New & Now @ the Library

After a little reorganization of shelving units in the Bossidy Commons, our "New & Now" collection is now front and center.  Here is where you will find multiple copies of the hottest new adult books and DVDs, available for the taking on a first come, first served basis - no waiting lists, no reserves, no renewals. Books go out for 1 week and DVDs for 3 days;  fines are $1.00 per day.  You never know what you'll find, but it is well worth the time to browse for a lucky find.

Don't forget to visit the Upper Level for more new adult fiction and non-fiction, the Ellis Family Teen Center for new materials for middle and high school students and the Lodewick Family Children's Library for the latest in books and more for children.  And if you don't want to take your chances with New & Now, you can always request to be put on a waiting list for any title.

The Richardson Terrace Is Now Open for Business

Now that construction on the adjacent Prospector building is nearing completion, the terrace space between the Library and the theater is now available for use by the public. On the Library side, this space is known as the Richardson Terrace, in recognition of the support of the Anne S. Richardson Fund for the Campaign for the New Ridgefield Library.

We invite you to use this path to enter the "campus" from Prospect Street.  You may also enter the Library from this level through doors into our program room level; just push the handicapped door operator, and the door will swing open.  You may find this particularly convenient if you are attending an after hours program.  Bicyclists should also note that there is a bike rack located on the terrace for your convenience.

As additional seating and other outdoor furniture is installed, we hope the terrace will become a popular destination for visitors to both the Library and the Prospector.

Where Is the Dayton Program Room?

Many people have noticed the "Dayton Program Room" listed on our event calendar as the location of meetings, book discussions and other activities.  Some have been confused, asking "Wasn't that the name of the community meeting space in the old Library?"

In the new Library, we have two spaces for programs on the Lower Level, and we have chosen to designate one of them as the Dayton Program Room, in ongoing recognition of the generous donors who gave the money to create the original Dayton room in 1990. The addition of this space completely transformed the Library's capacity for programming for adults, which jumped from virtually nothing to 3,294 participants in 1995.  By 2012, when we vacated the space, yearly adult program attendance had grown to over 11,500. With the expanded program facilities in the new building, we expect to see that number continue to grow.

Looking for the silver lining!

It has been in use for barely two weeks, and our drive-up book return box met with an accident today, when a delivery truck backed into it.  It is bent out of shape, to say the least, and cannot be used at present.

While not a wished-for occurrence, this does give us the opportunity to remind people that we would actually prefer all returns to be made through the drop slots in the wall of the building if possible.  The freestanding box is intended principally for the convenience of those not wanting to get out of their cars.

If you are parking or getting out of your car anyway, please take your items to the wall-mounted returns, where you can feed them directly into our new materials handling system, which checks them in and sorts them for shelving automatically.  This saves a lot of time for the staff and gets items back to the shelves or to the next person on the waiting list faster and more efficiently.  There is a return slot in the outside of the building, to the right of the main doors from the parking lot and also one inside the main lobby.

Thanks for your cooperation.  We will let you know as soon as the drive-up return box is back in action.

Where is the bike rack at the new Library?

From the Frequently Asked Questions File: What about Bike Racks?

There is a bike rack installed in the terrace space between the Library and the Prospector, with access off Prospect Street. Unfortunately this is not accessible until the theater construction is complete and that area is opened to the public (in July).

We are also looking into installing a second rack on the parking lot side of the building.  Director Chris Nolan has found a delightful rack that spells out the word BOOKS. You could help make this a reality with your contribution through our Wish List at http://librarywishlist.com/wl/WishList_home.cfm?x=989 

What's Up with the Locked Bathroom Doors?

From the Frequently Asked Questions File: What's Up with the Locked Bathroom Doors?

Our apologies for the inconvenience of the locked bathrooms in the Commons and in the Children's Library.  It was not our intention to have these doors permanently locked from the outside, requiring users to ask for a key like at a service station on the highway!  These 4 doors (of the dozens in the building) were shipped from the factory with the wrong lock set.  We are awaiting replacements and hope to have this problem eliminated very soon.  Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

Library Tours Available

Haven't had a chance to become familiar with the new Ridgefield Library yet? Guided tours led by the Friends of the Library will be offered several times a week for the rest of the month. Check ridgefieldlibrary.org to see the schedule; sign up required.