Supporting your Library

Planning for 2018 at the Ridgefield Library is well underway, and we have some exciting activities on tap that will be announced soon. As the clock ticks down on 2017, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that everything you enjoy at the Library is only possible due to the generosity of our donors.  Here’s how you can help.

Tax-deductible donations to our Annual Appeal can still be made and counted in 2017. Checks can be postmarked or hand-delivered through Saturday the 30th, and online donations may be made through the 31^st. With the implications of the new tax bill still being unpacked, it may benefit donors to do their annual charitable giving before the end of this calendar year.

Escape Room Adventure tickets have been big sellers, but some spots are still available in sessions throughout January.  Give yourself a post-holiday treat and get yours today.

It’s not too late to purchase an upcoming release by your favorite author from our Wish List and earn the privilege of being the first to read it when it arrives.

More information about all these opportunities is available at ridgefieldlibrary.org or by calling 203-438-2282 x11029.  Thanks for your support!

Buy a Book for the Library

We are pleased to introduce a new way for library supporters to help us maintain an up-to-date and attractive collection for all ages – one book at a time! For a modest tax-deductible donation, you can select a specific title to add to our holdings.

Just go to our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org and click on the Wish List link.  Select the Books tab and browse through the items our staff have picked out. These include fresh editions of classic picture books to replace copies that have been “loved to death,” missing titles in popular series for young readers and projected adult bestsellers due for publication in the next few months. Donate to purchase a new release, and you can be the first one to read it! The wish list includes fiction and nonfiction and even DVDs and audiobooks.

Books may be purchased to honor a special occasion (birthday, Christmas, terrific report card) or person (relative, teacher, favorite librarian!). When appropriate, a bookplate will be included in the item purchased, and a card will be sent notifying your honoree. This is a great alternative for those who don’t need any more “stuff” – or consider it a gift to the entire community that relies on the Library for reading choices.

Library Days Returns to Books on the Common

If you are one of the more than 200 people who enjoyed Roz Chast’s presentation last week, you know exactly how precious is the partnership between Books on the Common and the Ridgefield Library. Together we bring Ridgefielders and other readers dozens of author and book events each year, an extraordinary treat for a town our size. Now the time is nigh for you to support both the bookstore and the Library to ensure that these wonderful opportunities continue.

The annual Library Days at Books on the Common will take place Thanksgiving weekend.   Just show your Ridgefield Library card at the cash register, and 15% of the proceeds of your purchase will be donated by the bookstore to the Library. 

Store hours are Friday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM; call 203-438-9100 for more information about the store.  Ridgefield residents who do not have one may register for a library card at the Circulation Desk; all that is needed is proof of residence. 

Your support of local businesses like Books on the Common, and the bookstore’s support of the Library,   help keep Ridgefield an exceptional place to live, at the holidays and year-round.

Art in the Lodewick Children's Library

You may notice several new familiar faces in the Lodewick Children’s Library the next time you visit. Thanks to a grant from the Ridgefield Woman’s Club, we have added artwork depicting some of our favorite characters from children’s literature to the walls. Not only did we want to add more visual interest and recognizable friends for children to enjoy, we wish to continue exposing children to art, creativity, and visual information, essential components of their literacy development.

The Library continues to offer opportunities for children to create and experiment with new mediums, stretch the limits of imagination, and nurture new skills. Recently, children created art inspired by Caldecott Award-winning illustrators. This summer they are enjoying the Cardboard Challenge and Art at the Aldrich. Families can also borrow a museum pass and get acquainted with the work of historical and contemporary artists.

Another new addition to the Children’s Library is an empty frame, to be filled on a rotating basis with art created by your children. What better way to encourage creative expression than to celebrate their accomplishments by showcasing their visual inventions? Ask the Children’s Library staff for details and start creating!

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” - Albert Einstein

Contributed by Children's Services Library Assistant Sonta Frindt

Mother's Day @ The Library

Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and the Ridgefield Library can help you celebrate.

Sunday the 14^th is the Run Like a Mother 5K Race.  Even if you are not an athlete, we urge you to turn out to support those who are running.  Sponsorship proceeds from the race support the Library’s Noreen L. Papa: Mothers Live your Life fund, which offers informative and inspirational programs and resources dedicated to health and wellness, particularly for women.

The Library Store in the Library’s Bossidy Commons has a selection of gift items such as bound journal books, canvas book bags and decorative magnetic bookmarks, all certain to please the avid reader.

The Friends of the Library book sale starting on Friday the 12^th offers many lovely gift quality books for mom, from miniature volumes of poetry and inspirational quotations to beautifully illustrated coffeetable books on a wide range of topics.

Mom doesn’t need any more “stuff” in her life?  Buy something for the Library in her honor instead.  Our online Wish List catalog includes options such as supplies for children’s craft programs, new audiobooks or popular fiction, refreshments for Books & Breakfast and many more, at various price ranges.

Paccadolmi Honors Awarded

The 2016 Paccadolmi Awards were given out on December 4th during a special holiday gathering of Library supporters and friends. The awards are named in honor of Phyllis Paccadolmi, Miss P to the generations of Ridgefielders she knew during more than 5 decades with the Ridgefield Library. This year’s honorees are Ellen Burns and Darwin Ellis, owners of Books on the Common, and Theresa Miller and Julie Yaun.

Ellen and Darwin support our many author talks with book sales, promotion, and a true love of contemporary books and authors.  They have donated an untold number of gift certificates and Grand Prize Shopping Sprees for our Summer Reading Programs for all ages and have been active participants in several community-wide reading initiatives.  Since 2005 they have hosted Library Days at Books on the Common during Thanksgiving weekend, engaging local shoppers and library users in a campaign to earn donations from the store for the Ridgefield Library. 

For the 3 years since our first Great Expectations gala, Julie and Theresa have been the backbone of this major fundraising effort, gracefully yet firmly organizing a multitude of logistics, from table lay-out to valet parking. Thanks to Theresa and Julie and their committee, these events are uniquely entertaining, smooth running and financially successful.  

'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.

Strolling to the Library

This weekend is the annual Holiday Stroll organized by Downtown Ridgefield, and the Library is pleased to be part of the festivities.

Starting at 6:00 PM on Friday, you’ll be greeted by the sounds (and tastes) of the Ridgefield Music and Arts Center’s RMAC-n- Cheese presentation, which will entertain you while you wait your turn for a horse and carriage ride down Main Street to the Lounsbury House.

In The Gallery on the Library’s Lower Level, you can take in an exhibit opening and reception from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for artist Spencer Eldridge.

Come through the Main Street doors to the Library and enter our Holiday Boutique. Here you will find great gifts for readers and writers from our new Library Store, including book bags, blank journals, magnetic bookmarks, various computer accessories and more.  They’re great for teacher gifts, Secret Santa surprises and stocking stuffers.

Bring along your gifts, no matter where you bought them, and our volunteers will wrap them for a small suggested donation per package, to benefit the Library.

Library Store sales and gift wrapping run Friday evening from 6:00 – 9:00 PM and continue 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Saturday. 

Saturday morning at 10:30, don’t miss drop-in storytime for ages 3 and up featuring a special “Frozen” theme.

Library Days Return to Books on the Common, with Some New Twists

The annual Library Days at Books on the Common will take place Thanksgiving weekend.   Just show your Ridgefield Library card at the cash register, and 15% of the proceeds of your purchase will be donated by the bookstore to the Library.  As a special thank you, all participating buyers will receive a specially designed bookmark; these limited edition keepsakes are being made by community members in conjunction with an exhibit by artist Ruth Root at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.  Those purchasing goods in excess of $100 will be entered in a special drawing to receive a signed bookmark created by the artist herself.

November 28 is also Small Business Saturday, and the bookstore will have additional promotions and special programs on offer. So many reasons to visit Books on the Common and support the Library that weekend!

Store hours are Friday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM; call 203-438-9100 for more information about the store.  Ridgefield residents who do not have one may register for a library card at the Circulation Desk; all that is needed is proof of residence.  Contact The Aldrich at 203-438-4591 or aldrichart.org for information about the Ruth Root exhibit and related activities.

Last Chance to Be Part of the Community Mural at the Ridgefield Library

The Community Mural is an original artwork on the wall of the Gallery on the Lower Level of the new Ridgefield Library where you can commemorate your family name, your business or organization, an honoree, a favorite book or other personal message. Many Ridgefielders have already participated in this great opportunity, and at this time the mural is almost completely full!  The artist, Marcia Simha, has created a new section between bookends on top of the current bookcases.  Book spines or silhouettes for this new section are now available … but only until Labor Day.  After that time, the mural will be complete.
If you would still like to participate in this beautiful mural, you have a few more weeks to do so!  Donation levels starting at $150 receive legacy recognition on personalized book spines or silhouette images with nameplate - or both. If you are interested in the new section of the Community Mural, please call Laureen Bubniak at 203-438-2282 Ext. 11029; visit www.thenewridgefieldlibrary.org/make_donations/Communitymural or stop into the Library to pick up a mural form and return it by September 7th.  

Contributed by Director of Development Laureen Bubniak

Teen Advances Environmental Education @ the Library

Thanks to Ridgefield teen Samantha Holmes, the Library has recently enhanced its resources for children in the area of nature and the environment.  Headed off this fall to Duke University, Samantha was the recipient of a Keep America Beautiful grant from the Wrigley Foundation, which she dedicated to purchasing educational materials and recycling supplies for schools and libraries.  With the funds she donated to the Ridgefield Library, we were able to purchase 37 books and DVDs for children and teens, which are currently on display in the Lodewick Children’s Library. A hand-out listing the titles for future reference is available in print and on the Library’s website.

Among the books Samantha researched and recommended are “Children of the Earth: Remember” by Schim Schimmel, “Compost Stew: An Z to Z Recipe for the Earth” by Mary McKenna Siddals, “Composting: Nature’s Recyclers” by Robin Koontz and “Where Does the Garbage Go” by Paul Showers.  Geared to young people in elementary and middle school, other titles deal with nature-based crafts, climate change and global warming, recycling techniques and America’s national parks.

A message from Samantha in the front of each book says “We hope you find this book inspiring” – apt words from a young woman who is herself an inspiration.

Welcome Back to the Neighborhood!

While we enjoyed our stay on Governor Street, it is nice to get back to our traditional home at 472 Main Street and to renew relationships with our neighbors.  Several nearby establishments are offering special promotions in the coming weeks to welcome us home.

Dimitri's Diner welcomes Library patrons back to the neighborhood with a special promotion to support Library operations. Now through June 9th, pick up a special coupon at any Library service desk and present it at the diner when ordering. 10% of the cost of your purchases will be donated by Dimitri's to the Library.

 It’s Guest Bartender Night with the Library at Gallo Ristorante on June 4^th from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Enjoy the libation of your choice while supporting the Library!  Library Director Chris Nolan, Board members Peter Coffin, Shane Casey and Rob Ellis, and advisor Nick Donofrio will be behind the bar at the Library's Guest Bartender Night at Gallo Ristorante, 5 Grove Street. Bartenders keep all their tips as a donation to the Library, and Gallo will contribute 10% of the evening's liquor bill as well.

Thanks to our good neighbors!

Spring Cleaning!

Here at the Library, we are doing a lot of spring cleaning to get ready for our move back to 472 Main Street in April.  We’ll even be having another giant tag sale to dispose of items in our temporary facility we will no longer need.  But we are still able and willing to assist in your spring cleaning efforts in several ways.

The Friends of the Library are happy to accept used book donations for their spring book sale, coming on May 2 through 5 at Yanity Gym.  Items in good condition may be dropped off at the Library’s 21 Governor Street location during open hours.  Please check the donation guidelines at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org and remember to pack your books in boxes that are easy for our volunteers to lift and carry.

The Library can also help you clear off your driveway and make your property look at its spring best by accepting donations of used cars, boats and other vehicles.  It is fast and easy and earns you a tax-deduction, while supporting the Library’s operations.  More information on this convenient program is available at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Now all we need is spring weather!

Shop Local and Support your Library at the Same Time

Have you taken the Shop Local Holiday Pledge?  This new movement spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce encourages Ridgefielders to shop, give and eat locally this holiday season.  You can find out more and take the pledge at the Chamber’s Facebook page.

One way you can enter into this spirit is by taking advantage of the annual Ridgefield Library Days at Books on the Common during the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Just show your Ridgefield Library card at the register, and 15% of the proceeds of your purchase will be donated to the Library. To make your holiday shopping even easier, the bookstore will be open Friday the 29^th from 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday the 30^th from 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday December 1st from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

As an additional incentive, the 30^th is also Small Business Saturday, when shoppers get a rebate on purchases made with an American Express card at participating small retailers including Books on the Common.

The Library will be closed on Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th, so be sure to come in before then if you don’t have a card. Stop by the Circulation Desk today; all you need is proof of Ridgefield residence.

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.

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