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.

T-26: Countdown to Opening Weekend

Twenty-six current and former Ridgefield residents are represented in the Authors’ Corner on the Community Mural, allowing their books to have a permanent place on the “shelves” of the Library.

Want to learn more about Ridgefield and our Library?  Visit our beautiful new building starting May 9th.  If you can't wait that long, you can go to ridgefieldlibrary.org today.

Putting It Together...Piece by Piece

To steal a line from Stephen Sondheim in "Sunday in the Park with George," the crew is putting the New Ridgefield Library together piece by piece.  Just a few of the things that happened on Tuesday: the wood floors in the Library Commons were finish (and look gorgeous), parking lot lights were installed and are now working, and new energy-efficient refrigerators for program room kitchen and staff breakroom were delivered, courtesy of our friends at GE. 

New Library Will Be a Safe Place

Many thanks to the generous donor who just purchased an AED defibrillator for the New Library through our Wish List program.

In addition to the "heart safe" designation this equipment will make possible, the New Library will have other safety features that were not available in the old building, including a full sprinkler system and video surveillance of key areas.  We look forward to offering a safe destination for all!

Friends Tour the New Library

The Friends of the Ridgefield Library board recently toured the jobsite for the New Ridgefield Library.  Here they are seen standing in one of the spaces that has been allotted to them for sorting and storage of donations for their signature used book sales.    BTW, their big fall book sale is underway this weekend, Friday through Monday - details are at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org.

What's your wish for the New Library?

Have you seen the new Wishing Well near the circulation desk in our temporary space?  Kids (and adults) have been having a great time sending their spare change whirling down the well (proceeds support the Library) and posting their wishes for the New Library.  Here are a few samples:

• I wish for the new library to have very interesting books. - Abigail
• I wish for it to be a very very good library. - Emma
• To be around a long, long time. - Mary Louise
• My wish for the new library is that lots of people will come. - Francesca
• Clowns everywhere! - Tom

What is your wish for the New Ridgefield Library?

It was a beautiful day on Tuesday, May 7th, when a group of major supporters of the Campaign for the New Ridgefield Library got a first-hand look at the construction work going on at 472 Main Street. Peeking out from under those hardhats are, left to right, Robert Cavello (the Library's Owner's Representative for the project), Robert McKean, Liz Ellis, Sally Ruggles, Rudy Ruggles, Rhonda Hill (Friends of Ridgefield Library), Christina Nolan (Library Director), Valerie Jensen, Rebecca Bryan and Michael Bouwman (Dimeo Construction).

What you can't see behind the hardhat line-up is all the intricate detail work taking place in the foundations to accommodate electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other pipes and cables. Work is progressing nicely and will become more visible as the steel infrastructure begins to take shape shortly. The Library anticipates moving into the new building in the Spring of 2014 - suddenly that seems very soon!

Dr. Blaine Langberg and Patients Support the New Ridgefield Library

Dr. Blaine J. Langberg DMD MMSC, previously a sponsor of our Ridgefield Kids Read for the New Ridgefield Library Read-a-thon, has done it again.  This time he has turned to the generosity of his patients to help support the Campaign for the New Ridgefield Library.  During a fundraiser in his office Dr. Langberg challenged his patients to fill a jar with the tokens that they would normally turn in for prizes.  When the jar was filled, Dr. Langberg promised to donate $1,000.00 to charity.  Well, the kids did it, and Dr. Langberg has made the New Ridgefield Library one of the recipients of his and his patients' kind generosity. Chris Nolan, Library Director, was pleased and grateful to accept a $500.00 check for the Campaign for the New Ridgefield Library.  Thank you to Dr. Langberg and all of his patients who participated in this great fundraiser!