Computer Delivery!

ALL of the computers for the new building have arrived! That is some big pile of boxes - all full of equipment waiting to be configured and installed.  Opening day is getting closer!

It's peaceful on the outside...

...but inside the building at 472 Main Street, it is a beehive of activity.  People keep asking, "What is going on over there?  Why are there so many cars?"

In a word, what is going on is "Everything!"  On any given day, the building is swarming with workmen and -women: carpenters hanging door frames and installing acoustical ceiling tiles, painters priming and finishing walls on all three floors, plasterers at work on restoration of the Morris Memorial rooms, electricians and A/V technicians running electrical, cable, data and phone lines in an amazing spider's web connecting every part of the building.

Saving Money and Resources

Library Executive Assistant Leslie Vuilleumier is always on the look-out for ways to save money and resources. While a lot of the furniture that had been in use in the old library was truly falling apart after years of hard use, Leslie was able to identify several dozen chairs and tables that could still be useful with a little TLC.  Then she called Correctional Enterprises of Connecticut, a state program that trains prison inmates in several useful trades, including high-quality furniture re-finishing and re-upholstery.  CEC supervisors came and collected our items and brought them back mere weeks later, looking like new.  And the charge was a fraction of what new purchases would have cost.  Thanks, Leslie!

Before: Dark and dirty after years of hard use

After: Clean and re-finished to match newly purchased furnishings

Drive-Up Book Drop on Tap

Many people have asked whether we can have a drive-through book drop at the New Ridgefield Library.  A full drive "through" option would take up more parking spaces than we want to lose, so we have planned a drive "up" alternative.

A return box will be positioned to the left of a designated parking space at the front of the building, so people can pull in, load their returns into the box through the driver's side window without getting out of the car, then back out and continue on their way. Fast and easy!

The outside book return box has already been purchased, and we are putting it to good use at the temporary library on Governor Street!

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!

Wish List for the New Ridgefield Library Launched

Our new Library Wish List has just been launched! Furniture, fixtures and equipment to support library services and operations in the new building have been ordered, and now we are seeking individuals, families and businesses to step up and help pay for these purchases.   Choose from dozens of items at giving levels from $50 to $15,000. In addition to furnishings for the New Library, you may also choose to support some of our ongoing programs and collections like Books & Breakfast or downloadable e-book subscriptions.  

You can browse the entire list here.

Current Print and Time Management System To Be Discontinued 12/31/13

The service we use for print and time management on our Public Access Computer workstations is being discontinued as of the end of this month. We will switch to an honor system for paying for print-outs and monitoring fair time allowances until we move to the New Ridgefield Library this coming spring. If you believe you may have a credit towards printing on your card, please check at the Reference Desk now about getting a refund; after 12/31 we will no longer have access to this information and will not be able to issue refunds.

Once we move to the new building, we will offer a much more flexible and user-friendly system, which will also accommodate printing from laptops and other portable devices using our wireless access!