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!

It's National Arts and Humanities Month

October is National Arts and Humanities Month, as designated by Americans for the Arts, a national non-profit advocacy group for the arts in America.

National Arts & Humanities Month is a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. It is designed to encourage all Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of active participation in the arts and humanities. Here in Ridgefield, we have a vibrant cultural community that impacts our lives every day. Under the leadership of the Ridgefield Arts Council, many of these groups have decided, rather than creating a separate event for the occasion, to turn a spotlight on the extraordinary line-up of public programs and educational activities already being offered locally during October.


Here at the Library, we start with monthly book discussions for all ages, arts and crafts sessions, author talks and ARTalk presentations, live musical and dramatic programs, and workshops for aspiring poets, photographers and memoirists. There is even the Friends fall used book sale, where readers can pick up everything from illustrated art books to classic literature in handy paperbacks. For a full line-up of arts and humanities events at the Library this month, visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Meet our New Board Members

The Ridgefield Library is pleased to introduce the following new members of its Board of Directors, who began their service in July 2013. 

William B. “Woody” Harford recently retired as Chief Revenue Officer at private jet operator CitationAir by Cessna. Prior to that he left a 20 year career at British Airways as SVP Commercial Americas.  He is married to long-time Ridgefielder Suni Pedersen Harford and has three children enrolled in the Ridgefield schools. 

George Nichols was born in Stamford.  He graduated from Amherst College and the Harvard Law School, served four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, and then practiced law for 33 years in Fairfield County. He has lived in Ridgefield since 2004, while holding management positions with the public libraries in Stamford and Westport.

David Schaffer is a corporate partner with the law firm Wiggin and Dana LLP. He practices out of the firm’s Stamford and New York offices and serves as Chair of the firm’s China Practice. David, his wife Michelle and their two daughters Sofia (8) and Natalia (6) moved to Ridgefield from Southern California in 2006. 

We would also like to thank retiring directors Nancy Brandon and Karin Fallon for their invaluable contributions to the Board and the Library.

2013-2014 Library Board of Directors (not pictured: Shane Casey, Philip Lodewick)

 

Can You Talk Like a Pirate?

September 19th is celebrated by enthusiasts worldwide as “International Talk Like a Pirate Day,” with attendant shenanigans.  Mango Languages, the provider of the Library’s online language learning programs for adults and children, has jumped on board with its Pirate language course, containing everything you need to know to “parlay” in perfect Pirate. You’ll learn a bit of Pirate history, the finer points of swashbuckling and all sorts of practical Pirate lingo.

In addition to Pirate, Mango offers over 60 world languages for English speakers, plus courses for those learning English as a second language. Perfect for leisure travelers, business people, students and the just plain curious, Mango’s conversational approach teaches practical, relevant content focused on four key areas of language learning: vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and culture.  It is available remotely around the clock, including in an app version for mobile devices – all you need is your Ridgefield Library card to log in. Mango is also the provider of Little Pim online language instruction programs developed specifically for children ages 0-6. You’ll find links to both on our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Ask a staff person how to get started speaking Pirate – or French or Arabic or Mandarin Chinese.  Aarrr!

OverDrive’s Big Library Read

From September 16^th through 30^th, the Ridgefield Library will be participating in a Big Library Read sponsored by OverDrive, the library’s platform for accessing eBooks and downloadable audiobooks. 

   

This year’s Big Library Read is geared toward fans of juvenile fiction and will feature “Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth,” Book 1 of Jane O’Connor’s new chapter book series based on the popular “Fancy Nancy” picture books. For these two weeks, this title will be offered for simultaneous download by any Ridgefield Library cardholder.   What this means is that access to both the eBook and downloadable audiobook versions will be available to multiple users for immediate download with no waitlists or holds.  Praised by Booklist as “a delightful story of dress-up and cozy family love,” the book will be offered in formats compatible with most computers, tablets and smartphones and accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection.

If you’ve been meaning to explore the eBook format with a special child in your life, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.  During OverDrive’s Big Library Read, “Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth” will be prominently featured on our website.  And, if you’re a new user of our OverDrive service, the library staff is eager to help you get started enjoying our eBook and downloadable audiobook offerings.

Contributed by Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski