See You in September

Congratulations to all who participated in the 2017 Build a Better World Summer Reading Program.  Teen and adult programs have wrapped up, but children through grade 6 can continue to log their reading and collect prizes until August 31^st (the day before school starts). A very special thank you to our long-time Summer Reading sponsors:  the Friends of the Ridgefield Library, Books on the Common, Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shoppe and The Toy Chest.  We couldn’t do it without them!

After the excitement of RidgeCon and the Solar Eclipse, our staff will be taking a brief break to catch their breaths before fall activities start up.  The Library will be open on Saturday, September 2nd from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM but closed on Sunday and Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

Good news for students, commuters and others who have difficulty getting to the Library during the week!  Sunday hours from 1:00 to 5:00 PM start up again on September 10^th.

The coming of fall will also see our Love your Library Day events (including mini-golf in the stacks!) on September 15^th and 16^th, the launch of a season-long series of events devoted to Jane Austen, and much more.  Check www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details. See you in September!

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.

Planning for the Holidays @ the Library

The Library will be closed on Thursday, November 24^th and Friday the 25^th for Thanksgiving but will be open regular hours on Wednesday and also on Saturday and Sunday. Don’t forget also to visit Books on the Common for Library Days Friday through Sunday of the holiday weekend.

The annual Holiday Stroll organized by the Downtown Ridgefield merchants association will take place on Friday, December 2^nd and Saturday the 3^rd, with lots of seasonal fun for the whole family.  Two long-time favorite activities will return to the Library on Friday evening – horse and carriage rides and the Ridgefield Music and Art Center’s RMAC ‘n’ Cheese music and food offerings around the firepit.  On Saturday, we will host Drop-in Storytime at 10:30 AM with a “frozen” theme and music at 1:30 by wind and brass players from the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra.  Stroll on by!

Registration for preschool storytimes and after school activities to start in January will begin online  December 1st.

Finally, now that it is finally beginning to be wintry, we want to remind everyone that the Library makes weather closing decisions independently of the schools or town agencies.  You can see the details on our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Falling into Fall @ the Library

Sunday hours are back!  Beginning September 11 and running through the school year, the Library will be open on Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. 

Registration is now open for fall preschool storytimes and after-school activities, including book discussions, Maker groups, crafts, music programs, and even yoga for youngsters.  Most regular programs begin the last week of September. Sign-up may be done online at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org/children/programs/index.shtml.  Stay tuned also for information about “specials” on school holidays and other occasions. And, of course, drop-in favorites like Mother Goose and storytime on Saturday morning continue most weeks.

Seasonal series like the Ridgefield Folk concerts and ARTalk lectures pick up again in the fall.  Check our event calendar at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org so you don’t miss these very popular offerings. Many of these are sponsored by the Friends of the Library, whose fall used book sales are on tap for mid-October.

The Library and Ridgefield High School are looking forward to the 3^rd year of their joint Books Building Bridges intergenerational reading program.  This year’s title is “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey.  Grab your copy, and start reading, or re-reading, this classic and watch for details of book chats, scholarly lectures and more.

Get Ready to Read this Summer

On your Mark, Get Set…Read! No matter what happens at the Summer Olympics in Brazil, we expect to set new records in reading right here in Ridgefield this summer, with the annual Summer Reading Program, which begins June 13th.  Pre-schoolers, elementary school students, teens and adults are all invited to take part and earn prizes, enjoy entertaining programs and more.  The formal program runs through July 30^th, but you can continue to log your reading and collect prizes until the day before school starts. Find out all the details at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

June 13^th is also the beginning of our summer schedule.  From then through Labor Day, the Library will be closed on Sundays; the rest of our schedule remains the same as always: Monday – Thursday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Friday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.  And don’t forget to visit our “virtual library branch” online 24/7 at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, music and video, research databases and much more.

Other highlights of the summer include RidgeCon on August 12 and 13 (our 2^nd annual celebration of popular culture) and writing contests for children and adults (details to be announced shortly). See you at the Library!

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.

'Tis the Season @ the Library

The Library will be closed on Thursday, December 24^th and Friday the 25^th but open again our regular hours for the weekend (9:00 AM-5:00 PM on Saturday and 1:00-5:00 PM on Sunday).  The next week, we will close early at 3:00 PM on New Year’s Eve and remain closed on New Year’s Day, but will be open for the weekend.  Watch for news of some special LEGO programs on January 2^nd.

Don’t forget to stop by the Library Store at the Circulation Desk whenever the Library is open, through the holidays and beyond. Check out our selection of gifts perfect for stocking stuffers, Secret Santa or teacher appreciation, including the new Ridgefield Library sticky note sampler book.  Get one for yourself while you’re there, to help you get organized for the new year.

On Saturday, December 19^th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, our Holiday Gift Wrapping service will be back.   Bring in your gifts, purchased anywhere, and we will make them festive for holiday giving.  We will wrap while you wait, or you can drop them off and pick up later in the day. Small suggested donation per package benefits the Library.  Look for our volunteer elves in the Main Lobby.

Changing Seasons at the Library

The Library will be closed on Sunday and Monday, September 6 and 7, for Labor Day, but we will be open our regular hours 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday the 5^th for your convenience.

Registration for children’s fall programs is underway through September 20^th, with most sessions beginning the last week of September.  Many activities are offered on a drop-in basis, but others do require registration online. We have a number of changes to the line-up this fall, so check out the details on our website or pick up a calendar in Children’s Services.

Sunday hours 1:00 – 5:00 PM resume on September 13^th.  We will be celebrating the occasion with the first Ridgefield Folk concert of the season (the young singer/songwriter phenomenon Hayley Reardon) and the Grand Opening of our new Store @ the Ridgefield Library.  Stop by to check out our new line of library-branded items for gift-giving or personal use, from magnetic bookmarks to blank journal books.

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and we have some exciting new products and services we will be introducing that add even more value to your card.  Stay tuned for details, and stop by the Circulation Desk soon to make sure every member of your family has an up-to-date card.

Not So Lazy Days of Summer @ the Library

School may be winding down, but things are just heating up for the summer at the Library. Get out your smartphone or old-fashioned paper datebook and mark down the following dates.

• Memorial Day Weekend:  The Library will be closed on Sunday the 24^th and Monday the 25^th but will be open our regular hours 9 AM – 5 PM on Saturday the 23^rd.  Look for us in the town parade on Monday morning!
• Summer Hours Begin: Starting on June 21^st, we will be closed on Sundays through Labor Day.
• Summer Reading Starts: School is out on June 18^th, and Summer Reading at the Library gets off to a roaring start the very next day!  The theme this year is “Every Hero Has a Story,” and we have special programs for preschoolers, elementary age students, teens and adults.
• Comic Con 2015:  The Library is proud to announce that it will be holding its first ever Comic Convention on Saturday, July 25^th.  This will be a full day of events and activities celebrating popular culture, in particular comics, graphic novels, films, games, science fiction and more.  You won’t want to miss it!  Much more information will be coming soon.

Library Open Hours to Change March 1st

We have been gratified by the overwhelmingly positive response we have received to our new building and the expanded services we are able to offer in it.  But, as with any new venture, there are sometimes adjustments to be made to find the best mode of operation.  We have listened carefully to the comments of our patrons and are now going to institute a major change in response to public demand, effective Sunday, March 1^st.

Our hours will be changing to allow more open time in the evening.  This has been a constant request from students preparing for exams, commuters unable to get back to town before our current 7:00 PM closing and patrons wishing to combine other library business with a trip to an evening program. We looked at our data on visits throughout the day and found that usage before 10:00 AM was very light, compared to the demand for more evening hours.  Our new weekday hours will be Monday through Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Friday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  Saturday hours will remain 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sundays 1:00 to 5:00 PM (during the school year only).

Get Ready, Get Set...

Normally in early March we would be accepting registrations for spring storytime sessions.  Looking ahead to the coming move back to 472 Main Street sometime in April, we have decided to forego our regular schedule of “classes” this spring.  Popular drop-in programs such as Monday and Saturday morning storytimes and Friday Flicks will continue, as will book groups (Junior and Middle School Critics, Bookworms, Harry Potter) that meet once or twice a month.  We will also have occasional family concerts and other special programs.

Adult programs will also be scaled back as we get ready for the move.  Ongoing monthly programs including book discussions and writers’ networking groups will continue, but we are not planning any other activities at this time for April and early May.

Details of what is on, and what is not, will be available on our website and in the weekly email newsletter.

The good news is that once we are in the New Ridgefield Library, we will be able to offer an expanded and more diverse menu of programs for all ages and interests.  Starting with Opening Weekend May 9-11, you can look forward to the return of your favorites, plus many new offerings.

Happy Holidays from the Ridgefield Library

The Library will be closed on Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday the 25^th but will be open our regular hours the rest of Christmas week.  We will also close early at 3:00 PM on December 31^st and remain closed on New Year’s Day.

Don’t forget that there are many great resources on our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org , even when we are closed.  College and high school students with pending deadlines for research projects will find academic databases such as Literary Reference Center or GreenFILE.  There are downloadable audiobooks and e-books for family and individual enjoyment, including e-picture books from Tumblebooks for the new reader.

Please Note: The service we use for print and time management on our Public Access Computer workstations is being discontinued as of the end of this month. We will switch to an honor system for paying for print-outs and monitoring fair time allowances until we move to the New Ridgefield Library this coming spring. If you believe you may have a credit towards printing on your card, please check at the Reference Desk now about getting a refund; after 12/31 we will no longer have access to this information and will not be able to issue refunds.

Changes Coming to Children’s Storytime Offerings

Registration for fall storytime sessions begins September 1^st and runs through the end of the month.  Many programs are currently offered on a drop-in basis, and sign-up when required is now done online (check www.ridgefieldlibrary.org/children/ for details).

When fall programs start on September 30^th, there will be a number of changes to the line-up.

Mother Goose (for birth-2) remains a drop-in program but will move to an earlier time on Tuesdays, with sessions at 9:30 or 10:30 AM starting in October.

After decades of showing book-based short films, the venerable Friday Flicks will be replaced this fall by Musical Storytime with Ann on Fridays at 11:00 AM.  This drop-in program for ages 2 and up will feature songs and stories from Ann Victor.  Ann has a BA in Music and is completing her Masters in Library Science this fall.  She is responsible for ordering and preparing our children’s materials and adding them to the catalog, and she looks forward to spending time with the youngsters who enjoy the end product of this work.

Also new this fall will be yoga classes for grades K-2 in October and grades 3-5 in November. And of course, there are plenty of special programs and old favorites on tap as well.

Dates & Deadlines!

Here are a few milestone dates that are coming up at the Library.  More information about all of these activities is available at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org. 

August 21 – Celebration of our new wishing well. Children ages 2-8 are invited for games, crafts and wishes for the New Library.  Bring your spare change!

August 21 – The final session of our “Fiction of Relationship” online course meet-up.

August 27 – The first day of school and the last day to log your summer reading and earn prizes.  Don’t forget to print out your list to take to your teacher.

September 2 – Library closed for the Labor Day holiday.

September 3 – The new deadline for submissions to our Library Card Design Competition.  Get your artwork in by 5:00 PM, and your design may be made into a library card!

September 8 – One for the Books: a record setting event hosted by Ancona's Wines & Liquors, Ancona's Market, and Tusk & Cup. Mitch Ancona will attempt to beat the world record for most bottles of Champagne opened with a sabre in one minute. Proceeds will benefit The Ridgefield Library.

September 8 – Sunday hours 1:00 to 5:00 PM resume at the Library.

Seasonal Changes @ the Library

Mark your calendar now for the following schedule and service adjustments coming to the Ridgefield Library this summer.

·         Summer hours begin this week, which means that we will be closed on Sundays from June 23^rd through Labor Day. Our remaining schedule stays the same:  Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Friday and Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

·         Summer Reading Programs for children, teens and adults start on Monday, June 24^th and run through August 10th.  Links for online reading logs will be posted on Friday the 20^th so you can get your whole family set up and ready to participate.

·         Our Integrated Library System will be offline on Sunday, June 30^th for scheduled maintenance.  This means you will not be able to use the catalog, check your account or reserve or renew items online. Remote access to databases that require a library card number for log-in may also be affected.  Work should be complete by Monday morning, July 1^st.

·         The Library will be closed for Independence Day on Thursday, July 4^th but will be open on Friday the 5^th and Saturday the 6^th for your convenience.

See you @ the Library this summer!

Holiday Schedule Changes

Please note the following changes to the Library schedule in observance of the holidays.  We will be closed on Friday, December 24^th, Saturday the 25^th and Sunday the 26^th. In addition we will be closing early at 3:00 PM on New Year’s Eve and closed on Saturday, January 1st and Sunday the 2^nd.  All other hours remain the same (check www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details), and we welcome those looking for books and DVDs to keep the kids occupied during cold vacation days or self-help volumes to get a jump on those New Year’s resolutions!

We hope you have noticed the cheerfully painted windows in the Storytime Sculpture Room at the Library.   Penguins, polar bears and snowmen are spending time on pine tree-dotted, snow-covered hills, and each creature has a book in hand. The whimsical painting was done by the Library’s Teen Advisory Group  (TAG) to celebrate the holidays. This is just one of the many ways this hard-working group of teenagers helps us out.  Be sure to look closely at the big green candle.  There is a Tolkienesque reference hidden in the flame!