Getting Ready for Summer Reading

Spring weather has barely arrived, but the Library staff is busy making plans for the 2013 Summer Reading Program.  The smaller size of our temporary facility is forcing us to make some modifications to our usual activities, but Ridgefielders can rest assured that Summer Reading will once again be a vibrant and busy time at the Library.

Summer Reading will run from June 24 through August 10, a full seven weeks, and there will once again be separate but thematically related programs for children (going into Grades K-5), teens (entering Grades 6-12) and adults.  The main theme is Dig Into Reading, and we will be exploring this with prizes and programs ranging from a performance of “The Secret Garden” to a “Digging into Nature” live animal program.  Participants will track their progress using our online reading log software.

One new offering this year will be the incorporation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) into the program for adults.  More will be announced about this interesting innovation soon.

Once again we are grateful to the Friends of the Ridgefield Library, whose major support has made Summer Reading possible for dozens of years, and to the numerous local merchants and organizations who contribute prizes and co-sponsor events.

It Will Be One Busy Day in Ridgefield on Saturday

How much fun can you have in just one day?  You can find out this Saturday, May 4^th, when Ridgefield and the Library will be abuzz with activities for all ages.

•   It’s Ridgefield’s Gone Country all over downtown from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  At the Library you can enjoy a country-themed storytime at 10:30 AM and a visit from Farmer Minor and Daisy the Pig at 2:00 PM. 
•   From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM you will find Library staff at KidsFest in Ballard Park, where we will offer spring crafts, raffles and all the information you need about the 2013 Summer Reading Program.
•  Starting Friday and continuing through Monday the Friends of the Library are holding their annual giant spring used book sale at Yanity Gym; check www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for details.
• All day we will be celebrating Free Comic Book Day @ the Library and giving away free comics for children, teens and adults (while supplies last), donated by Cave Comics in Newtown.
• ·And while you are in the neighborhood, stroll across Governor Street to the Community Center for its Antiques Market and Country Fair – all part of what organizers are calling a “Take Pride in Ridgefield” occasion.

See you Saturday!

You Asked for It!

Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference.  Now that we have settled into our temporary space, we have been able to make a few modest yet meaningful improvements to serve you better, all in response to your requests.

• A bulletin board for notices of community events is now located near the Circulation Desk.  Please submit notices for approval before posting; due to limited space, we are only able to post flyers from Ridgefield-based non-profits for one-day or limited duration events.
• A cell phone area has been established in the same area near Circulation.  Due to the wide open plan of this building, we ask that cell phone use be restricted only to this area and that phones always be set to silent or switched off while in the Library.
• The shelf of used books for sale has returned, thanks to the Friends of the Library.  This is a great way to pick up items for vacation reading or even gifts at great prices, in between the Friends’ big book sales.
•  Attention fans of Bill Nye and The Magic School Bus: children’s non-fiction DVDs have been retrieved from storage and are now available once more for borrowing.

Connecticut’s Own Book Awards

Children have been stopping in at the Ridgefield Library for a couple of months now, asking “When can I vote for my favorite Nutmeg book?” and we can finally answer:  “Now!”  The Nutmeg Book Awards are Connecticut’s homegrown book awards for children. Each year, committees of librarians, teachers, and students choose lists of ten novels that become Nutmeg nominees. There are award levels for students in grades 4 to 6 (the Intermediate nominees), and students in grades 7 to 9 (the Teen nominees).  Students can read as many nominees as they are able to, then vote for their favorite. Many students vote at their school libraries, but the Ridgefield Library offers a designated voting spot in our juvenile fiction section, so if our younger patrons don’t get a chance to vote at school, they can cast their ballot here at the Library. The winners will be announced on May 15, and a few weeks ahead of that, on May 1, the 2014 batch of nominees will be announced. Voting in April with announcements happening in May is new for the Nutmegs. The schedule has been changed to better align with the school calendar. So if your child has read some Nutmeg nominees, please bring them in to vote before the end of the month!

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

Snapshot Day Returns to CT Libraries

Snapshot Day is back! On Tuesday, April 16, 2013, libraries all over Connecticut will be taking a ‘snapshot’ – collecting information to capture the impact that Connecticut libraries have in their communities on a typical day. This is the third Snapshot Day, sponsored by the Connecticut Library Association, the Connecticut State Library, and the Connecticut Library Consortium.

In just one day in 2011 during the 2^nd Snapshot Day, here’s what happened at Connecticut libraries, including at our own Ridgefield Library:

• 55,862 people walked through the doors of 90 Connecticut libraries
•  56,573 books, movies and more were borrowed
• 717 new borrowers were registered
•  6,063 reference questions were answered
•  9,422 people used computers
• 478 programs/classes were offered, attended by 8,520 people

Connecticut’s libraries are busier than ever, with people coming not only to check out books, but use computers or attend the many programs our libraries offer. All across the state, libraries are the cornerstones of their communities, places where people come together to visit, learn and share ideas.

On April 16^th we hope once again to capture a slice of life of Connecticut’s libraries. Come to the Ridgefield Library between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM to be counted - and maybe even get your snapshot taken!