Thursday, January 30th @ 7:00 pm:  Author Dan Slater will discuss his new novel, a harrowing tale of early 20th-century New York reveals the true stories of an immigrant underworld, a secret vice squad and the rise of organized crime. In this mesmerizing and atmospheric account, drawn from never-before-seen sources and peopled with unforgettable characters, Slater tells an epic and often brutal saga of crime and redemption, exhuming a buried history that shaped our modern world.

Click here to learn more and register.

RESCHEDULED Sunday, February 2nd @ 2:00 pm: Throughout her long and storied life, Rachel “Bunny” Mellon’s greatest passion was garden design. She and her husband, Paul Mellon, one of the wealthiest men in America, maintained homes in New York, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Antigua and Upperville, Virginia.  Bunny designed beautiful gardens at all of her homes, and she also designed gardens for some of her dearest friends, including the Rose Garden and the East Garden at the White House (at the request of President Kennedy), and the gardens at both the Paris home and the château of couturier Hubert de Givenchy.

This fascinating program is presented by Jennifer Yates, an experienced and award-winning landscape designer with a gift for color and structure for creating harmonious landscape designs.

Click here to learn more and register.

Starting February 6th: The Ridgefield Library is again providing space for AARP Tax Aide, a free tax preparation service for low and moderate income taxpayers, especially those age 50 and older. AARP Tax Aide will be offered on Thursdays from February 6th through April 10th on the following schedule:

February 6th through March 27th — 8:15 am to 12:15 pm
April 3rd & April 8th — 10:15 am to 2:15 pm
April 10th — 8:15 am to 12:15 pm

Assistance is available by appointment only, no walk-ins — please call (203) 438-1654 directly to schedule your session.

Friday, February 14th @ 6:00pm:  Join us for our 21+ adults-only tabletop gaming experience. Snacks, non-alcoholic beverages provided as well as a ticket for one beer or glass of wine included. Tabletop games mean anything from card games to dice games, board games to strategy games. 

You are welcome to bring a game and play, learn a new game, borrow a game from our collection to take home, or just observe! If you have a specific game that you are interested in teaching, please let us know so we can put a table aside for you. Larger groups of six or more can also email to request a table be set aside.

All attendees must be 21 or older. Registration is recommended. 

Click here to learn more and to register.

The Library’s Museum Pass Program offers free or discounted admission to over 20 premiere educational and cultural institutions in Connecticut and New York. Passes are located at the Circulation Desk. They may be borrowed for two nights and are available on a first come, first served basis only (no reservations).  The Museum Pass Program is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.

For more information, call the Circulation Department at 203-438-2282 x202 or email the Circulation Desk.

Wednesday, January 22nd @ 1:00 pm:   Join RVNAhealth’s Susan DiGregorio, M.A. CCC-SLP, for an engaging discussion on aging and brain health. In this informative session, you’ll discover the key risk factors associated with cognitive decline and learn how lifestyle choices and environmental influences can impact your brain function as you age. Susan will also share practical, evidence-based strategies to help you proactively protect your brain health and boost memory function. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable insights and actionable steps that can enhance your cognitive wellness and overall quality of life.

Don’t miss out on this chance to equip yourself with knowledge that can make a meaningful difference in your health journey!

Click here to learn more and register.

Wednesday, January 22nd @ 7:00 pm:  Join Sasco River Center Co-Director Dr. Chris Bogart to:

1.Understand executive function skills and why they matter;

2. Take home strategies to help foster their development;

3. Learn about importance of frustration tolerance and ways to help your kids strengthen this essential skill.

This program is sponsored by Project Resilience, Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield Public Schools, Ridgefield PTAs, Ridgefield Youth Commission and Books on the Common.

Click here to learn more and register.

Saturday, January 18th from 9:00am to 4:00pm: Recycle your old electronics safely and securely! Decluttering after the holidays? Here’s your chance to clean out your home or office, recycle responsibly, protect your private information and support a great cause, all in one simple act.

Bring your old phones, tablets, laptops, hard drives, PCs, Macs, printers, TVs, DVD players and other technology to the Lower Level of the Library. Computer parts will be destroyed and then safely recycled. Other home electronics and small appliances will also be accepted for recycling, except for large kitchen appliances and any device containing mercury, Freon or hazardous liquids. Secure e-waste recycling and final disposal will be provided by Take 2 Inc of Waterbury, the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority’s certified electronics recycling provider. Suggested donation is $20 per item, with proceeds supporting the Library’s technology initiatives, including STEAM programming for all ages.  (E-waste recycling is also available at no charge at the Ridgefield Recycling Center.)

Learn more here.

Thursday, January 16th @ 7:00 pm:   Join us as we welcome author Jean Hanff Korelitz, who has followed her New York Times bestseller The Plot with an equally captivating new novel, The Sequel: 

Anna Williams-Bonner has taken care of business. That is to say, she’s taken care of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, and laid to rest those anonymous accusations of plagiarism that so tormented him. Now she is living the contented life of a literary widow, enjoying her husband’s royalty checks in perpetuity, but for the second time in her life, a work of fiction intercedes, and this time it’s her own debut novel, The Afterword. After all, how hard can it really be to write a universally lauded bestseller?

With her signature wit and sardonic humor, Jean Hanff Korelitz gives readers an antihero to root for while illuminating and satirizing the world of publishing in this deliciously fun and suspenseful read.

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

Click here to learn more and to register.

Tuesday, January 14th @ 1:00 pm:  This presentation features Ridgefield Station Assisted Living and Compass Memory Center on Quarry Road. Ridgefield Station opened four years ago. It is operated by SLR Senior Living Residences. The company has been at the forefront of innovative Assisted Living and Memory Support for thirty-five years. 

Hugh Salazar, Director of Compass Programming will lead the presentation about the therapeutic Compass Memory Support Program at Ridgefield Station. Maureen McLam, Director of Community Relations, will describe the services available to residents living in Ridgefield and continuing to be active in their community. Jeff Williams, Executive Director, oversees and manages the entire operation while making efforts to create a well educated community.

Senior Voices is a free event and a hybrid program held on the second Tuesday of the month. Individuals may attend in person and online. Light refreshments will be served. If you have any questions, please contact the Commission on Aging at [email protected].  

Click here to learn more and register.