NoveList Is for Readers of All Ages

The more than 30 people who came to the first Books & Breakfast meeting recently were treated to a demonstration of Novelist, an online resource for finding satisfying works of fiction, learning about an author, preparing for a book discussion and more. What even people familiar with this great tool may not realize is that Novelist also covers books for children and teens, along with its content for adult readers.

Has your child ever said: “I need to read an historical fiction book for school, but I don't know where to find one?” Or, “I read all the Lightning Thief books; can you help me find more books like those?” If so, you may want to look at NoveList’s special sections for Younger Kids, Older Kids and Teens. You can find a favorite author and every book s/he has written; search by series to see which book comes next; or look for books by plot points (to find another great dog story, for example). Book lists are broken down by age and then subject. Need a book on immigration for your fifth grader? There is a list of titles to choose from. You can also explore fiction by genre - mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, romance and more are further divided by age so you can find just the right book for your child. There is abundant supplementary material for teachers and parents, plus plenty of ideas for making the transition from young adult to adult books.

Access NoveList at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org, from the Research or Children’s Services pages. From one handy opening page, you can explore the world of great fiction, no matter what your age or reading level.

REMINDER: The next Books & Breakfast meeting will be held March 31^st, at 10:30 AM in the Dayton Program Room. Join us to learn about more hidden treasurers like NoveList.

Calling all Authors!

The Ridgefield Library’s Ridgefield Writes author festival is coming up at the end of April, and we want you to be included. If you are or know someone who is a writer of any genre who lives or has lived in Ridgefield, contact the Library right away at 203-438-2282 x1013 or rdgprograms@biblio.org to make sure you get an invitation to the Grand Reception on Sunday, April 27^th. And don’t forget to check the Ridgefield Authors wiki on our webpage to make sure we have a current and complete listing for you there as well. You can pick up a brochure at the Library or check our website for a full calendar of Ridgefield Writes events coming in April and beyond. Look for the delightful “writing tiger” mascot created by talented young local author and illustrator Jamison Odone.

Holiday Closings

As many readers know, the Ridgefield Library does not follow the same schedule of closings for weather or holidays as the schools, businesses or government offices. This weekend we will be closed on Friday the 21^st and Sunday the 23^rd, but we will be here our usual hours (9 AM to 5 PM) on Saturday the 22^nd. And, of course, you can access many services when our physical building is closed, by visiting our Virtual Library at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org. Renew a book, request an item or research a term paper with one of our many online databases. Download an audiobook for the car trip to Grandma’s house for holiday dinner. Youngsters waiting impatiently for the Easter Bunny can while away some time exploring TumbleBooks, a collection of electronic books for young readers, complete with pictures, word definitions and audio versions of most texts.

Local Authors Celebrated by Library Book Groups

This month the Library moves into high gear with Ridgefield Writes, our 300^th anniversary celebration of Ridgefield authors, “past, present and just passing through.” Along with an Author Festival set for April 24-27, we have scheduled special activities for our regular book discussion groups, and now is the time for readers to get in on the fun.

We’ll start with the Tuesday Evening Nonfictioneers, who will devote their April 1^st meeting to Silvio Bedini’s “Ridgefield in Review.” The Critics’ Circle will gather on April 15^th to talk about Mark Salzman’s critically acclaimed novel “The Soloist.” Salzman’s own Ridgefield upbringing as chronicled in his memoir “Lost in Place” will be the topic for the AM Book Group on the 23^rd. The Library’s monthly book discussion at Founders Hall on the 24^th will focus on “Girls of Tender Age,” another memoir of suburban childhood by former Ridgefielder Mary-Ann Tirone Smith (open to all members of Founders Hall – copies of the book available at the front desk). As a special treat, Smith and Salzman will be appearing at the Library as part of the Author Festival. Details of these and many other Ridgefield Writes events are available at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Our next Reading Is a Family Affair program on May 7^th will feature local author C. Coco DeYoung leading a conversation about her book “A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt,” a historical novel for young readers about the Depression. Stop in Children’s Services to sign up and receive a free family copy of the book, thanks to the Friends of the Library.

Copies of the Bedini and Salzman titles are available for borrowing at the Circulation Desk. Book group selections are also available for purchase at a discount at Books on the Common. New members are always welcome, so join us to celebrate our local literary lights!

Referring to Reference

What’s in a name? Librarians strive for precision when they assign subject headings to books or enter search terms in a browser. But sometimes it is difficult to find the right term to convey the full meaning of a concept. One that has prompted much philosophical debate in the profession is the term “reference.” For many years, the librarian who served as gatekeeper to those huge multi-volume encyclopedias and card files of Frequently Asked Questions was known universally as a reference librarian. Over the past 20 years, with the advent of computers, many institutions adopted the label “information” librarian instead (including the Ridgefield Library). This was intended to convey that the profession and its practitioners were up-to-date and technology savvy and that the duties of these individuals had expanded well beyond the traditional scope. But as many writers have pointed out, “information” is only a step on the path that leads through knowledge to understanding and ultimately to wisdom. So, here at the Ridgefield Library, we are returning to the time-honored tradition of calling our staff reference librarians and their workplace the reference desk.

What does a reference librarian do? She is not here simply to supply answers but rather to REFER inquirers to the best source of information which can lead them down that path to wisdom. She knows which sources are most authoritative on particular topics. She can evaluate the reliability of raw data found on the Web. She demonstrates how to use the library catalog to discover and follow whole lists of “references” to a title, author or subject. She can introduce the many electronic databases and other resources that have replaced the familiar “reference books.” So visit, call or e-mail the Library soon, and ask to speak to a reference librarian. You’ll be wiser for the effort!

Re-thinking Dewey

You may have heard about the library in Arizona that has abandoned the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system altogether and now groups its books by subject headings similar to a bookstore. Here at the Ridgefield Library, we still believe there is merit in the time-tested Dewey system, which, in actuality, is based on grouping materials together by topic. However, even our professional librarians would admit that some fine points of the classification system can be a little hard to grasp. In Children’s Services, we have decided to bend the rules a little to facilitate a more intuitive arrangement for some sections of the non-fiction collection.

Looking for versions of the fairy tale Cinderella? Strict DDC regulation would put all folk and fairy tale books together with a call number of 398.2, followed by the author’s last name. So, for example, re-tellings of Cinderella by different authors are often widely scattered on the shelves. To make it easier, we have added a line before the author’s name on the label, giving the name of the story. So all the versions of Cinderella are now grouped together, as are the books about Jack and the Beanstalk, the Sleeping Beauty stories, and so on.

A similar arrangement has been instituted in the art history section (in the 700s), with the result that all the books about Monet are together, followed by those about Picasso, those about Rembrandt, those about Renoir, etc.

The latest change affects the books about individual Native American tribes which are so sought after for homework assignments. Frustrated by searching through hundreds of titles all labeled 970.3 to find books on your selected group? These are now grouped by tribe, with an additional line on the label indicating Abenaki, Cheyenne, Iroquois, and the like.

New Books and Breakfast Program

Want to hear the buzz about new and upcoming fiction or find out what everyone else is currently reading? Join us on Monday, February 25th from 10:30 to 11:30 for the first of our informal Books and Breakfast chats. We’ll take over the beautiful Quiet Study Room on the second floor to make noise about our favorite books. Members of our staff will share some of their favorite recent fiction titles and let you know about all of our readers advisory services. We’ll also do a demonstration of how to use NoveList, an online readers advisory tool that you can access from home or in the library. Then we hope you’ll share your memorable reads. Beverages and snacks will be provided. This is a great opportunity for those whose schedules or reading preferences make our structured book discussion programs a less than perfect fit. We hope to see you there! Please sign up at the Circulation Desk, or e-mail Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski at rdgnovel@biblio.org.