Keychain Library Cards Now Available

Good news! Keychain library cards are now available at the Ridgefield Library. Effective immediately, everyone signing up for a new library card will actually receive two – one keychain variety for your convenience in using our Library, and one traditional card which enables you to use other libraries around the state.

Those who already have a regular Ridgefield Library card may exchange it free of charge for a keychain set, but be advised that the new cards will have a different barcode number. You will need to update your account with Library ELF, neighboring libraries you frequent and any other location where you have registered your existing number.

Here in Ridgefield, we hope the convenience of the keychain format will make it easier for you to keep your card handy for use at the Circulation Desk, when doing self-service check-out and when logging onto our Public Access Computers or wireless.

If you take advantage of the statewide ConnectiCard system, which allows you to use your home town library card at any Connecticut public library, you will need to present the full-sized regular card, along with additional identification, so make sure to have these with you when you travel out of town.

Get Creative @ Saving for College

Hundreds of children, teens and adults have been coming to the Ridgefield Library to “Be Creative” during Summer Reading (which runs through August 1^st). Here’s another way parents can “Get Creative @ Saving for College.” Tying in with this year’s summer reading theme, the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) is inviting Connecticut residents with children any age through 8^th grade in the coming school year to enter their young scholar in a special promotion sponsored by CHET, the Connecticut State Library and the office of State Treasurer Denise Nappier.

A simple entry form (available at the Library or at www.aboutchet.com/library) qualifies the contestant for one of four $1,000 cash prizes to be awarded through a random drawing. What a great way to start a college savings plan for your child – and, if you are a winner, your local library also receives $500!

Entries must be postmarked by August 21, 2009 and received at CHET by August 28^th. Participation in our Summer Reading program is not required to enter this contest.

P.S. Older students might want to explore some of the other ways the Ridgefield Library can help you get ready for college, such as Learning Express and PrepMe test preparation software. See www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for more.

Help Us Help Your Book Discussion Group

On a regular basis, the Ridgefield Library helps some 50 local book discussion groups choose their selections, find background information and discussion questions and obtain multiple copies for group members. We are pleased to be able to support this popular and worthwhile activity, but we do ask that you follow these guidelines:

• Plan Ahead. You must submit your request a minimum of 3 weeks before the date you need books in hand.
• Check the Publication Date. We are not able to obtain multiple copies of books that are less than 1 year old.
• Confirm your Numbers. Save us time and money by ordering only as many copies as you really think your group will need.
• Pick a Contact Person. Please designate one responsible party to complete a request form for each title and to communicate with group members about the status of your request.
• Stick to your Meeting Schedule. Special arrangements made to accommodate your scheduling needs do not allow us to extend due dates or renew items from other libraries if your plans change.

For suggestions of titles that lend themselves to discussion, ask at the Fiction Desk or in Children’s Services. To request multiple copies of a title, contact Interlibrary Loan Coordinator Karen Kazzi at 438-2282 x1011 or at klkazzi@RidgefieldLibrary.org.

New Museum Passes Now Available

Planning a “staycation” for your family this summer? Then the Ridgefield Library Museum Pass program is for you. Free or discounted admission is now available to 17 area museums, zoos and other educational and cultural institutions, including three exciting new additions.

• You’ve seen the movies – now visit the real thing! The American Museum of Natural History is THE place to go for dinosaurs, dioramas and much more.

• The landmark Guggenheim Museum in New York City is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year and remains a premier destination for lovers of art from the late 19^th century through the contemporary cutting edge.

• Mystic Seaport, beloved for its tall ships and re-created 19^th century village, hosts dozens of family activities each week.

Passes may be borrowed for 3 days and may be reserved up to 7 days in advance. Museum pass privileges vary, so pick up a brochure at the Library or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details. Museum hours, exhibits and programs are subject to change; always check for updates before planning your trip.

Our museum pass program is made possible by the Friends of the Library, along with the generosity of local institutions such as the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

Downloadable Audiobooks Now Available for the iPod

Here's some good news from Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski.

The Ridgefield Library is pleased to announce that NetLibrary, our downloadable audiobook service, is now iPod compatible.

The Library offers Ridgefield residents a wide selection of downloadable audiobooks, or eAudiobooks as they are known in the trade, that can be accessed from our website www.ridgefieldlibrary.org. Until now, eAudiobooks were only available to those with Windows-based computers and portable players. However, now over 500 titles in NetLibrary are in MP3 format, making them Apple and iPod compatible.

We wish we could tell you that all of the over 1,800 titles on NetLibrary can be played on an iPod, but due to the world of digital rights management, only a portion of the offerings are available. These titles do include a wide range of fiction including mysteries by Alexander McCall Smith and Anne Perry, contemporary fiction by the likes of Anne Tyler and John LeCarré, and non-fiction including selections from the Modern Scholar series, college courses in audio format.

Upgrades to NetLibrary have streamlined the procedure for downloads. The new Media Center, available from the NetLibrary homepage, makes it a one-click process and formats titles with multiple tracks for listening convenience. So if you haven’t tried an eAudiobook recently, visit the Library’s website and see and hear what you’re missing.

E-mail Overdue Notices Now the Norm

Beginning July 1^st, the Ridgefield Library will be moving exclusively to e-mail instead of printed and mailed overdue notices. To make sure you are receiving these “courtesy reminders” (including advance notice of when items are coming due), please stop by the Circulation Desk at your earliest convenience to sign up your entire family.

We have a new, simplified procedure which allows you to register every card your family has without having to fill out duplicate forms. We will now be collecting e-mails for children’s cards, however we require the e-mail address of the responsible adult (i.e. parent or guardian) who should be receiving notices on behalf of their children.

You may also sign up for Library ELF, a service that allows you to customize the timing and delivery method of your reminders, plus allows you to get notices for your entire family in one convenient message. It is important that you also make sure the Ridgefield Library has all your appropriate e-mail addresses, as Library ELF is an independent product and we do not have access to the information they have on file.

Signing up for e-mail notices is easy, and it will save you and the Library time and money. Do it today!

Summer Starts Soon @ the Library

Beginning June 21st, the Ridgefield Library will be switching to its summer schedule and dropping Sunday hours until after Labor Day. We will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 9 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Don’t forget that many library resources are available on our website even when we are closed, such as our catalog, event calendar, downloadable audiobooks, numerous research databases and the InfoAnytime 24/7 virtual reference desk.

Our Summer Reading Programs begin Monday, June 22^nd and run through August 1^st. “Be Creative @ your Library” is the theme this year, and we have lots of wonderful programs, prizes and creative activities in store for children, teens and adults. Sign up any time from the 22^nd on; just read one book before you come in to get started.

Training for Summer Reading volunteers will take place on June 15 and 17. All volunteers must attend one session. Contact Children’s Services for information.

Also coming soon is the addition of a self-service check-out station in Children’s Services. We hope this will shorten the lines and reduce the hubbub at the Circulation Desk, especially during Summer Reading.