Making a Tribute Gift to the Library

Looking for a unique and meaningful way to celebrate a special occasion, honor a colleague, or remember a loved one who has passed away? Consider the Ridgefield Library’s tribute gift program. Donations in honor or memory of cherished individuals recognize their accomplishments and interests while making a gift to the entire community. In these economic times, many people would prefer that money be used to help a valuable institution rather than to buy yet another unneeded tie or knickknack.

Donors may make a general unrestricted gift to support Library operations, or, for a donation of $35 or more, request purchase of materials in a subject area or format particularly appropriate to the honoree (such as children’s books, local history or audiobooks). A special bookplate recognizing your honoree and your generosity will be added to each purchased item.

Making a tribute gift to the Ridgefield Library is easy. Pick up a brochure, or make a secure donation online using Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. Just go to www.ridgefieldlibrary.org and click on “Supporting the Library.”

Interested in having your family and friends make gifts to the Library in honor of your birthday, anniversary, graduation or wedding? Contact me as below to send an e-invitation informing them of your wishes.

Paccadolmi Awards Presented

Congratulations to Hope Swenson and Melissa Brady, recipients of the 2009 Paccadolmi Awards, which were presented at a library function on May 1st.

The Paccadolmi Awards were created by the Ridgefield Library Association Board of Directors in 2007 to honor individuals who have exhibited extraordinary dedication to the Library. They are named in honor of the late Phyllis Paccadolmi, a long-time Library employee who devoted more than 50 years of service to the town and the institution she loved.

Honoree Hope H. Swenson has lived in Ridgefield for nearly 40 years. She has been on the Library Board or closely associated with the Library all that time. She is a tireless advocate for public libraries in general and the Ridgefield Library in particular. She enthusiastically champions the book clubs, the film series, the staff, the collection and even the new “designer” library card.

Melissa Brady has thrown herself into the work of the Library’s Community Outreach Committee since its beginnings in January 2008. She is an outstanding volunteer who has taken a leadership role in bringing to life programs for all ages, particularly as a volunteer coordinator for our new Homebound Delivery Service.

Our heartfelt thanks to these two extraordinary women!

Nutmeg Authors Live @ the Library

Calling all fans of great children’s literature! Thanks to a generous grant from HSBC Bank USA, N.A., the Ridgefield Library is pleased to offer a series of presentations this spring and summer by authors of 2010 Nutmeg Children’s Book Award nominees.

The Nutmeg Children’s Book Awards offer Connecticut youngsters in grades 4 through 8 the opportunity to read from lists of nominated titles and then vote in January for their favorite book.

To add to the interest and excitement, the Ridgefield Library and HSBC have paired up to bring to town some of the dynamic and talented authors of this year’s nominees. Nutmeg Authors Live @ the Library continues on Wednesday, May 20^th with Jen Bryant, author of “Pieces of Georgia.”

Kids and other readers of all ages are invited to hear Jen speak at 4:00 PM in the Dayton Program Room. Copies of her book will be available for sale and signing, courtesy of Books on the Common.

From 5:00 to 6:00 PM, teachers, parents, librarians, aspiring writers and other interested adults are welcome to join us for a wine and cheese reception and a chance to chat with Jen.

Mark your calendars now for appearances by Susan Beth Pfeffer on June 1^st and Cynthia Lord on July 20^th.

Celebrating the Friends of the Library

No celebration of National Library Month would be complete without recognizing the extraordinary Friends of the Ridgefield Library. Known far and wide for their book sales (don’t miss the spring sale May 1-4), the Friends provide vital financial support for many of your favorite programs, from Summer Reading to Ridgefield Folk. They allow us to add outreach services like Homebound Delivery and Books for Babes and to develop new programs such as our monthly poetry group in response to patron demand. No matter how you use the Library, the Friends have in some way contributed to making your experience more informative, entertaining or inspiring.

You can help the Friends help us not only by patronizing the book sales but also by becoming a Friends member, during their current membership campaign. Tax-deductible dues and contributions to the Friends provide the foundation for their fundraising activities, all of which benefit the Ridgefield Library and its users. Look for a Friends membership form at the Library or print one from our website at www.biblio.org/rdgfld/friends/friend.htm.

Many people do not realize that the Friends membership drive is separate from the Annual Appeal conducted by the Library Board. Both efforts raise funds in support of the Library but in different ways. If you have any questions about the two campaigns, I would be happy to hear from you.

National Everything Month

Welcome to National Everything Month! There are so many commemorations and occasions in April that we can hardly find time to observe them all. Here are a few highlights.

• National Library Week – We’re extending this one through the end of the month, with a special offer on Ridgefield Library signature items. Pick up a logo travel mug AND our colorful special edition library card – both for one low price of $5.00.
• National Poetry Month – Youngsters can visit the Poetry Wall in Children’s Services to share pocket poems and their own creations, plus sign up for Poetry Theater on April 30^th (for 2^nd – 5^th graders).
• Jazz Appreciation Month – Don’t miss the fun on April 23^rd when the David Morgan Trio will perform standard jazz repertoire while explaining the history and concepts behind the performance.
• Earth Day – We’re celebrating by eliminating printed overdue notices and expanding our recycling efforts, as described last week.
• National Volunteer Week – Actually, there is so much going on this month we are going to put off our volunteer recognition activities until the fall! Stay tuned for news of a special event honoring the hundreds of volunteers young and old who make the Ridgefield Library such a wonderful place.

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!

Holiday Closings; Exhibit Opening

Spring is finally here! And so are the spring holidays. Please note that the Library will be closed on Friday, April 10^th and Sunday, April 12^th. We will be here our usual hours on Saturday the 11^th (9 AM to 5 PM).

Also on April 11^th, we are pleased to announce the opening of “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery,” a traveling exhibit funded by NASA and organized by the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the American Library Association. The Ridgefield Library is one of only 40 libraries nationwide, and the only one in Connecticut, to be chosen to host this prestigious exhibit. The exhibit may be viewed through June 11^th during Library open hours, and the public is cordially invited to a celebratory reception on Sunday, April 19^th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. Large colorful panels use historical drawings and diagrams made by Galileo and other early astronomers, along with dramatic contemporary images from the Hubble Space Telescope and other space missions, to explore how our views and understanding of the universe have changed over the last four centuries. Don’t miss it, and the many other International Year of Astronomy 2009 activities listed on our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.