The Corrigan Connection

What do Maureen Corrigan, Pat Corrigan and Kelly Corrigan have in common?  As far as I know, these three extraordinary women have no family ties, but together they demonstrate the quality and range of the Library’s adult programming.

Maureen Corrigan, book reviewer for NPR’s Fresh Air, came to Ridgefield in 2014 to share the insights in her newly released book “So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures,” adding a fresh and timely element to our community-wide Big Read that fall of the Fitzgerald masterpiece. 

Pat Corrigan does not have the nationwide fan base Maureen enjoys as a radio celebrity, but she has a very loyal following among Ridgefield Library patrons. A retired high school art teacher from Pawling, NY, Pat teaches regular crafting and sewing programs that fill up as soon as they are announced. 

Acclaimed speaker, best-selling author and cancer survivor Kelly Corrigan will be appearing at the Ridgefield Playhouse on March 8^th as part of the Library’s Noreen L. Papa – Mothers: Live your Life health and wellness series. Admission is free but registration at the Library’s website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org is required for this inspirational presentation by our latest Corrigan connection.

Library Remedies for Cabin Fever

As I write, we don’t yet know what the groundhog will have to say about how much more winter to expect, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that flu season could last another 11-13 weeks and that the disease is especially virulent this year.  Along with schools and workplaces, public gathering places like our building can be hubs for flu germs, so we urge you to avoid the Library as well if family members are feeling under the weather.

Did you know that when you can’t come to the Library, the Library can come to you?  You can listen and read along to TumbleBooks online selection of illustrated children’s books.  More eBooks and downloadable audiobooks for all ages are available from OverDrive – take advantage of downtime to check out Libby, their new user-friendly app for reading/listening on your phone or tablet. Hoopla provides instant access with no waiting lists to streaming music, movies and TV shows as well as audiobooks and eBooks.  Chase away cabin fever with their great selection of your favorite comics!  There’s lots more, so stop by www.ridgefieldlibrary.org even if you can’t come to 472 Main Street.

Re-Designing our Virtual Branch – With your Help

Now that we are settled into our improved physical facility, it is time to turn our attention to our “virtual branch” – the Library’s website.  A lot has changed since this site was created back in 2010. To start, library offerings have expanded significantly, including the explosion of digital and downloadable content, new programming streams and many other new services. Equally impactful is the transformation of technology over the past 7 years.  When our website debuted, almost no one had a smartphone or other personal device.  Online research and communication happened solely on desktop or full-size laptop computers, often with dial-up Internet access.  In 2018, we need a site that accommodates mobile devices, faster loading of files that are many times larger, and an unprecedented level of interactivity and customization.

With the financial support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library, we are embarking on a complete re-design, and one of our first steps is to get input from users of the current site.  Tell us what you do on the site, what you like and what you don’t, what new content or functionality you would like to see. Just go to ridgefieldlibrary.org and follow the link to take a very short survey.  Thanks for your input!