Wednesday, August 2nd @ 6:00pm: Families with children of all ages are invited to test their trivia skills at this interactive game show experience! Have you ever wanted to be on a TV game show? Team up with your friends and family for an exciting and educational evening and take your turn at the buzzer. Trivia questions are appropriate for elementary through high school students. You’ll be amazed at how much you know! Registration encouraged. Learn more and register here.
This program is made possible by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.
Wednesday, July 26th @ 7:00pm: New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and glamorous Radio City Music Hall in her thrilling new novel about a talented young Rockette and a mysterious bomber terrorizing New York City. Click here for more information about the book.
Books on the Common will have copies for purchase and signing.
Please register to attend here.
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.
Saturday, July 15th @ 2:00pm: Learn about Ridgefield’s natural resources from the Ridgefield Conservation Commission. Information will be presented about the most recent update of the NRI (Natural Resources Initiative) and how it compares with the last inventory done in 2011. Additionally, a tour of the RCC’s website and a newly added story map, created by PACE University student Madelyn Garcia, will provide information about how to become a trail ranger and other citizen scientist opportunities.
Thursday, June 29th @ 6:30pm: Ridgefield’s CT State Legislators will be on hand to review the recently concluded Legislative Session.
Scheduled to attend:
State Senator Julie Kushner (CT-24th)
State Senator Ceci Maher (CT-26th)
State Representative Aimee Berger-Girvalo (CT-111th)
State Representative Keith Denning (CT-42nd)
Wednesday, June 21st from 11:00am to 7:00pm: Ridgefield is joining over 1,000 cities worldwide for Make Music Day, a live, free, all-day musical celebration. Come join the fun!
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
ACT of CT “Pop Up” Youth Choir
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Dave Goldenberg and George Mallas
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Check back for updates and additions to the schedule of events at the Library. Performances will be held outdoors on the Library Lawn and will be canceled in case of rain.
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.
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 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.