Thursday, June 22nd @ 6:00pm:  Join us as we celebrate! On June 22nd, the Ridgefield Library will be the location for very special recognitions.  After a unanimous vote by the Board of Selectmen, Ira Joe Fisher will succeed Barb Jennes as Ridgefield’s Poet Laureate. Both will be on hand to celebrate. Additionally, June 22nd is the 120th anniversary of the dedication of the Library’s Morris Building. First Selectman Marconi will mark these occasions with remarks starting at 6:30pm. Light refreshments will be served.

A long-time Ridgfielder, known for his community involvement and support, Mr. Fisher is an Emmy-winning broadcaster, actor, poet and teacher. He currently teaches poetry and creative writing at UConn, Mercy College, and Founders Hall.  He is honored to accept the Ridgefield Poet Laureate position and calls poetry the universal language which touches all hearts. Ms. Jennes, an award-winning poet and former teacher in Ridgefield Public Schools, was appointed Ridgefield’s first Poet Laureate in 2020. She found meaningful ways to create connections through poetry during the isolating days of the pandemic and has enthusiastically promoted poetry for the past three years at numerous community programs and events.

The E. W. Morris Memorial Library Building that forms the historic front wing of the Ridgefield Library opened its doors for the first time on June 22, 1903. After 120 years, the Morris Building continues to welcome Ridgefield residents to the Library. In addition to the June 22nd celebration, the Library is planning to commemorate this milestone anniversary in a variety of ways this summer, and the community is invited to share their memories of the Library and its place in their lives.  A new project — part of the Library’s “All Together Now” Summer Reading activities – allows residents to create and share materials on a collaborative online platform, the Morris Building 120th Anniversary Community Collection.  The submission process is free and easy; submissions can include pictures, old Library cards, programs, flyers, maps, posters and other visual memorabilia.  Submission of original written material is also encouraged.

Visit our website to learn more about the June 22nd celebration as well as upcoming activities and programs at the Library, including the celebration of the Morris Memorial Building this summer.

Sunday, June 11th @ 2:00pm:  The Ridgefield Folk Concert Series continues with Marc Berger, whose life has been about pursuing his twin passions: creating, recording and performing his original songs and exploring the American West. He’s performed at Austin’s SXSW Music Festival and the Kerrville and Falcon Ridge Folk Festivals and has opened for Bob Dylan and other national acts. At this special concert, Marc and the fabulous RIDE Band will perform songs from his recent album and Marc will share some unforgettable stories about his experiences as an Easterner in the mountain and desert West.

The Ridgefield Folk Concert Series is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.

Learn more and register here.

Tuesday, June 6th @ 7:00pm:  Author Eliza Minot discusses her new novel about womanhood, modern family, and the interior landscape of maternal life, as seen through the life of a young wife and mother.  Unfolding over the course of a single day in which Maisie and her husband take their children to pick apples, In the Orchard is luminous, masterfully crafted, revelatory—a shining exploration of motherhood, childhood and love.

Books on the Common will have copies available for purchase and signing.

Learn more and register.

Sunday, June 4th @ 2:00 pm:  Interested in elections and voting in Connecticut?  What is the status of early voting now that it has been passed in Connecticut and how will it work?  Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas will speak about these and other related topics at the League of Women Voters of Ridgefield’s Annual Meeting.  The League’s business meeting will be held prior to Thomas’s presentation. Members of the public are invited to attend the Keynote speech at 2:00 pm.  

Secretary Thomas has spent her entire career in public service. Prior to her election as Secretary of the State, she served as State Representative for Connecticut’s 143rd District – Norwalk, Wilton, and Westport.  As Vice-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, she sponsored and helped pass a variety of voter-focused bills, such as automatic voter registration and resolutions to advance early voting and universal access to absentee ballots. Secretary Thomas is committed to protecting voting rights and strengthening civic education in Connecticut.

Learn more and register here.

Thursday, June 1st @ 7:00pm:  Journalist, documentarian and Ridgefield resident Todd Brewster will discuss his new book, a remarkable collection of over 200 stunning photographs of children—from the Civil War era to the present—that captures the ever-changing experience of childhood throughout American history.

Did Americans “invent” childhood? Brewster believes we did, or at least childhood as “a period of life cordoned off from that of full maturity, covered with a veil of protection, and subject to a program of nurture.” That’s the inspiration behind this rich, compelling volume of rarely seen historical images drawn from the photography collections at the Library of Congress, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, and the Magnum Photo Agency as well as dozens of other archives, flea markets, and antique shops.  The result is a carefully curated paean to American youth: 200-plus photos from all parts of American history, joined by a series of deeply insightful essays on the topic of the American child.

Books on the Common will have copies available for purchase and signing.

Learn more and register to attend.

Saturday, May 20th @ 6:00pm:  The Ridgefield Library Great Expectations Gala honoring Suni and Woody Harford on Saturday, May 20th is sold out!  If you are interested in attending the event, please email Jane Lindenburg, [email protected]. We will put your name on a waiting list and notify you if tickets become available.

Gala Donations / Auction Items / Paddle Raise

Thursday, May 25th @ 7:00pm:  The Ridgefield Library and Lyme Connection welcome Ross Douthat to the Library to discuss his new book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery. Douthat, a New York Times opinion columnist and author, will discuss his battle with a devastating sickness, ultimately diagnosed as a chronic form of Lyme disease. In The Deep Places, Ross details the struggles faced by many Lyme patients as they seek a proper diagnosis and appropriate medical care—and explores the controversies that surround these insidious tick-borne diseases. During his journey, Douthat discovers the many pitfalls of modern medicine, as well as the strength and courage needed to reclaim his health

Books on the Common will have copies for purchase and signing.  Please register to attend.

April 1st through May 31st:   The Ridgefield Library is pleased to join in the announcement of a local author contest that will accept submissions of adult and young adult fiction, to be recognized as the top indie-published eBooks in Connecticut.

Winners in each category will receive $1,000 as well as:

The creation of the Connecticut Author Project gives librarians the chance to engage with a growing group of fresh literary voices and an opportunity to play an active role in the discovery and promotion of new works.  For indie-published authors, the contest is a terrific way to elevate their careers and expand their readership.

Each book that is submitted to the contest must be:

The contest will accept submissions from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023.  Authors can submit at https://indieauthorproject.librariesshare.com/connecticut/ 

Join us for an exciting schedule of in-person author talks in April. Talks are held in the Main Program room on the Library’s Lower Level and begin at 7:00pm.  For more information and to register, please click the dates below.

Tuesday, April 11th — LeBron, Jeff Benedict

Wednesday, April 19th — Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work, Joanne Lipman

Thursday, April 20th — The Partnership: George Marshall, Henry Stimson and the Extraordinary Collaboration That Won World War II, Edward Farley Aldrich

Wednesday, April 26th — American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal, Neil King

Our partners, Books on the Common, will have copies of books available for sale and signing.

Stop by the Library’s Lower Level for the Friends of the Ridgefield Library Big Book Sales.  Children’s Sale runs May 5-7 and the General Sale is May 12-15.  Learn more here.