Air conditioning in this weather?!

Hard to imagine right now with below freezing temperatures and a thick blanket of snow, but by next August we will be very grateful for the large HVAC units being installed this week on the roof of the New Ridgefield Library.  If you look closely in between the snow flakes you can see the units being put into place.  Work is also underway on a wall designed to screen this utilitarian equipment from casual view.

Got a Question?

You can always post a comment on this blog if you have questions about the New Ridgefield Library.  But you can also get an instant response from Library Director Chris Nolan on Facebook.  From 8:00 - 8:30 every Tuesday morning, Chris will be available to chat "live," so visit the New Ridgefield Library on Facebook and satisfy your curiosity about the building project - or any other library matters on your mind.

Landscaping Underway at 472 Main Street

There is still plenty of work going on inside the New Ridgefield Library (sheetrock walls and millwork doorframes are going up everywhere), but the site itself looks more and more finished.  In the picture below, you can see rolls of sod being laid so they can "take" before the weather is too frigid, along with one of the new trees that has been planted.  And check out the striping on the parking lot!

Technology Proposals Sought for the New Ridgefield Library

Ridgefield Library Association, Ridgefield, CT is seeking cost proposals for new Technology Equipment – Voice Communications, Audio Systems, Video Surveillance and Network Equipment. Documents for Proposals can be obtained only on the Library website (click here).  Proposals are due no later than December 17, 2013 @ 2:00 PM.

Planning for Programs in the New Ridgefield Library

Our busy program planners are already filling in the calendar for the spring and summer of 2014, when we will be moving into the New Ridgefield Library and able to take advantage of the additional space and expanded resources it will offer.  We will have two main program rooms on the lower level, which can be opened up into one big space for popular events like Ridgefield Folk concerts (look for Kim and Reggie Harris in May). In the picture below, you can see the ceiling track which will hold the room divider making this possible. There will also be two program spaces in the Children's Library, a technology resource center and a board room for meetings. 

Getting Ready for Winter on the Jobsite!

Did you see the big steamroller puffing out hot clouds into the cold air at 472 Main Street this morning? Paving of the parking lot is underway!  It turns out that asphalt plants close down for the winter because the cold makes it impossible for the materials to adhere properly.  So construction projects like ours often lay down paving in the fall, even if completion of construction is months ahead.

As the picture below shows, the outside of the building itself is also being "buttoned up" for the winter, with virtually all the glass, masonry and other exterior materials in place.  With the building taking shape so nicely on the outside, gas heaters will keep the interior comfortable for workers continuing to put mechanical systems, walls and other details in place.

YA Will Be Teens in the New Library

“Divergent” by Veronica Roth, “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer and “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins used to be in our YA (Young Adult) fiction collection. Now, to find one of those titles, you need to go to our Teen fiction collection. 

The Future Business Leaders of America from Ridgefield High School spent several hours in the Ridgefield Library on October 24, helping us re-label the entire YA Fiction collection. These cheerful teenagers spent their volunteer time sticking new labels that read “Teen” over old labels that read “YA”, then taping the labels down.  They handled several thousand books and helped us quickly make the transition to the collection’s new designation. 

Why did we make this change? Well, we have a staff position called Teen Services Librarian, who works with our Teen Advisory Group. The Teen Services Librarian serves people in middle school and high school; they are ages 12-18; they are teens, not young adults. “YA” is a jargon-y term that book publishers’ marketing departments use. It seems right to eliminate it from the Library, and to use a word that is clearer, more accurate, and reflects what our patrons call themselves: teens.

When the New Ridgefield Library opens in the spring, there will be a new Teen Room for these patrons - the first dedicated space for this age group we have ever offered, where they will be able to study together, chat about books, play games and more.