Library Helps Address Community Concerns

For many, a library is a place to come for peace and quiet, or to lose oneself in another time and place through a good book.  But contemporary libraries also serve as venues for discussion of serious and timely issues affecting their communities. The Ridgefield Library partners regularly with nonprofit groups, government agencies and other concerned citizens to inform, educate and encourage dialogue on several important topics.

With the League of Women Voters, we organized a panel discussion on Civility in Politics following the election. Working with the school district, we will be offering a presentation in June on how to acquire the information and media literacy necessary to navigate the fake news epidemic. 

The ongoing Parenting the Selfie Generation series brings together a wide range of partners to provide parents, teachers and community leaders with expert data and strategies for dealing with the many aspects of raising a resilient child in today’s world, from sexting and other social media trends to teen sleeping and eating habits.  

With the Ridgefield Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse, Ridgefield Prevention Council and others, we have hosted numerous programs touching on issues related to drugs, alcohol and safe and healthy use of technology, including the Council’s Parent Circle discussions for parents of children at key transitional ages.

Upcoming programs will focus on teen mental health and drug and alcohol use. Check our website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for the latest schedule of events.

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!

Introducing the College Corner

The Ridgefield Library has a new College Corner to help parents and students with college decisions and the application process. We have the latest resources covering college listings, admissions and applications, the college essay, campus visits, test prep including the new SAT and PSAT, scholarships, paying for college, college living, and academic success.

The College Corner is located near the Teen Center on the upper level in the Library. One of the helpful features of the College Corner is that we have reference copies of many of the best college books, creating a comprehensive core collection, which stays in the Library. These “always available” books will be ready for you to refer to in the Library and for photocopying or free scanning to your email or USB drive. Of course, there are plenty of copies of these and many other college books available for checkout.

While visiting the College Corner, also ask about online resources such as LearningExpress Library for test prep and a schedule of upcoming lectures and workshops related to this complex process. You can also learn about our new exam proctoring service.

Let the Ridgefield Library and the new College Corner help you on your road to higher education! 

Contributed by Reference Librarian Christie Mitchell

Take Your Child to the Library Saturday

Join in the 4^th annual Take Your Child to the Library Day on Saturday, February 7^th at the Ridgefield Library.  Families across the country will take time to visit their local library and celebrate all that it has to offer.  Nadine Lipman, a Connecticut children’s librarian, developed the event to raise awareness of the library’s importance in the life of a child.  The Ridgefield Library invites children and their families to participate in a variety of fun events on Saturday.  Drop-In Storytime begins at 10:30 AM for children ages 3 and older in the Lodewick Children’s Library.  The Just So Stories Puppet Performance will take place at 11:30 AM for children ages 4 and older in the Main Program Room located on the lower level of the library.  Children in kindergarten through 5^th grade are invited to Kids Tech Time in the Lodewick Children’s Library from 4 to 5:30 PM as part of our coding celebration.  Remember, every day is a great day to take your child to the library.  A routine library visit becomes a habit that will develop into a child’s life-long love of learning.  You can check out the library website to learn more about our programs and events that will inform your family and enrich your life.

Contributed by Gayle Pulley, Head of Children's Services

Parents Say Libraries Are Important for their Children, New Study Reports

A new study on Parents, Children, Libraries, and Reading from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project affirms what many librarians and library users already know – that libraries are recognized as being very important in the daily lives and development of children.  The latest data from the prestigious Research Center belies critics’ contentions that libraries are no longer relevant and gives important data to help libraries plan for their future service to this important population.

94% of parents surveyed said libraries are important for their children and 79% described libraries as “very important.”  The main reasons cited for parents’ enthusiasm for libraries are that libraries help inculcate their children’s love of reading and books and that libraries provide their children with information and resources not available at home.   The study goes on to highlight how children use libraries: 87% visit the library to borrow books, 55% to do school work, 46% to attend an event and 37% to use the Internet.   While also excited about potential new offerings, especially in the technology area, these families clearly value the core services libraries such as ours provide for children and families.

A link to more information and the full report can be found at thenewridgefieldlibrary.org/libraries_today_tomorrow/.

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

"Every Child Ready to Read" Workshops to Be Offered

Extensive research has documented how young children acquire the skills necessary to become successful readers. A program developed by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Services for Children reinforces the message that “what you do helps your child get ready to read.” What better place to learn how you can encourage pre-reading skills in your child than at the Ridgefield Library? Many parents already turn to us for picture books, children’s videos, multi-media learning software and age-appropriate storytimes. We work hard to stay abreast of the latest thinking on early childhood development and to incorporate this into our collections, programs and other services. So it is only natural that we now offer Ridgefield parents the opportunity to make “Every Child Ready to Read.”

Three workshops for parents and caregivers will be offered in May, focusing on how you can help your child master six key pre-reading skills. Workshops will be Thursday, May 20th, 10:30 – 11:30 AM (skills for infants); Wednesday, May 26th, 1:00 – 2:00 PM (skills for children ages 4 and 5); and Thursday, May 27th, 10:30 – 11:30 AM (skills for children ages 2 and 3). Registration is required ; call 203-438-2282 x 1024 or visit the “Tips for Parents” page at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for more information.