Wednesday, May 28 @ 5:30 pm: The Ridgefield ECDC (Economic & Community Development Commission) and the Ridgefield Library are hosting the first networking event for working professionals at Nod Hill Brewery at 5:30pm on Wednesday, May 28th. Ridgefield Connect will be held quarterly, rotate around town, and center around an engaging speaker or business. 

Post-pandemic, many people now work from home multiple days a week and may not be able to network with colleagues as they did in the past. These events – for all working professionals but targeted at remote workers specifically — offer the opportunity to get out of the house and meet peers and colleagues while listening to an interesting speaker about topics that may not be mainstream or what you would hear in corporate settings.

The Nod Hill brewmasters and owners will share their unique insights into the business, from how they got started to their brewing process, recipe selection, and even how they come up with the names for their beers. It’s all Made in Ridgefield!

When: 5:30–7:30 PM on Wednesday, May 28th at Nod Hill Brewery, 137 Ethan Allen Highway (Rte. 7), Ridgefield

Cost: The ECDC is covering the cost of food and the first beer, making this an excellent opportunity to network and learn, all for free.

The mission of Ridgefield’s Economic & Community Development Commission is to support orderly and planned economic development in keeping with the character of the town. A productive and prosperous community stems from creating a viable economic and residential foundation. 

Click here to register.

Thursday, May 29 @ 7:30 pm:  Two-time Mountain Racing World Champion Grayson Murphy will be coming to the Ridgefield Library to talk about “Summits and Setbacks: My Mountain of Balance.” As a professional runner for Saucony, Grayson competes on the road, track, and trails, and will be discussing her experience balancing professional athletics and other aspects of her life. The talk will begin at 7:30 pm  with a Meet & Greet to follow!

Interested in a trail run? Meet us at Aldrich Park at 5:30 pm on Thursday for a 3-4 mile run through the trails as Grayson discusses how her tactics for trail racing differ from road racing.

Offered in partnership with CT Run Co. as part of Noreen L. Papa: Mothers Live Your Life programming.

Click here for more information and to register.

Tuesday, June 3 @ 7:00 pm:  Join us for a lively conversation about the picture book artform with contemporary author-illustrators Junjun Chen, Marianna Coppo, Rob Dunlavey, and Gracey Zhang. The Maurice Sendak Foundation‘s 2025 Fellows will share their experiences creating within the picture book form and their processes for pairing words and art. The evening will be moderated by 2015 Sendak Fellow and Fellowship Coordinator Doug Salati. A Q&A session and book signing will conclude the evening. A selection of the Fellows’ books will be available for purchase through our partner Books on the Common. 

To see the Fellows’ biographies, visit HERE.

Click here for more information and to register.

Due to a retirement and an internal promotion, the Ridgefield Library is seeking applicants for two open positions:

Circulation Assistant (Library Technical Assistant – I):

The Ridgefield Library in beautiful Ridgefield, CT seeks an energetic, friendly and detail-oriented individual with a commitment to exemplary customer service to begin year-round, part-time employment as a Circulation Assistant (LTA – I) in our outstanding Circulation Department.  This position works at the Library’s main Circulation Desk, providing the full range of Circulation services to Library patrons, and supports the successful operation of the Circulation Department and the Library overall.

Physical requirements include ability to lift up to 40 pounds and ability to push and pull objects weighing up to 80 pounds on wheels.  Prior experience a plus.  This is a 20 hour per week position. Pay is $16.75 per hour plus the benefits of generous paid time off and a 401K retirement savings program with organizational matching. Schedule will include some evenings, every other Saturday and rotating Sundays. Full job description available here.

Please email cover letter and resume to Laura Zolotorofe, Administrative Assistant/Facilities Manager, [email protected]  by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 6, 2025.

 

Children’s Services Assistant (Library Technical Assistant – II):

The Ridgefield Library in beautiful Ridgefield, CT  seeks an energetic, creative, detail-oriented individual to begin year-round part-time employment as a Library Technical Assistant (LTA) II in our outstanding Children’s Services Department.  This position is regularly scheduled for duty at the Children’s Services public service desk, provides quality reader’s advisory and technology assistance to children and caregivers; assists and instructs children and caregivers in the use of Library resources and equipment; and supports the successful operation of the Children’s Services Department and the Library overall.

Physical requirements include ability to lift up to 40 pounds and ability to push and pull objects weighing up to 80 pounds on wheels. Pay is $18.60 per hour. This position is scheduled for an average of 10 hours per week and requires the ability to work a flexible schedule which will include evening and weekend hours. This position includes earned paid sick leave. Full job description available here.

Please email cover letter and resume to Laura Zolotorofe, Administrative Assistant/Facilities Manager, [email protected]  by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 6, 2025.

May 13:  Our new materials sorter is being installed! Please return items to the free-standing book return container located outside the sliding doors. All kits, Playaway book packs, games, puzzles and oversized books must be returned inside to the Circulation Desk during the Library’s open hours. All donations must be left on the Friends of the Ridgefield Library book carts on the Lower Level of the building. Thank you!

Changes Happening May 13-23:   After 10+ years and more than 2.25 million items handled, the Ridgefield Library’s automated materials sorting equipment is getting an upgrade.

With the new sorter, you will be able to insert a stack of books into the book return slot – no more waiting for the green light to insert items one at a time!  And our new equipment will be faster, more accurate, gentler and quieter with updated software for improved cybersecurity.

Starting on Tuesday, May 13th, both our outside and inside Main Lobby book return slots will be closed for the installation of the new sorter. During this time, Library items will need to be returned to a book drop container located outside near the Library’s main sliding door entrance.

You will also see new, easy-to-use self-checkout machines arriving in the Bossidy Commons, the Lodewick Children’s Library and on the Upper Level near our Book Club Collection.

We expect the new materials sorter and self-checkout machines to be ready for use on Friday, May 23rd.

Thank you, Ridgefield!  Your support of this fiscal year 2024-2025 capital project has made this upgrade to a vital part of the Library’s operations possible. If you would like to learn more about the automated materials handling sorter system or if you have any questions, please contact Library Director, Brenda McKinley at [email protected]

Thursday, May 22 @ 7:00 pm:   Join us for a “night of spies” as authors Suzanne Nelson and Michelle Young discuss their new books about women in WWII. 

The Librarians of Lisbon: As two American librarians are drawn into a city of dangerous subterfuge and unexpected love affairs, they are forced to choose between their missions and the men they love.

The Art Spy: A riveting and stylish saga set in Paris during World War II, The Art Spy uncovers how an unlikely heroine infiltrated the Nazi leadership to save the cultural legacy of the West.

About the Authors: Suzanne Nelson is a resident of Ridgefield. Her book, The Librarians of Lisbon, was published on February 4, 2025 by Zando.

Michelle Young is the author of the non-fiction book The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland from HarperOne, an imprint of Harper Collins with publication date of May 13, 2025.

Our program partner, Books on the Common will have copies available for purchase and for signing.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Thursday, May 22 @ 4:30 pm: To Bee or Not to Bee, that is the question! Students in Grades K-2 are invited to get up close and personal with crawly critters such as giant millipedes, hissing cockroaches, and tarantulas! Learn the differences between insects and other invertebrates in this hands-on workshop with educators from Earthplace. Registration is required.

Programs like this are made possible in part by the generosity of our donors.

Wednesday, May 21 @ 7:30 pm:   Rich Cohen’s Murder in the Dollhouse is the chilling, unputdownable story of Jennifer Dulos, a beautiful, rich suburban mother who dropped her kids off at the New Canaan Country School one morning and vanished. Her body has never been found.

Rich Cohen is the New York Times-bestselling author of Tough Jews, Monsters, Sweet and Low, The Sun & the Moon & the Rolling Stones, The Chicago Cubs, and The Last Pirate of New York, and, with Jerry Weintraub, When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead. He is the cocreator of the HBO series Vinyl, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, and a writer at large for Air Mail. He has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Harper’s Magazine, among other publications. Cohen has won the Great Lakes Book Award, the Chicago Public Library’s 21st Century Award, and the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. He lives in Connecticut.

Our partner, Books on the Common, will have copies for sale and signing.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17:  The Ridgefield Independent Film Festival (RIFF) seeks to make the world a more compassionate place through the sharing of stories through cinema.  Stop by the Ridgefield Library for two special events during this year’s RIFF weekend:  

Friday May 16 @ 2:00 pm — RIFF Presents Conversations with Filmmakers: Anatomy of a Scene.  Join filmmakers Dan Schechter (Life of Crime, Supporting Characters, After Class) and Brian Russell (Not the Same Clarence, Silver Sizzle, Cascades) as they analyze and discuss the anatomy of a scene from five 2025 RIFF Official Selections.  Click here to learn more and to register.

Saturday, May 17 @ 10:00 am — RIFF Master Class with Brooke Berman. Filmmaker Brooke Berman walks you through the ins and outs of putting your feature project together on a microbudget. If you have been waiting for permission — a green light, a movie star, an agent, a sign from the Heavens — and are ready to get up and make your film, this is the master class for you. Click here to learn more and to register.

Saturday, May 17 @ 2:00 pm: Young readers and budding chefs will relish this celebration of the new book A Banquet for Cecilia: How Cecilia Chiang Revolutionized Chinese Food in America. Families with children of all ages are invited to meet author Julie Leung and illustrator Melissa Iwai. We’ll read the book, learn more about the Chinese-American chef Cecilia Chiang, and hear about the research that went into the writing and illustrations. Then we’ll craft our own dumpling treasure to take home! Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome as space permits. Please register once for your family and indicate the number of children in the comments. 

Books on the Common will have copies of the book available for sale and signing. Programs like this are supported by the generous donations of our patrons.