Tell Us What You Want

Hoping to read a new release but it is never on the shelf? We always encourage people to place a hold for a desired item rather than just wait to strike it lucky.  You can do this yourself online anytime or ask us to do it for you.  The more holds on a popular item, the more copies we will buy (our goal is to have at least 1 copy for every 4 names on the waiting list).

We now request registration for most adult programs and appreciate knowing if you plan to attend.  Some technology classes, for example, can accommodate only as many participants as we have available computers.  For larger gatherings, we want to make sure we have enough chairs set up and enough refreshments!  And, in winters like this one, it is helpful to be able to contact all expected attendees in the case of weather cancellations. We also ask that you cancel if you are unable to attend a program for which you have registered.  This allows us to offer a spot to someone on the waiting list and make sure we have a full house.  Registration (and cancellation) can be done online or by calling us.

Thanks for your help!

Weather Closings @ the Library

Winter is really here now! Here’s a brief reminder of the Library’s weather closing and cancellation procedures.  Details are available at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

The Library does not automatically follow the lead of the schools or town offices when deciding whether to close due to severe weather.  Our decisions are made based on our own estimations of projected impact in our location during our open hours. When a decision is made to close early, open late or not to open at all, this information will be posted on our website, communicated via email blast and social media, and sent to regional web and broadcast media. If the Library closes for all or part of the day, no fines will be charged. 

If the Library closes due to weather, all programs are cancelled or postponed.  Some programs may be cancelled even if the Library remains open for business. When the school district cancels classes outright because of weather, all scheduled children’s and teen programs for the day are cancelled automatically. If the schools announce an early dismissal, afternoon children’s and teen programs are cancelled automatically. If the schools announce a late opening, morning children’s programs are cancelled automatically.  Adult program cancellations are made at the discretion of Library staff on a case by case basis.

What’s New for the New Year @ the Library

New names:

• The Foundation Center Cooperating Collection hosted by the Library is now the Funding Information Network and still offers great resources for grantseekers. 
•  Books for readers in grades 6-12 now are designated in the catalog and on the spine as “Teen” material, not Young Adult or YA.

New resources:

•   “Best of” lists for 2013 are now available online and in print.  
• Recommended reading lists for children on many topics are now also available online.
• The monthly Nonfiction News is now available online and in print to assist readers of biography, history, memoir and other non-fiction subjects. 

New procedures: 

•  Print and time management for public access computers is now being done on an honor system until the move to the new library.  
• Easy Reader series with multiple volumes are now packaged in neat and convenient sets for borrowing.

Back by Popular Demand: 

•  Drop-in Musical Storytime with Ann for ages 2 and up has returned to Fridays at 11:00 AM. 
•  The Donofrio Inspiring Girls (and Others) in Science series returns with creative computer programming workshops in February and March;  sign up online. 
•  Monthly adult book discussions have new reading lists for the winter and spring; see details online.

You Asked for It!

Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference.  Now that we have settled into our temporary space, we have been able to make a few modest yet meaningful improvements to serve you better, all in response to your requests.

• A bulletin board for notices of community events is now located near the Circulation Desk.  Please submit notices for approval before posting; due to limited space, we are only able to post flyers from Ridgefield-based non-profits for one-day or limited duration events.
• A cell phone area has been established in the same area near Circulation.  Due to the wide open plan of this building, we ask that cell phone use be restricted only to this area and that phones always be set to silent or switched off while in the Library.
• The shelf of used books for sale has returned, thanks to the Friends of the Library.  This is a great way to pick up items for vacation reading or even gifts at great prices, in between the Friends’ big book sales.
•  Attention fans of Bill Nye and The Magic School Bus: children’s non-fiction DVDs have been retrieved from storage and are now available once more for borrowing.

Things to Know about your Library Card

Things to know about your Library Card. It:
• allows us to access your account at least 14 times faster by scanning than by looking you up (and thereby helps keep any line at Circulation moving along – even more so if you have it ready to present when you approach the desk);
• has two parts if you have the keychain version, and it is important to keep both parts in your possession – for your security, and also you may need the main card to register at some libraries;
• must be current to use self-checkout, borrow from other Libraries, maintain your LibraryELF subscription, and renew items online (you must re-register with LibraryELF if the card expires);
• can be used at any public Library in Connecticut (but not beyond);
• valid for two years (renewal just takes a minute but must be done in person with the card and ID)
• can be replaced if lost for a $1.00 fee if you present ID;
• comes in a special edition for $5.00 if you would like to show your “Ridgefield Library colors.”

Circulation staff will be glad to answer any questions you have!

Contributed by Trevor Gladwin, Head of Circulation

Loan Period Changes Effective 5/3

Effective May 3rd, we will be instituting changes to some of the loan periods for items borrowed from the Ridgefield Library.
• New adult books will continue to circulate for 14 days, with one renewal. New books over 500 pages may be kept for 21 days (plus renewal).
• Most DVDs and videos (and also videogames) will remain 7-day loans but automatic renewals will no longer be possible; ask staff for assistance in renewing these items. Series DVDs packaged together will circulate for 14 days.
• Museum passes will continue to be loaned for three days.
• All other items will circulate for 21 days, with one renewal allowed.

These changes are part of an effort to simplify and standardize policies and procedures across the libraries in Bibliomation, the resource sharing network to which the Ridgefield Library belongs. The changes will ensure more consistency, resulting in borrowing rules that are easier to understand and remember. The shift to a 21-day loan for most items will also allow us to move through waiting lists faster and return items more rapidly to the shelves for your browsing convenience.

Please note: Inter-Library Loan items obtained from outside Bibliomation may still have different loan periods, set by the owning library.

New Loan Period & Packaging for Series DVDs

Good news for fans of DVD series! We know that it has been frustrating to try to reserve the individual episodes of “Lost” or “Mad Men” in proper order, since our public catalog interface does not allow patrons to place a hold on a single volume of a series. From now on, all the individual DVDs in one mini-series or one season of a television show will be packaged together and lent as one item. To allow you time to view them all, we have extended the loan period on these special packages to 14 days, with one renewal if there is no waiting list (regular DVDs still circulate for 7 days). So now you can enjoy these popular items in proper sequence, without having to juggle multiple reserve requests that inevitably appear in the wrong order. Just find the item you want in the catalog and place one simple request - or ask library staff to do it for you if you prefer.

Series DVDs are shelved in a separate section (indicated as such in the catalog), which we are moving to the near end of the DVD aisle, where it will be even easier to find what you want.

Winter Service Reminders

What does the coming of winter mean at the Ridgefield Library?

• When schools are closed due to the weather, regularly scheduled storytimes and other children’s activities will be cancelled. Decisions about adult programs are made on a case by case basis.

• The Library does not necessarily follow the lead of the schools or town agencies when deciding whether to close early or delay opening because of the weather. Always call or check our website or www.ctweather.com for the latest status before starting out.

• If we are open but you don’t feel comfortable going out on the roads, call or go online to renew materials that are due. You can also check out the wealth of resources on our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org - all available for your information and entertainment from the comfort and safety of your home.

• Do you have health or mobility issues that are aggravated by the winter weather? Our Homebound Delivery Service may provide a solution to the problem of getting to the Library in the ice and snow. Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski at 203-438-2282 x1003 is happy to discuss long-term or seasonal service.

Here’s to a happy and healthy winter for all!

Keychain Library Cards Now Available

Good news! Keychain library cards are now available at the Ridgefield Library. Effective immediately, everyone signing up for a new library card will actually receive two – one keychain variety for your convenience in using our Library, and one traditional card which enables you to use other libraries around the state.

Those who already have a regular Ridgefield Library card may exchange it free of charge for a keychain set, but be advised that the new cards will have a different barcode number. You will need to update your account with Library ELF, neighboring libraries you frequent and any other location where you have registered your existing number.

Here in Ridgefield, we hope the convenience of the keychain format will make it easier for you to keep your card handy for use at the Circulation Desk, when doing self-service check-out and when logging onto our Public Access Computers or wireless.

If you take advantage of the statewide ConnectiCard system, which allows you to use your home town library card at any Connecticut public library, you will need to present the full-sized regular card, along with additional identification, so make sure to have these with you when you travel out of town.

Help Us Help Your Book Discussion Group

On a regular basis, the Ridgefield Library helps some 50 local book discussion groups choose their selections, find background information and discussion questions and obtain multiple copies for group members. We are pleased to be able to support this popular and worthwhile activity, but we do ask that you follow these guidelines:

• Plan Ahead. You must submit your request a minimum of 3 weeks before the date you need books in hand.
• Check the Publication Date. We are not able to obtain multiple copies of books that are less than 1 year old.
• Confirm your Numbers. Save us time and money by ordering only as many copies as you really think your group will need.
• Pick a Contact Person. Please designate one responsible party to complete a request form for each title and to communicate with group members about the status of your request.
• Stick to your Meeting Schedule. Special arrangements made to accommodate your scheduling needs do not allow us to extend due dates or renew items from other libraries if your plans change.

For suggestions of titles that lend themselves to discussion, ask at the Fiction Desk or in Children’s Services. To request multiple copies of a title, contact Interlibrary Loan Coordinator Karen Kazzi at 438-2282 x1011 or at klkazzi@RidgefieldLibrary.org.

E-mail Overdue Notices Now the Norm

Beginning July 1^st, the Ridgefield Library will be moving exclusively to e-mail instead of printed and mailed overdue notices. To make sure you are receiving these “courtesy reminders” (including advance notice of when items are coming due), please stop by the Circulation Desk at your earliest convenience to sign up your entire family.

We have a new, simplified procedure which allows you to register every card your family has without having to fill out duplicate forms. We will now be collecting e-mails for children’s cards, however we require the e-mail address of the responsible adult (i.e. parent or guardian) who should be receiving notices on behalf of their children.

You may also sign up for Library ELF, a service that allows you to customize the timing and delivery method of your reminders, plus allows you to get notices for your entire family in one convenient message. It is important that you also make sure the Ridgefield Library has all your appropriate e-mail addresses, as Library ELF is an independent product and we do not have access to the information they have on file.

Signing up for e-mail notices is easy, and it will save you and the Library time and money. Do it today!

Library Goes Green for Earth Day

The Ridgefield Library is celebrating Earth Day by making some changes to be a greener institution.

Starting this month, we will be phasing out the mailing of printed overdue notices. Borrowers will be enrolled instead in our electronic notice system which will send straight to your designated e-mail address overdue notices plus advance notice of items coming due. This will not only save paper but also postage expense and staff time and will get notification to you faster than through the mail. If you are not already receiving your notices by e-mail, stop by the Circulation Desk and sign up today. You can also sign up for the separate Library ELF service that can combine notices for multiple accounts (for several family members, for example) and send them all in one convenient e-mail.

While you are here, take advantage of our new recycling bins throughout the building, made possible by the generous commitment to environmental consciousness of several private donors.

Finally, you may notice one more energy-saving measure – automatic sensors on the lights in bathrooms and other rooms that are populated sporadically.

Happy Earth Day!

Date Stamping to Be Eliminated

Starting March 15^th, the Ridgefield Library will be instituting new time- and cost-saving procedures in our Circulation Department. Encouraged by the great success of our self-service check-out station, we will no longer be stamping a due date on individual items. Each borrower will receive instead a printed receipt with information on each item checked out. This change will speed up transactions and shorten lines at the Circulation Desk, eliminate extra processing work in our Technical Services department and substantially reduce our expenditures on supplies such as labels, date due slips and stamp pads.

Worried about forgetting when things are due? We have several tools available to help you keep track.

• Pick up a Ridgefield Library magnet to keep your library receipts handy on your fridge or other central location.

• Check the My Account feature in our catalog, where you can see a list of all your borrowing, holds and other information.

• Sign up for Library ELF and receive advance notice of items coming due. You can even put all your family’s library accounts together and get one convenient e-mail notice for everything you have out.

Don’t hesitate to ask at the Circulation Desk or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for more information.

New Beverage Policy Introduced

In this wintry weather, nothing is more appealing than a cup of hot coffee or tea, and now you can bring your favorite beverage into the Ridgefield Library to enjoy as you study or browse. Effective immediately, we will be allowing beverages in the Library, as long as they are in a container with a top or lid to minimize potential spills (standard cans and bottles are okay under this rule). Have a drink with you but don’t have a proper container? Then you can purchase a Ridgefield Library travel mug at the Circulation Desk for just $3.00.

Beverages (non-alcoholic only, please) will be allowed throughout the building, except in the History Room on the 2^nd floor. Please check with staff before bringing drinks into programs, where they may be inappropriate.

To accommodate the wave of water bottles, soda cans and coffee cups, we have installed new trash containers around the building for different types of recyclables. Please note that cardboard coffee containers count as food waste and not paper. To avoid messy spills, it is helpful if you can pour out in a restroom sink any leftover liquid before discarding the container. Just ask the staff if you have any questions.

Food will continue to be prohibited in the Library. Food allergies, maintenance concerns and the potential distraction to nearby patrons make this impractical in our cramped quarters. We appreciate your understanding of this restriction and thank you for your help in making this new policy a success for all visitors to the Ridgefield Library.

*** Going to be out and about town on January 20^th? Stop by the Library’s Dayton Program Room between noon and 4 PM to take in coverage of the inauguration on our big screen. Coffee and cookies will be served. Don’t miss history being made!

Special Design Library Card Now Available

Vanity license plates, affinity credit cards, logo T-shirts and bumper stickers – there are a multitude of ways people can declare their interests and affections for everything from a brand of coffee to a preferred political candidate. Now you can show your love for the Ridgefield Library with our new special edition library card, with full-color art by local artist Jamison Odone (creator of the 2008 Summer Reading Program graphics).

The new cards are available to any Ridgefield resident who signs up for a library card, for a charge of $5.00. Our original blue and white cards are still available for free to all cardholders – just tell the staff which you want when you fill out your application.

If you already have one of the regular cards and would like to “trade up,” bring the old card in with you and we will transfer your account to a new barcode. The same $5.00 charge applies. Don’t forget to update your subscription to Library ELF with the new number, so you will continue to get advance e-mail alerts about overdues and holds.

We are delighted to offer this beautiful card and to take advantage once again of the talents of Jamison Odone. His bright colors and whimsical creatures capture the happy excitement many youngsters feel when they visit the Library, but we bet many adults will want one of the new cards as well.

Also available for sale at the Circulation Desk are copies of the 2008 Summer Reading Poster signed by artist Jamison Odone ($10.00) and insulated travel mugs with the Ridgefield Library logo ($3.00). Share the Ridgefield Library with everyone on your holiday shopping list!

New Fiction Now Circulates for 14 Days

Good news for fiction fans! New fiction may now be borrowed for 14 days, instead of the previous 7-day loan period. You will find the latest selection of new mysteries, romance, science fiction, fantasy, historical novels, literary fiction, chick lit and much more on a special display unit conveniently located by the Circulation Desk. Now you will have twice as long to savor the latest installment in a favorite series or check out that recommended new author. New fiction can be renewed for an additional 2 weeks as long as there is no waiting list. And no need to worry – we are committed to buying enough copies to ensure that the wait for in-demand titles is not increased by this change.

As always, new books that are 500+ pages in length circulate for 28 days, so you can take your time to enjoy a good read.

New selections appear in our catalog as soon as they are ordered, so you can make your reservation even before the books have been released. You can put your name on the list through our online catalog or by asking a staff member to assist you. Indicating your interest is the best way to help us make sure we have enough copies to meet demand.

If you don’t have time to come to the Library and peruse the New Fiction shelves in person, you can still “browse” new and forthcoming titles by subscribing to BookLetters e-mail newsletters. There are editions for bestselling fiction and non-fiction; new mysteries, romance, science fiction and fantasy; business, lifestyles and science titles; and even several categories of children’s and teen books. Along with descriptions, reviews, author interviews and more, each entry links directly to our catalog so you can check availability and place a hold quickly and easily.

The Scoop on Overdue Notices

We sometimes hear from patrons taking us to task for “wasting” money sending out overdue notices too quickly. I thought it might be helpful to explain exactly what our procedures are and how you can avoid getting unnecessary notices.

Overdue notices are sent as a courtesy to alert you to library items you may have overlooked. Our purpose is not to scold you for bad behavior but rather to give you a gentle nudge to return items so they are available for other users.

The first notice of an overdue item is generated 5 days after the due date and is sent either by mail or by e-mail, as you prefer. Signing up for e-mail notification is one way to help us save money by eliminating the cost of envelopes, paper, stamps and staff time. It will also get your notice to you quicker, saving you the cost of accumulating fines.

If you can’t get into the Library to return the listed items right away, you can call or go online to renew most items.

To save time and money, we have recently eliminated a second notice which had gone out when an item was 10 days overdue. At 28 days past the due date, we send a bill for the replacement cost of items now considered lost rather than late. This charge must be resolved before you are able to borrow anything further.

The best way to avoid getting any overdue notices is, of course, to return or renew everything on time. To help you do so, we have recently introduced the Library ELF service that provides an alert ahead of time of items coming due on all the cards you register, all in one handy e-mail. Ask at Circulation for details of signing up for ELF or for e-mail overdue notices.

New Reminder Service Eases Impact of Fine Increase

The Ridgefield Library is pleased to introduce Library ELF, a free service that allows library users to request e-mail or text message reminders several days ahead of when items are due. One popular feature is the ability to consolidate information about all of your family’s library accounts, even at multiple libraries, in one location and receive just one combined reminder. Check our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org or ask at the Circulation Desk for information on how to put Library ELF to work for you.

ELF may be of particular interest in light of the recent Library Board decision to raise fines on overdue books to 25 cents per day, effective July 1st. Everyone is feeling the economic pinch these days, and the Library is not immune to the escalating cost of everything from postage to electricity. This is one of many strategies the Library is exploring to remain a fiscally responsible organization in tight times. We hope this move also will encourage people to adhere to due dates and keep our collection circulating briskly and equitably, so that others may have their turn to read that new bestseller in a timely manner. The $1.00 per day fine on videos, DVDs and videogames remains the same, and modest per item maximum fine limits also stay the same, at $2.50 for children’s materials, $5.00 for adult materials and $10.00 for video materials.

The Library offers many other ways to help you avoid paying fines. Most items can be renewed online. All items, including audiovisual material, may be returned in the outside book drop after hours without incurring an overdue charge until after we open the next day. E-mail overdue notices provide more timely notification of mounting fines than conventional mailed notices. A receipt print-out of all items borrowed can be helpful in keeping track of what is due when. Ask for details at the Circulation Desk.

Don't Leave Any Child Behind!

As fall storytimes continue, we thought it was time for a reminder about our policies regarding leaving children alone in the Ridgefield Library.

For Mother Goose and Terrific Twos, the answer is easy- these programs are intended for the child and adult to participate together. However, we cannot accommodate siblings who don’t meet the age guidelines for any given program, so appropriate arrangements must be made for older or younger children.

Storytimes for 3 to 6 year olds are designed for the child alone, but we require that an adult remain in Children’s Services throughout the session. Youngsters often experience sudden problems requiring adult attention, from a need to use the restroom to a simple attack of shyness. Library staff cannot abandon a room full of children to attend to one who needs special care or has to leave the room. It is important for the safety and happiness of all concerned that an adult caregiver for each participating child be near at hand. Waiting adults may explore the handy parenting collection, use public computers in Children’s Services featuring the Internet, take advantage of our building-wide wireless access, chat with other parents or caregivers, or use this brief child-free period to consult with a librarian to find books about potty training, starting school, or the many other challenges of childhood.

Library policy prohibits leaving any child under 6 in the building unattended at any time. Library staff have many duties to perform and cannot be expected to watch out for a particular child. Responsibility for a child’s safety and well-being rests with the parent or caregiver. As a matter of fact, state regulation deems it a crime to “abandon” a child under age 12 in any public place. We hope that all parents and caregivers will exercise good judgment to ensure that the library experience remains a positive one for their children.

Returning Media

Sometimes the smallest things can make a difference in our lives. Here’s one little change the Ridgefield Library has made that will save time and money for many of our patrons.

<>All materials, including media formats such as DVDs and CDs, may now be returned in the outside book drop near the main entrance to the Library. In the past, we did not allow borrowers to put these more fragile items in this slot because of the risk of expensive damage. The cost of repair or replacement of such items has steadily decreased, and we no longer feel it is necessary to require this special treatment. We do, however, ask that you secure the cases of DVDs, music recordings and books on CD and cassette with rubber bands or wrap them in a plastic grocery bag before dropping in the return slot, to reduce the likelihood of cases popping open and spewing discs hither and yon. <>

This change means that you no longer have to make a separate trip during Library hours or park the car to come into the building to return these items. We hope this will give you more scheduling flexibility and eliminate late fees if you can’t get here when we are open. <>

By the way, did you know that all items returned in the outside book drop are considered returned the previous day up until the time we open? So, something due on September 15^th and put in the return slot at 8 AM on the 16^th will not incur a fine. <>

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Fall storytimes and after school programs start this week, and the pace of homework assignments has picked up as well. This results in an increased population of children using the Library at all hours of the day, including in the darkening hours at the end of the day. Please moderate your speed as you drive into and through our parking lot and be especially alert to youngsters who may be partially hidden behind parked cars or preoccupied with friends, backpacks or skateboards. Thanks for your cooperation!