Saturday, February 1, 2025: Families with children are invited to Take your Child to the Library for a day of Library joy, button-making from 12-1pm and a scavenger hunt. With the inspiration of the Children’s Mural art by Cynthia Meyers, we welcome special guest Doug Salati alongside our ROAR therapy dogs, Pistachio the Rooster, and BenAnna Band. To register or for more information, visit the event page.

10:30-11:00 am: Family Storytime with Doug Salati | Families with children of all ages are invited to celebrate Take Your Child to the Library Day with a storytime featuring our special guest, Doug Salati, author and illustrator of the 2023 Caldecott award-winning book Hot Dog. Come talk, read, play, move, and sing together in this celebration of Library Joy! 

11:15-11:45 am: Hot Dog Cart Art | Register to visit the Hot Dog Art Cart with Doug Salati to customize your own weiner dog inspired by the art in Hot Dog, Doug Salati’s Caldecott Award-winning picturebook. There will not be food served at this event. Registration strongly encouraged.

11:30 am-12:30 pm: Read to ROAR | Children entering grades 1-4 enhance their oral reading skills by reading to trained therapy dogs from ROAR Ridgefield. Time slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring a favorite book to read or pick one out in the library before your session. Registration is required.

1:00-2:00 pm: Play Pokemon with Pistachio the Rooster | Ridgefield Library’s very own Pistachio the chicken is teaming up with Pokémon Players Club for a special event. Join Pistachio as he learns how to play the Pokemon TCG and makes Pokémon crafts. Beginners and experts alike are welcome to attend. A very special “Pistachio ex Pokémon Card” will be distributed at the event. Don’t miss your chance to own this special limited edition card! What a great way to kick off the month of “love” by sharing it with Pistachio, Pokémon Players Club and, of course, the Ridgefield Library. 

2:00-2:45 pm: BenAnna Band Family Concert | BenAnna Band is a nationally touring children’s band that focuses on music and inclusion for kiddos of all ages, abilities and identities. This family-friendly, interactive concert will give you a chance to dance, sing and play along with Ben and Anna at the Library! This program engages both the caregiver and the child together, so all attendees should expect to participate. Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome as space permits. 

Thursday, December 5th @ 7:00 pm:  As the closing keynote talk of this fall’s scholarly series The Curious Mind: Exploration and Discovery, join us for a call to action from technology industry legend Nick Donofrio as he shares his insights on how human curiosity leads to innovation and to positive change.  Covering topics ranging from emerging technology to the importance of diversity and inclusion, Nick highlights opportunities to change our path for the better and for embracing change. As he highlighted in his 2022 autobiography, “If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes”, Nick believes deeply in each individual’s ability to drive transformation in our lives and our society.

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

Click here for more information and to register.

Presenter Nick Donofrio’s full bio is available here.

 

Thursday, November 9th @ 7:00pm:   Look inside the private world of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, one of America’s most iconic couples, in this extraordinary and deeply personal collection of intimate photographs affectionately curated by their daughter Melissa Newman. Their love story is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman became not only movie stars and stage actors, but also artistic collaborators, political activists and philanthropists whose legacies are expansive and enduringly modern. 

This visually immersive oversize book chronicles their romance through the photographs of an impressive list of contributors.  These striking images—many rare and some never before published—are accompanied by snapshots, letters, handwritten notes and family treasures. Together they beautifully illuminate the connection between two complex, passionate artists who opened their hearts and minds to each other for over half a century.  Head Over Heels: A Love Affair in Words and Pictures is an homage to the possibility and power of love.

Melissa Newman is an artist, teacher, singer and occasional writer, based in Westport Connecticut.

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

Click here for more information and to register.

Mark your calendar for the Friends of the Ridgefield Library’s Big Book Sales in October!  Sales are held on the Lower Level of the Library.

Children’s Book Sale:  
Friday, October 13th from 10:00am to 6:00pm (10:00am to 12:00pm is $10 entry; FREE to members of the Friends)
Saturday, October 14th from 9:00am to 5:00pm

General Book Sale:
Friday, October 20th from 10:00am to 6:00pm (10:00am to 12:00pm is $10 entry; FREE to members of the Friends)
Saturday, October 21st from 9:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday, October 22nd from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Monday, October 23rd from 8:00am to 6:00pm (Bring Your Own Grocery Bag, $5 per bag!)

 

Learn more about the Friends of the Ridgefield Library HERE

Saturday, August 5th from 9:00am to 5:00pm:  The Library’s annual RidgeCon celebration of pop culture fandoms returns on Saturday, August 5th for a day full of all-ages fun!  RidgeCon 2023 is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.

Check here for details about all of the day’s activities and updates to the schedule.

And don’t miss a special RidgeCon Games on Tap Board Game Night for adults from 6:00 to 9:00pm!

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.

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/ 

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.

March 5th @ 2:00pm:  Award-winning actor and singer Kimberly Wilson wrote and stars in “A Journey: A Musical One-Woman Show.”  In this powerful performance Wilson embodies seven women, whose lives span hundreds of years, telling their stories of faith, hope and sense of calling that truly helped to shape American history. 

Love and truth form the foundation of this inspirational performance. The women featured in the show like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks and more had the courage to make their dreams a reality that not only elevated their own lives, but also helped lay the foundation for future generations.  Through song, movement and dialogue Wilson brings these characters, and their triumphs and truths to life. Each performance is immediately followed by an audience talkback.

This program is co-hosted by the League of Women Voters of Ridgefield and is offered in partnership with the Ridgefield Historical Society.

Learn more and register here.

Please support the Ridgefield Library’s 2022-23 Annual Appeal.  Your gift makes so much possible!  Learn more about making a donation to this year’s Appeal.

Interested in other ways to give to the Library?  Explore options for support here.

Did you know there’s so much to love about the Ridgefield Library? Take a look at our 2021-2022 Annual Report to find out more about our programs, services, resources and more!