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.
Tuesday, June 13th @ 7:00pm: ChatGPT debuted in November 2022, and has captured the imagination of the world. It has accelerated a broad discussion of the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all aspects of our daily lives. In this general audience talk, we will begin with an overview of ChatGPT and discuss how it differs from traditional search engines. ChatGPT is an example of the emerging field of Generative AI, and we will briefly describe the related image generation application DALL-E. We will provide specific examples of ChatGPT illustrating its remarkable capabilities, and discuss some of its well-documented shortcomings including bias, misinformation and hallucination. Finally, we will touch on several societal issues in AI including ethical considerations, government regulation and the impact of AI on education and future career opportunities.
Presenter Rick Lawrence is a Ridgefield resident who received his B.S. from Stanford University in Chemical Engineering and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Nuclear Engineering. His career has evolved from nuclear science to machine learning to quantitative finance, and most recently, to COVID data science.
Thursday, June 15th @ 7:00pm: Set in New York City in 1985, Scalzo’s new novel explores themes of art, immigration, reproductive rights, AIDS, assault, class and betrayal, all simmering beneath a dynamic plot that spans one life-altering year.
Books on the Common will have copies for purchase and signing.
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. 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 — will allow residents to create and share materials on a collaborative online platform. The Library will be providing more information about this project in the coming weeks.
The E.W. Morris Memorial Library Building at 472 Main Street was not the first library to serve Ridgefield’s residents: in 1795 a subscription library opened in town with a collection of 150 volumes, followed by Hiram K. Scott’s Circulating Library in 1852. The Ridgefield Library and Historical Association was established in 1871 and incorporated by the State of Connecticut in 1901. Library services were offered in a variety of locations in town until the purchase of the former Smith Tavern property at the corner of Main and Prospect Streets in 1900, with construction of the Morris Memorial Building commencing in 1901. The building and land were purchased and donated by Library Board Member James N. Morris, a New York businessman who summered in Ridgefield, in memory of his late wife, Elizabeth. Architect Raleigh C. Gildersleeve’s design for the building blends the Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Chicago styles and makes beautiful use of marble, granite, brick, copper, bronze and decorative ironwork. The Morris Building is part of the Ridgefield Center Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the Morris Building is comprised of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library Reading Room, which houses the Library’s periodical collection; the Sara and Rudy Ruggles, Jr. Reading Room, containing fine and performing arts collections; the Liz and Steven Goldstone Special Collections Room, containing poetry, plays and literary criticism; and the Randolph Board Room meeting space. In an active and vibrant 21st-century library, the Morris Building also serves as a Ridgefield Library designated quiet space. After 120 years, the Morris Building continues to welcome generations of Ridgefielders.
Check our website to learn more about upcoming activities and programs at the Library, including the celebration of the Morris Memorial Building this summer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.