Nutmeg Book Awards News

The Nutmeg Book Award winners for 2017 have been announced, and the 2018 Nutmeg nominees have arrived in the Library!

Annually, in Connecticut, works of fiction published within the last five years that have been determined by librarians and school media specialists to be well-written, with strong characterization, well-constructed plots, rich settings and striking language are announced on May 1^st.  The nominees are broken into four divisions with ten titles in each grade range: Elementary (grades 2-4), Intermediate (grades 4-6), Teen (grades 7-8), and High School (grades 9-12). Children and teens are encouraged to read these selected works of quality fiction throughout the year and vote for their favorite by April 30^th.

This year’s winners are Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winnick, Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, and I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.

Readers in several age divisions will be getting together at the Library over the summer to discuss many of the nominees. A full schedule of these meetings is available on our website. Come in to get your copies and checklists so you can keep track of your Nutmeg reading.

Contributed by Children's Services Library Assistant Sonta Frindt

Library Helps Address Community Concerns

For many, a library is a place to come for peace and quiet, or to lose oneself in another time and place through a good book.  But contemporary libraries also serve as venues for discussion of serious and timely issues affecting their communities. The Ridgefield Library partners regularly with nonprofit groups, government agencies and other concerned citizens to inform, educate and encourage dialogue on several important topics.

With the League of Women Voters, we organized a panel discussion on Civility in Politics following the election. Working with the school district, we will be offering a presentation in June on how to acquire the information and media literacy necessary to navigate the fake news epidemic. 

The ongoing Parenting the Selfie Generation series brings together a wide range of partners to provide parents, teachers and community leaders with expert data and strategies for dealing with the many aspects of raising a resilient child in today’s world, from sexting and other social media trends to teen sleeping and eating habits.  

With the Ridgefield Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse, Ridgefield Prevention Council and others, we have hosted numerous programs touching on issues related to drugs, alcohol and safe and healthy use of technology, including the Council’s Parent Circle discussions for parents of children at key transitional ages.

Upcoming programs will focus on teen mental health and drug and alcohol use. Check our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for the latest schedule of events.

Summer is Coming!

The seasons are changing, and so are some things at the Library.

First, we will be closed on Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day, but open on Saturday the 27^th for your convenience.  Look for us in the town parade on Monday!
Our summer opening schedule will be in effect starting June 25^th. Beginning that week, we will be closed on Sundays through Labor Day.  All other hours stay the same (Monday – Thursday 10 AM – 8 PM, Friday 10 AM – 6 PM and Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM) and, of course, our Virtual Library is open 24/7 all year ‘round at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Summer Reading Programs for children, teens and adults begin on June 21^st.  The theme this year is “Build a Better World,” and we have an exciting line-up of programs and activities in the works, in addition to the popular incentives for reading certain numbers of books.  We will be introducing a different reading log software this year, so stay tuned for a number of new features that will make this process easier and more fun. Stay tuned for all the details coming in school visits by our library staff and mailings to many families in town.

Mother's Day @ The Library

Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and the Ridgefield Library can help you celebrate.

Sunday the 14^th is the Run Like a Mother 5K Race.  Even if you are not an athlete, we urge you to turn out to support those who are running.  Sponsorship proceeds from the race support the Library’s Noreen L. Papa: Mothers Live your Life fund, which offers informative and inspirational programs and resources dedicated to health and wellness, particularly for women.

The Library Store in the Library’s Bossidy Commons has a selection of gift items such as bound journal books, canvas book bags and decorative magnetic bookmarks, all certain to please the avid reader.

The Friends of the Library book sale starting on Friday the 12^th offers many lovely gift quality books for mom, from miniature volumes of poetry and inspirational quotations to beautifully illustrated coffeetable books on a wide range of topics.

Mom doesn’t need any more “stuff” in her life?  Buy something for the Library in her honor instead.  Our online Wish List catalog includes options such as supplies for children’s craft programs, new audiobooks or popular fiction, refreshments for Books & Breakfast and many more, at various price ranges.