A New Look for Museum Passes

We are pleased to announce that we have developed a new packaging system for our popular museum passes.  Colorful and durable plastic pouches have replaced the cumbersome looseleaf notebook binders.  These are a convenient size to tuck into a handbag or pocket and are well-secured with zippers and snaps to keep all the important paperwork secure.

Thirteen popular institutions in Connecticut and New York offer some variety of free admission deal, and another eight offer discounted admission.  The choices range from art museums like the Wadsworth Atheneum and NYC’s Guggenheim Museum, to outdoor activities such as nature centers and parks, to interactive children’s learning experiences. Passes may be borrowed by Ridgefield Library cardholders for two nights on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some museums provide free passes to libraries; others offer special library discounts through a museum pass program organized by the Connecticut Library Consortium.  Here in Ridgefield, the Friends of the Library have generously paid these fees for us since the program started some years ago.

Pick up a brochure at the Library describing all the offerings or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org and click on Catalog & Collections, then Other Resources.  Have a great trip, and send us some pictures of your adventures!

Museum Pass Updates

Did you know that you can get free or discounted admission to 20 area cultural attractions through the Library’s Museum Pass Program? Whether you are interested in science or art, animals or history, our Museum Passes make it convenient and affordable to enjoy venues such as the Beardsley Zoo, the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Connecticut Science Center.

Participating institutions are as close as The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum right on Ridgefield’s Main Street and as far away as the American Museum of National History in New York City. This fall we are adding two wonderful new locations that bring American history to life – Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts and our own Keeler Tavern Museum.

Please note that we are discontinuing temporarily the Peabody Museum while it is under renovation and its popular dinosaurs are not available for viewing.

Offers vary among the participating museums, so go to www.ridgefieldlibrary.org or pick up a brochure for more information, including pass borrowing rules.  Hours and exhibits change seasonally at many of the institutions, so always check their website before making your plans.

Thanks as always to the Friends of the Ridgefield Library, who have been the sponsors of this program since its inception. 

Have a great trip!

Extreme Draw On! at the Library

Spring is the time for the annual community drawing festival organized by The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Expanded in time and scope this year, Extreme Draw On! will run from March 24^th through May 4^th, with exhibits and programs in scores of locations around the state and the country. This year’s program features a special tribute to Ridgefield’s own late great author and illustrator Maurice Sendak.

The Library is pleased to partner with the Aldrich again this spring, as we have since the program’s inception in 2006. We will be hosting a "drawing horse" near the entrance to our 21 Governor Street facility, so come by and make a drawing inspired by the work of our beloved Mr. Sendak and we will post it in our front windows for all to admire. We’ll have all the supplies you need. Draw the "wild thing" in you, or pay homage to another favorite Sendak character with your own interpretation.  As Mr. Sendak so ably demonstrated, creativity has no age limits and imagination has no boundaries. Adults and children of all ages welcome! 

Why Come to the Library this Summer?

Why come to the Ridgefield Library this summer?

• It’s convenient: Our Summer Reading Programs for children, teens and adults mean that the entire family can “Dive into Reading” together, with one easy stop at the Library.

• It’s a great deal: All our programs are free – a real boon when many families are still being cautious about their finances.

• It’s fun: From Teen Friday Films to PJ Storytimes to folk music concerts, we offer a wide variety of activities and events that are entertaining as well as educational.

• It’s rewarding: Dozens of local merchants and organizations have joined our major Summer Reading sponsor, the Friends of the Library, to provide great gifts and goodies as reading incentives or raffle prizes. Stop by soon and see all the wonderful things you might win – just for telling us about the books you are reading.

• It’s helpful: You can pick up audiobooks to keep the family occupied during a long car trip, sign up to try out a Kindle or other eReader before you invest in buying one, or borrow a museum pass for some “Staycation” fun.

• It’s cool: The Library is air-conditioned!

See you @ the Library soon!

Library Participates in Aldrich's Draw On! Art Project

Join us as the Library takes part in the Draw On! project organized by the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

From March 27 through April 10 the Ridgefield Library will be participating in the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum’s innovative community-based program, Draw On!, Now in its fifth year, Draw On! is working with local libraries, schools, museums, senior centers, art guilds, businesses, etc. to encourage people to pick up a pencil and draw. This two-week celebration of drawing projects, special events and workshops is open to children, teens and adults. Logo for Draw On! designed by Peter H. Reynolds.

This year Draw On! has invited participants from all over New England, New York, and New Jersey. Each participating venue, including the Ridgefield Library, develops its own unique drawing program. The Ridgefield Library will be launching a project for all ages called “Spine Design” based the shape and design of book spines. Each participant will be given a spine-shaped (tall rectangular) piece of heavy paper, and a selection of markers or colored pencils.

Participants will be encouraged to use a wide range of line qualities to create an abstract arrangement of line weights and types, or a more illustrative drawing inspired by a favorite book title, using typography and drawing. After the “Spine Designs” have been completed, they will be set on bright colored poster board “shelves” and displayed at the Library.

Draw On! is sponsored in part by The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, AT&T, HSBC, Weston Woods Studios, and by Brand Flakes for Breakfast brought to you by The Greatest Agency in the Land. The Library’s drawing project is also made possible thanks to the Wadsworth Russell Lewis Fund.

For further information about Draw On! visit drawon.org. For more information about the Library drawing project, call 203-438-2282.

New Museum Passes Available

The Danbury Railway Museum is the latest addition to the Library’s Museum Pass Program. This pass, made possible by the generosity of the Friends of the Library, is good for free general admission to the museum for two adults and up to four children. The Museum, located in the historic station and rail yard in downtown Danbury, offers railroad history, tours, train rides, a collection of original and restored rolling stock and opportunities for hands-on railroad work at "12 inches to the foot" scale. You can find out more about this local treasure at www.danbury.org/drm.

We also now have available a limited number of passes worth 20% off general admission for up to four people at the new Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. The Connecticut Science Center opened in June and is the hottest new thing in fun, interactive science education for the whole family. Thanks to the Science Center for providing this opportunity for Connecticut residents to get acquainted with their exciting programs. Find out more at http://www.ctsciencecenter.org/.

Ask in Children's Services about borrowing these and passes to many other great area cultural and educational institutions.

Coming in the New Year

What’s new for the New Year at the Ridgefield Library? Here’s a preview of what is coming soon. Watch for details of these and other exciting developments.

• “Enjoying Joyce” multi-session, multi-media exploration of the life and works of James Joyce, starting with an introductory lecture by Yale College professor Mark Schenker in January and culminating with a Bloomsday celebration in June.
• Text-a-Librarian service, which will allow you to ask our librarians a reference question from your mobile phone.
• Online registration for selected programs. First up will be a 4-part poetry workshop in January. Check the January 8th opening session on our event calendar at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org to sign up.
• New after-school activities for young people, including Junior Writers, crochet workshops and chess classes.
• New selections for the AM Book Group, Critics’ Circle, Murder by the Book and Tuesday Evening Nonfictioneers book discussion groups.
• New museum passes offering free or discounted admission to the Connecticut Science Museum, the Danbury Railway Museum and the Old State House. Reservations for these and all our museum passes will soon be done online.
• A completely re-designed library website. Stay tuned for the grand opening of our new virtual branch in January!

New Museum Passes Now Available

Planning a “staycation” for your family this summer? Then the Ridgefield Library Museum Pass program is for you. Free or discounted admission is now available to 17 area museums, zoos and other educational and cultural institutions, including three exciting new additions.

• You’ve seen the movies – now visit the real thing! The American Museum of Natural History is THE place to go for dinosaurs, dioramas and much more.

• The landmark Guggenheim Museum in New York City is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year and remains a premier destination for lovers of art from the late 19^th century through the contemporary cutting edge.

• Mystic Seaport, beloved for its tall ships and re-created 19^th century village, hosts dozens of family activities each week.

Passes may be borrowed for 3 days and may be reserved up to 7 days in advance. Museum pass privileges vary, so pick up a brochure at the Library or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details. Museum hours, exhibits and programs are subject to change; always check for updates before planning your trip.

Our museum pass program is made possible by the Friends of the Library, along with the generosity of local institutions such as the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

School’s out, and where are you going to go? The Library, of course, but beyond that we recommend the great institutions included in our museum pass program, sponsored by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library. Excited by the recent movie “Night at the Museum,” youngsters are looking at these educational institutions with different eyes. We can’t get you in after hours, but with the Library’s museum pass program, your family can take advantage of free or discounted admission to many destinations in Connecticut that promise a terrific experience for all ages. Particularly popular with kids are the Beardsley Zoo, the Discovery Museum, the Institute for American Indian Studies, the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, the Children’s Museum in West Hartford, Norwalk’s Maritime Aquarium, the Mystic Aquarium, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Roaring Brook Nature Center and Stepping Stones Museum for Children. The newest offering is made available as part of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s “No Child Left Inside” initiative and is good for free admission to any state park or forest and to any museums located in a state park.

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Attractions at these institutions include dinosaurs, dolphins, archeological sites, nature trails, planetarium shows and scores of cool interactive exhibits and activities. Pick up a Museum Pass brochure at the Library for more details and web addresses that will get you to listings of current special exhibitions and events. <>

Passes for all of these locales can be found in Children’s Services, may be borrowed for three days and can even be reserved up to 7 days in advance. Ask at the Information Desk for passes to the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford and Ridgefield’s own Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art. Pass privileges vary, and some seasonal restrictions and other limitations apply, so be sure to read the small print before loading everyone in the car.