Ridgefield Library

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.

Saturday, May 31st, 2025: Save the date for the Ridgefield Library’s Annual Gala! This year’s Ridgefield Library Gala will honor Dean and Theresa Miller with the Hope H. Swenson Visionary Award for their many years of generous support and service to the Library’s vision and mission.

Dean joined the board of the Ridgefield Library in 2012, where he served for six years, including as Treasurer for four years and as Board Chair for his last two years. He was proud to be part of the team who helped oversee the completion of the new Library building and the hiring of Brenda McKinley as the new director. Dean and Theresa both served on the Gala committee from its inception in 2014 through 2021. They are past recipients of the Library’s Paccadolmi Award for extraordinary volunteer service.

“It’s a privilege to honor the Millers with the Hope H. Swenson Visionary Award. Their commitment to making the Library better and to making our Ridgefield community better is simply remarkable,” says Brenda McKinley, Library Director. “Their dedication to the needs of the community through service and leadership roles with Meals on Wheels, RVNAIhealth and Thrown Stone exceeds any definition of above and beyond. On May 31^st of next year, we’ll be delighted to gather at our annual Library Gala to celebrate the Millers and shine a light on their inspiring leadership, support and service. We hope you’ll save the date and join us for a wonderful evening.”   

For information on sponsoring the 2025 Annual Ridgefield Library Gala, contact Jane Lindenburg, Development Director, at [email protected] or 203-438-2282 x 104.

Ridgefielders agree – it’s easy to LOVE the Library!  While the Library receives funding from the town, we also depend on broad support from the Ridgefield community to fund our exceptional collections, programs and services.

Thank you for helping us meet our annual fundraising goals– your donation to the Annual Appeal matters and makes a difference in the Library’s ability to serve our entire community!

Please donate here: https://ridgefieldlibrary.ejoinme.org/…/Default.aspx

Fall 2024 Scholarly Series:  The Ridgefield Library will be celebrating the boundless human capacity and desire to explore, learn and discover with special programming for all ages this fall.  The Curious Mind: Exploration and Discovery is the title for this year’s Scholarly Series, the Library’s annual in-depth examination of a topic or author supported by funding provided by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.

Upcoming programs in the series are listed here – all programs will be held in person at the Ridgefield Library, unless otherwise noted.

Be sure to watch the inspiring closing keynote presentation held on December 5th by technology legend Nick Donofrio:

On October 24th Dr. Heidi B. Hammel of NASA talked about the amazing discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope:

And if you missed the fascinating opening keynote presentation by Dr. Rudy L Ruggles, Jr., on September 12th, view the recording here:

Sunday, December 15th @ 2:00 pm:  Join acclaimed, award-winning photographer Joe McNally for an entertaining ARTalk about his lifelong adventures travelling the globe. McNally, a Ridgefield resident, is known worldwide as the quintessential “pro’s pro.” He is an extremely versatile and experienced assignment photographer whose jobs have taken him to over 70 countries and counting. Always curious and adapting to the conditions at hand, McNally has had to keep up with relentless advances in camera technology. He pairs his extraordinary camera know-how with a vivid imagination and an ongoing vibrant creativity for prestigious clients such as National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and ABC Television, among others. He will share a selection of his compelling photographs and also talk about his storied career.

This program is part of the Library’s 2024 Scholarly Series, The Curious Mind: Exploration and Discovery, made possible by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.

Click here to learn more and register.

Wednesday, December 11th @ 6:00 pm:  Join us in a judgment-free environment at Ridgefield Library where participants, often strangers, can openly engage in discussion on the topic of death and dying. “Dying to Know” is a moderated discussion group created to explore and normalize conversations around death and dying. Mickey Nelson and Sue Broudy, certified End-of-Life Doulas, will guide open conversations around mortality, and all the things related to this sacred time. You are invited to attend, listen, and share in the conversation as you feel comfortable. All perspectives are welcomed and respected. “Dying to Know” is not a grief support group or counseling session, but a space for sharing conversations and questions about dying and deepening our awareness about death, a subject we all share.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Sunday, December 8th @ 2:00 pm:   The Lonetown Boys are an acoustic quartet featuring classic country, folk, blues and americana music. Their unique combination of upright bass (Pat Lavery), Dobro/Lapsteel (Chris Davis), Mandolin/percussion (Dan Bonis), violin and vocals (Dan Tressler) and acoustic guitar/vocals (JD Seem) evoke a traditional, pure and poignant melancholy sound sometimes called “that high lonesome sound”.