Sunday, December 17th @ 2:00 pm: Jeff Snow’s seasonal program will combine songs, tunes, history and stories from England, Ireland and Scotland with the music of Christmas. Familiar (and some not-so-familiar) songs will have you singing, laughing and wishing for more when it’s all over!
Jeff Snow is a multi-instrumentalist who shares the music, and the stories behind the music, of Scotland, Ireland and England. Growing up in a home where old Scottish folk songs were the everyday sounds, Snow developed an early love for Celtic music. Much of the history of these lands was preserved in song.
Snow’s music has been described as “quiet and relaxing,” and while much of it is, he’ll periodically let loose and foot stomping will begin. He plays the guitar, autoharp and bouzouki. He can also find his way around a drum set and most of the percussion family.
The Ridgefield Folk Concert Series is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.
January 19th & 20th, 2024: Give the gift of Adventure! Students in Grades 3-5 are invited to an exclusive After Hours Adventure at the Ridgefield Library. Campers will arrive for this fundraising event after the Library closes to the public and join their fellow campers in a one-of-a-kind experience that includes flashlight tag, fishing, archery, s’more making, live night creatures, hot dogs from Chez Lenard and a host of camping goodies to take home at the 10:00 pm conclusion of the evening.
Spots are limited to 48 campers per evening. This event is $135 per student and is a fundraiser for the Ridgefield Library in support of its annual operating budget.
This special fundraising event is sponsored by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library and Dr. Blaine Langberg Orthodontist.
Detailed information and registration links are available here: https://libguides.ridgefieldlibrary.org/familyfundraiser
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. Members of the community are invited to share their memories of the Library and its place in their lives through a new collaborative online platform, The Morris Building 120th Anniversary Community Collection. Create and share your materials for inclusion in the 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. Contact the Adult Services Department for more information at [email protected]
Do you know the little boy in this historic photograph of the Morris Building? Please email the Library if you have any information!
See more beautiful historical images of the Ridgefield Library in our online gallery, The E.W. Morris Building Anniversary Collection.
Save the Date for the Ridgefield Library’s Annual Great Expectations Gala, Saturday June 1, 2024.
The 2024 Annual Great Expectations Gala, which celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the “new” Ridgefield Library, will honor Marcie and Peter Coffin with the Hope H. Swenson Visionary Award for their years of leadership and service to the Library’s vision and mission.
Marcie, EVP Risk Management at Fairfield County Bank, and Peter, AIA and principal of Doyle Coffin Architecture, have strong ties to the Library. They raised their two sons in Ridgefield and spent countless hours participating in children’s programming and in summer reading contests. Peter served on the Board of Directors for a decade, including seven years as Board Chair. Most recently, the Coffins were co-chairs of the successful 2023 Great Expectations Gala. Each summer, the Coffins compete with a team of stalwart Library supporters in a local charity Bocce Tournament.
“It is fitting to honor Marcie and Peter on the 10th Anniversary of our beautiful Library,” says Brenda McKinley, Library Director. “We are grateful for their long history of commitment and dedication, especially for the lasting impact of Peter’s vision and professional counsel during the process of building our new Library.”
Following his years of Library Board leadership, Peter’s contributions included serving in an advisory role, through every phase of the development process for the new Library, from negotiations with the town, through the design, construction and the opening of the new Library in May 2014. Peter continues to offer his professional guidance to the Library, most recently with the completion of the Miller Terrace outdoor space.
For information on supporting the Ridgefield Library through sponsorship of the 2024 Great Expectations Gala on Saturday June 1, 2024, contact Jane Lindenburg, Development Director, 203-438-2022 extension 104, or [email protected]
Did you know? The Ridgefield Library offers these special services for our patrons:
Book-A-Librarian
The Adult Services Department now offers one-on-one appointments where staff can offer specialized assistance on a variety of topics. Some of these topics include, but are not limited to: technology assistance on cellphones, laptops and tablets; tutorials on how to use our databases or conduct genealogy searches; assistance with downloadable materials and tours of the library spaces for new patrons.
Notary Services
To be an accessible and inclusive resource for all in the community, the Ridgefield Library is now offering Notary Services. This includes, but will not be limited to, witnessing signatures on documents, administering oaths and other services. This service is subject to staff availability. There is a $5 fee for each notarization and two forms of ID are required to perform notary services.
Private Study Rooms
The Library has six private study rooms where individuals can work alone or collaboratively with others. Rooms are available on the Main and Upper levels and can accommodate 4-6 people. Rooms are available on a walk-in basis and for advanced reservation with 24-hours notice.
Proctoring Services
In fulfillment of its mission to be a source of support for lifelong learning, the Ridgefield Library offers proctoring for tests and examinations. Exams are proctored by the Adult Services Department during regular library hours, Monday through Saturday, and appointments are subject to staff availability.
To learn more about these services or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Adult Services Department, either by calling (203) 438-2282 ext. 201 or emailing [email protected]
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.
November 24 – 26: We’re celebrating the 19th annual Library Days at Books on the Common! Stop by Ridgefield’s outstanding independent bookstore November 24, 25 or 26 and show your physical or digital Ridgefield Library card — Books on the Common will donate 15% of the proceeds to the Library. Shop locally and support the Library!
Learn more here about how to get a Library card.
Wednesday, November 15th @ 6:30pm: To celebrate the launch of the Ridgefield LGBTQ Oral History Project at the Ridgefield Historical Society, historian Susan Ferentinos will offer an overview of LGBTQ history, with particular emphasis on the experiences of LGBTQ people in Connecticut. From some of the earliest evidence of same-sex desire in the English colonies to the LGBTQ civil rights struggles of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Connecticut has been a part of the national story of gender and sexual diversity. By using local stories to illustrate national trends, Dr. Ferentinos will demonstrate the importance of individual LGBTQ lives and communities to our understandings of the past.
Susan Ferentinos, PhD, is a public history researcher, writer and consultant helping cultural organizations share untold stories about women and LGBTQ people. She will be assisting with the Ridgefield LGBTQ Oral History Project and has recently worked with the Palmer-Warner House in East Haddam, Connecticut, and the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York. She is the author of the award-winning book Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites and has contributed her expertise to the National Park Service initiative “Telling All Americans’ Stories.”
The Ridgefield LGBTQ Oral History Project is a newly launched initiative of Ridgefield CT Pride, the Ridgefield Historical Society and the Ridgefield High School Gay-Straight Alliance.
To register, visit the Ridgefield Historical Society website HERE
Thursday, November 16th @ 7:00pm: Join local experts for this in-person program as we discuss:
*Grief and mourning. What’s normal. What’s not.
*Traumatic loss and sudden death.
*Things to watch for: Signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidality.
Sponsored by Project Resilience, the Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield Public Schools, Ridgefield PTAs, Ridgefield Youth Council and Books on the Common.
Saturday, November 4th @ 2:00pm: Join us for a fascinating afternoon with author and UFO expert Ralph Blumenthal. Blumenthal co-authored the explosive story in the New York Times that created a new enthusiasm for UFOs worldwide: “Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program.” He was an award-winning staff reporter for the Times for 45 years and continues to write for the newspaper.
In June 2023, he was the coauthor of the article “Intelligence Officials Say U.S. Has Retrieved Craft of Non-Human Origin,” which led to a bipartisan Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill in July. These inquiries remain active and further Congressional hearings are being scheduled.
Blumenthal is the author of the book The Believer: Alien Encounters, Hard Science, and the Passion of John Mack and co-author with his wife, the children’s book writer Deborah Blumenthal, of UFOHS! Mysteries in the Sky.
Books on the Common will have copies of both books for sale and signing.