Make STEAM @ Home

Looking for fun and educational activities when the family is stuck inside during the winter weather? Now you can Make STEAM @ Home with the Ridgefield Library’s new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Kits for children ages 4-11. The Library is developing a series of fun, interactive, thematic learning kits about a variety of topics and skills that relate to STEAM and literacy.

Make science at home with Snap Circuits or Osmo. Learn coding with Bee-Bots or Dash & Dot. Engineer with K’Nex or dominos. Make art with a Spirograph or Cursive kits; make math with the Money Kit or the Telling-Time Kit. Drama, knitting and Ozobot kits will be coming in February.

Stop into the Lodewick Children’s Library to see the available kits and bring one home for seven days with the use of your Ridgefield Library Card. STEAM kits are only available for check out from the children’s information desk (and must be returned there) and cannot be reserved. One per family, please; late fees $2.00 per day, up to a maximum of $20. STEAM kits at the Ridgefield Library are made possible by the McGovern Family.

Contributed by Kristina Lareau, Head of Children's Services

Game On!

Our annual RidgeCon pop culture celebration has become so popular that we have decided to continue the fun throughout the year. The first RidgeCon “spin-off” will be the launch in September of two recurring gaming programs. 

We Got Games is a tabletop gaming meet-up for adults and teens on the 2^nd Tuesday evening of the month. Family Game Day will meet on the fourth Saturday of each month and is an afternoon drop-in program for families with children aged 4 and up.  

What does playing Apples to Apples or the Settlers of Cataan have to do with libraries? Experts in many disciplines now recognize the importance of play in childhood development, in aiding the retention of mental acuity in later years and in fostering collaboration and teamwork for all ages. Not only do tabletop games offer friendly competition, but many require strategy, planning, critical analysis, storytelling and creative thinking. Playing games with children can help their social development, literacy skills and better recognition of cause-and-effect. These skills are many of the same ones libraries introduce and reinforce in storytimes, book discussions and other programs, as well as through tools such as Kindle Fires for kids and Lynda.com and other online tutorials for adults. 

Sharing Across Generations

The Library is one of the few locations in town where residents of all ages come together in the same space, and we have created several programs to encourage positive intergenerational exchange.

On March 11^th, our Teen Advisory Group will be on hand from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM to help adults and senior citizens with their technology needs.  Just bring in the gadgets that drive you crazy such as cell phones, laptops and digital cameras and let our teens unlock their secret power! 

Several times a year, we host Reading Is a Family Affair, in which elementary school children and their parents read a selected title together, then come to the Library as a family to talk about it over a pizza dinner, courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

2017 is the 4th year of our Books Building Bridges intergenerational literature program with Ridgefield High School.  A book is selected from the English curriculum, adults and students both read it, then come together for discussions led by some of the students.  The different generational perspectives make for very interesting conversation! In November we will be reading “Pride and Prejudice” together as part of an extended commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death.

Introducing our New Library Director

Hello! I am Brenda McKinley, the new Library Director at the Ridgefield Library. I am honored to be entrusted with this position and thank Chris Nolan for her wonderful legacy. I come to Ridgefield from nearby Newtown, where I live with my husband and our four children. Most recently I served as the Cyrenius H. Booth Library Director in Newtown.

I have been a Librarian for over twenty years and passionately believe in the resources, support, and strength a library brings to the community it serves. The strong ties the Library enjoys with the Ridgefield community are testament that this belief is widely shared and is a big reason why I’m thrilled to be starting this new role.

I look forward to working with the stellar staff as we continue to provide excellent library service for our patrons and our town. It might take me a bit of time to learn all the new names, but I hope to meet you soon.

Please bring your little ones for “Take Your Child to the Library Day” on Saturday, February 4^th at 10:30 AM. I’ll be guest reader at Drop-In Storytime and we’ll enjoy some cookies and conversation. I hope to see you then!

Contributed by Library Director Brenda McKinley

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!

A New Look for Museum Passes

We are pleased to announce that we have developed a new packaging system for our popular museum passes.  Colorful and durable plastic pouches have replaced the cumbersome looseleaf notebook binders.  These are a convenient size to tuck into a handbag or pocket and are well-secured with zippers and snaps to keep all the important paperwork secure.

Thirteen popular institutions in Connecticut and New York offer some variety of free admission deal, and another eight offer discounted admission.  The choices range from art museums like the Wadsworth Atheneum and NYC’s Guggenheim Museum, to outdoor activities such as nature centers and parks, to interactive children’s learning experiences. Passes may be borrowed by Ridgefield Library cardholders for two nights on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some museums provide free passes to libraries; others offer special library discounts through a museum pass program organized by the Connecticut Library Consortium.  Here in Ridgefield, the Friends of the Library have generously paid these fees for us since the program started some years ago.

Pick up a brochure at the Library describing all the offerings or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org and click on Catalog & Collections, then Other Resources.  Have a great trip, and send us some pictures of your adventures!

It's a Wrap for Summer Reading

Super readers were frequent visitors at the Ridgefield Library this summer.  In Children’s Services, 1309 children signed up for the Summer Reading Program.  They logged a total of 38,867 books read over the summer with many children exceeding the 50 book goal. 

The Library hosted special events for children and their parents that included a magician, a Frisbee demonstration and musical performers. Children had the chance to code like a superhero.  Others had the chance to create fascinating art projects.  Children shined when they displayed their own talents at the library’s talent show.  Those who read 30 books were thrilled to have their picture taken like a superhero. 

The Library would like to thank those who sponsored the reading program.  We could not provide the wonderful programs and incentives without their support.  The Friends of the Library sponsored our special event programs and prizes. Deborah Anne’s Sweet Shoppe donated ice cream cones and The Toy Chest donated $5 gift certificates.  Their support allows us to offer incentives to our young readers.  We would also like to thank the parents who helped their children log the books, bring them to the library, and who spent hours reading with and listening to their children read.  

Contributed by Gayle Pulley, Head of Children's Services

Announcing Alice

It has been 150 years since the publication of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll (aka Charles Dodgson), and we can’t resist!  Our staff is smiling like the Chesire Cat as we put together a roster of Alice-related activities this fall for all ages.  We will start with a field trip on October 7^th to the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City, where we will tour their special exhibit “Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland, ” guided by exhibit curator Carolyn Vega. The culmination of our adventures will be a presentation on November 22^nd by author Gregory Maguire called “Green Witches, White Rabbits and Wild Things,” in which the author will talk about his own novel “Wicked,” his new book “After Alice” and his friend Maurice Sendak.

In between you can enjoy scholarly lectures, a book-to-film comparison, a Mad Hatter tea party, book discussions for children and for adults, and much more, in a series we are calling “Curiouser and Curiouser.”  If you are curious about Alice or the man who created her, please join us for our journey down the rabbit hole, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Watch our website for full details, coming soon.

Summer Reading Is Not Just for Children

As of this writing (on July 9^th), we are nearly halfway through the 2015 Summer Reading Program, and the numbers are adding up.  So far, 1157 school-aged children, 330 teens and 86 adults are registered in our online logging program and recording their reading and reviews.  Readers can sign up anytime and continue to participate through August 8^th, so go to www.ridgefieldlibrary.org today and get started.

We particularly urge adults to take part, to help demonstrate to younger readers the lifelong joy and value of reading. To make it easy, all of our monthly book discussions (except the poetry group) meet through the summer.  We know you are reading, so make it count!  At the Ridgefield schools, teachers and staff have issued a challenge to their students, with the results to be compared and celebrated when school starts in the fall. You can do the same with the children (or grandchildren) in your life. 

Some families have readers participating at the children’s, teen and adult levels.  If yours is one, come in together and let us take your picture for our gallery of superheroes.  After all, Every Hero Has a Story – let us share yours!

Reading Together Workshops

“Conversational Reading” is the theme for new parent-child reading together workshops at the Ridgefield Library.  Conversational Reading is about finding meaning in a story by asking questions and talking about the stories children are reading.  Families with children in Kindergarten through 4^th grade can learn skills to create thought provoking conversations about books they read together with their children.  Parents can learn how to help their children express themselves and their reactions to literature. Questions that require speculation, pondering and prediction enhance children’s understanding of the story and their ability to relate their own experiences.  

The workshops, the first set of which are scheduled for November and December, begin with a delicious pizza dinner for all, followed by an engaging book discussion. Library staff will share techniques for creating thoughtful questions.  Attendees will receive a favorite picture or chapter book to read and discuss at home, together with “Reading Together,” a book by Diane Frankenstein which is a wonderful resource for creating discussions about children’s literature.   Space is limited in the workshops. Participants need to register on the library’s online program calendar, where you can find more details about each workshop.

Contributed by Children's Program Coordinator Diane Antezzo

July Is Swinging @ the Library

There’s a lot going on at the Ridgefield Library.  Not only is our Summer Reading Program in full swing - we are also collaborating with several groups on special events to make the summer even more fun.

Friday, July 11 will see the first Songs at Six presentation by the Ridgefield Music and Arts Center on the Library front lawn.  RMAC musicians have performed these informal concerts at various locations in town in past years, and this summer they have elected to celebrate the new Library by bringing their talents to 472 Main Street.

The Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest is coming up on July 18 and 19, with a fun theme this year of Ridgefield Rewinds to ’64.  The Library will be participating with 50^th birthday celebrations for Maurice Sendak’s Wild Thing, an I Spy-style treasure hunt in the Lodewick Children’s Library, a mini book sale and more.

“Where’s Waldo in Ridgefield?” continues until the end of the month.  The Library is pleased to be one of the 25 locations around town where seekers can find Waldo and mark their passports to qualify for prizes.  Thanks to Books on the Common for bringing this fun family activity to Ridgefield for a third year!

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!

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.

Honor your Favorite Graduate at the Library

Congratulations to the Ridgefield High School Class of 2013!   

In the spirit of the graduation season, the Ridgefield Library is offering friends and family of the Ridgefield High School 2013 graduating class the opportunity to commemorate their favorite student with a Tribute Gift to the Ridgefield Library.  People can stop in to the Library and pick up a form, fill it out with the graduate’s contact information and return it to the Circulation Desk, or make a donation online at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.  We will provide you with a Ridgefield Library coffee mug and an acknowledgement card to present to the graduate and will post the honorees’ names prominently on the Ridgefield Library website and in the Library.   Many of these young people have spent many memorable and formative hours at the Ridgefield Library.  What a wonderful way to honor their success as they move towards the future!    

And, while we are thinking of graduation, we know there are many college graduates in Ridgefield this year as well.  They too can be commemorated with a Tribute Gift to the Ridgefield Library.   As always, these tribute gifts are truly appreciated by the Ridgefield Library as they help to support our ongoing programs, collections and services.

Contributed by Development Associate Laureen Bubniak

Baby & Me Joins Children's Program Line-Up

Looking to accommodate the very youngest patrons, the Ridgefield Library is adding a new program called Baby & Me.  Planned for caretakers and infants through age 12 months, fun activities will enhance language enrichment through songs, rhymes, movement and books, of course!  Research shows that the development of early literacy skills through early experiences with books and stories is critically linked to a child’s success in learning to read. Adults will learn methods to encourage early literacy through ideas presented in Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library, a program that models parent behaviors that increase phonological awareness and vocabulary development in the young child. Information and resources will be also shared regarding infant health and well being. The Baby & Me program is limited to the caregiver and infants under 12 months (no older siblings please) and will be an excellent supplement to our popular Mother Goose program. There will be special time for babies and caretakers to visit and network. Registration for children’s programs including Baby & Me will be held in Children’s Services from Dec. 6 – 12. Registration is by a lottery system. Programs will begin the week of Jan. 3. 

Contributed by Diane Antezzo, Children's Programmer

Family Game Day this Saturday @ the Library

When was the last time you and your family sat down and enjoyed a game together?  Did you play Monopoly? Scrabble? Dominoes? Perhaps you have very young children; have you taught them to play Chutes and Ladders or Candyland? There is evidence that playing games helps improve the power of your brain, whether you are 5, 15 or 45 years old. No matter what your game and no matter what your age (or your children’s ages), the Ridgefield Library wants you all to come play games during Family Game Day, Saturday, November 13 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Dayton Program Room.  There will be many board and card games that the whole family can enjoy.  We will be running a tag-team Monopoly game (because that game can go on for hours!). There will be volunteers on hand to help you learn new games, like Settlers of Catan, a German board game that may be the most award-winning game in the world. We will also have door prizes every hour and there will be light refreshments for you to enjoy.  We hope you will drop by that Saturday with your family and enjoy some quality time while exercising your brain!

Contributed by Geri Diorio, Head of Children's and Teen Services