books and DVDs, covering destinations around the world, has hints for where to go and what to do.
• I can brush up on my French with language learning materials on CD and accessible online with Mango.
• Luckily, my travel documents are in order, but if I needed passport processing, the Library is a very convenient and friendly alternative.
• A long train trip will allow me to catch up on months’ worth of The New Yorker downloaded through Zinio without having to haul a lot of paper copies around.
• Thanks to eBooks from Hoopla and Overdrive, I will be able to keep up with book group assignments, again without carrying weighty tomes.  With selections like Vanity Fair and Huck Finn, this can add up to a lot of pounds of baggage!
• Lists prepared by the library staff have given me some great ideas for themed reading.  A pamphlet on “Crime in a Cold Climate” has some perfect suggestions for a trip to Canada!

Wherever you may be traveling, make the Library your first stop!