Ridgefield Library

Don’t miss the Friends of the Ridgefield Library‘s multi-day Big Book Sale!  Great choices for readers of all ages and interests.

FRIDAY April 4:  10AM – 6PM

Friday 9:30 AM early entrance for card holders of Ridgefield Library as well as members of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library (must be both)

Friday 10AM – 12PM  $20 entry, but free for Friends of the Ridgefield Library

SATURDAY April 5:  9AM – 5PM

SUNDAY April 6:   1PM – 5PM

MONDAY April 7:   8AM-6PM

Volunteers are needed to help organize, set up and clean up after the sale; email Cris for more information about volunteering.

Saturday, April 12th @ 10:30 am: Families with children of all ages are invited to join Poppi from Poppi’s Planet on an adventure of mindfulness, imagination and feelings! Poppi explores Social Emotional Learning through her puppet friends, music and movement! Get ready to laugh, and explore all the big and small feelings that make us human! Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.

Programs like this are supported by the generous donations of our patrons.

Saturday, March 29th from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm:  Scrabble players in grades 1-12 are invited to the 18th Annual New England School Scrabble Championship. The format for players is five 50-minute School SCRABBLE games played in teams of two using the official NASPA School SCRABBLE Rules (except for age limits) and the NASPA School Word List (NSWL23) as the lexicon. Points from this tournament will count toward the 2024-25 NASPA Youth Achievement Awards.

Championship, Intermediate and Novice divisions available for registration. There will be prizes for all ages, plus special prizes for high game and high play. Free entry and pizza lunch will be provided by the Library.

Game play begins at 10:00 am.

Click here to register to receive a reminder email about this event. Please email or send the downloadable Scrabble registration form to Cornelia at [email protected]. Paper forms are also available at the Children’s Services Desk at the Library.

This program is made possible through the generous support of our donors.

Sunday, March 30th @ 2:00 pm:  Suitable for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, How Joyous Effort Works and the previous books in Ettele’s How Life Works Series are a solid support for those already engaged with Buddhist teachings, and for those new to the philosophy who are interested in learning more. Books on the Common will have copies for purchase and signing.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Wednesday, March 26th @ 7:00 pm: Join us for the celebration of Ridgefield Poet Laureate Ira Joe Fisher’s latest book. This lyrical poetry collection offers an evocative exploration of life in Annville and the enduring rhythms of rural America. Through skillful and heartfelt verse, the poet captures the rich texture of small-town existence, painting intimate portraits of its people and their stories. Seasonal changes, particularly the stark beauty of winter’s snows and transformations, serve as a recurring motif, evoking both the passage of time and nature’s unyielding presence. These poems thrive on quiet moments of observation, transforming the seemingly ordinary into something deeply resonant.

Balancing wistful nostalgia with sharp, clear-eyed insight, this collection weaves a vivid tapestry of place and time. It celebrates the enduring beauty found in life’s quieter moments, offering a profound meditation on the interconnectedness of people, place, and the natural world. Learn more HERE.

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

Click here to learn more and to register.

Saturday, March 22nd @ 2:00 pm:  From the author of The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven, an atmospheric novel about family, friends and falling in love, as a young man tries to find purpose on a struggling Icelandic cattle farm. With his signature blend of humor and tenderness, Nathaniel Ian Miller’s Red Dog Farm is about the bonds forged and tested between family, friends and lovers—and the act of building a home, together.

Suzanne Nelson, author of many children’s books and her recent debut historical novel, The Librarians of Lisbon, will be in conversation with Nathanial Ian Miller.

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

Click here for more information and to register.

Through April 10th: The Ridgefield Library is again providing space for AARP Tax Aide, a free tax preparation service for low and moderate income taxpayers, especially those age 50 and older. AARP Tax Aide will be offered on Thursdays from February 13th through April 10th on the following schedule:

February 13th through March 27th — 8:15 am to 12:15 pm
April 3rd & April 8th (Tuesday) — 10:15 am to 2:15 pm
April 10th — 8:15 am to 12:15 pm

Assistance is available by appointment only, no walk-ins — please call (203) 438-1654 directly to schedule your session.

The Ridgefield Library Association is seeking applications from Ridgefield residents for membership on its Board of Directors. Self-nominations are encouraged. The three-year term begins on July 1.

The Library Board is a working board, with up to 16 members who are responsible for the organization’s fiduciary oversight, strategic planning and policy-setting. Board members take an active role in helping the Library raise the nearly 30% of its annual operating budget that comes through fundraising, donations and gifts.

The Board seeks diverse, broad and balanced representation of people, skill sets and experience from the community. Examples of particular skills in demand for new members include, but are not limited to, finance, development/philanthropy and technology. Board Members are expected to serve on two subcommittees and be willing to assume a leadership position as needed. Library or nonprofit board experience a plus. We encourage all interested parties to apply.

Completed applications must be received by March 21, 2025 for consideration. For more information on the roles and responsibilities of Library Board members, and to apply, please contact Library Director Brenda McKinley at [email protected]

Sunday, March 16th @ 2:00 pm:  Join Curator Amy Kurtz Lansing of the Florence Griswold Museum for a presentation about the Tonalist and American Impressionist painters who formed an artists’ colony centered around Miss Florence Griswold’s boardinghouse in Old Lyme, CT beginning in 1900. Learn about the colony’s leading artists, including Childe Hassam and Willard Metcalf, as well as about its resilient matron, Florence Griswold. Together, they created a community that nurtured artistic expression in a historic riverside setting beautified by lush gardens. Kurtz Lansing will highlight examples from the museum’s esteemed collection of Impressionist paintings and discuss ongoing research being conducted about the Lyme Art Colony which updates our understanding of this key group of American artists, their work and interactions.

ARTalks are presented in partnership with the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Friday, March 14th:  The Ridgefield Library is your place for Lifelong Learning, and our exceptional staff take that to heart. To make sure that we can give you our best every day, the Library will be closed Friday, March 14th, 2025 for a full staff training day.  The planned training sessions will include safety training as well as professional development geared to library staff.  The Library Administration thanks our Board of Directors for supporting and recognizing the vital importance of a well-trained staff to provide outstanding library service to the Ridgefield community.