Ridgewood Library - Page 7 of 7 - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on April 19, 2015 April 18, 2015

Great Things Happening at the Ridgewood Library

Bike_Ridgewood_Public_Library_theridgewoodblog

Chinese Mahjong, Instructional, Tuesday, April 17, 7pm. Registration required and space limited. Please contact Jin Lee at jlee@ridgewoodlibrary.org or 201-670-5600, ext. 125. Drop-in practice, Tuesday, April 24, 10am. No registration required.

Highlights of Italian Opera: La Traviata, Sunday, April 19, 2pm. Sung by students of tenor Francisco Casanova. All welcome. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Mysterious China, Tuesday, April 21, 6:30pm. Dr. Jim Kane shares lecture of his 300-mile journey. Free, all welcome. Light refreshments.

Women & Finance, Thursday, April 23, 7pm. RW resident and UBS VP Kathy Entwistle and guest speaker, Randi Bale, teach how to improve your financial picture and get your life in order. All welcome.

MakerSpace Saturday: Poetry Magnets, Saturday, April 25, 11am-12pm. Drop in to celebrate April Poetry Month. Complimentary for RW residents; $5/project for visitors. Kids under 10 should be accompanied by an adult.

Rave On!, Sunday, April 26, 2pm. Classic early rock from Buddy Holly, Orbison, more. All welcome. Donations are greatly appreciated.

*NEW* Memoir Writing Club, Tuesday, April 28, 3pm. Ever think your life story could be a novel? Want to share your family stories with future generations? We have a new writing group to help turn your memories into memoirs. No writing experience required. Contact Kerri for more information at kwallace@ridgewoodlibrary.org or 201-670-5600, ext. 103.

Documentary Screening—Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008, 90 min), Wednesday, April 29, 7pm. What can we do to save our dwindling water supply? Screening of award-winning documentary followed by q&a with Barry Scheibner, business manager, Ridgewood Water. Co-sponsored by the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) and the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood.

World Language Café: Italian, Thursday, April 30, 2-3pm. Meet in our auditorium and brush up on your Italian. Registration required and space is limited. Register atwww.ridgewoodlibrary.org or contact Kerri at 201-670-5600, ext. 103 orkwallace@ridgewoodlibrary.org.

Making a Good Impressionism, Thursday, April 30, 6:30pm. French Impressionist and American paintings from art museums of Montclair, Princeton University and Newark. Speaker: Dr. Michael Norris. Free, all welcome. Light refreshments.

Ridgewood Library Valley Hospital Wellness Partnership

Saving the Spring in Your Step, Tuesday, April 28, 7-8:30pm. Foot and ankle problems are caused by injuries, diabetes, arthritis, genetics—or maybe just the wrong shoes. Learn about prevention, symptoms and relief. Speaker: Dr. Andrew Brief, M.D., orthopedic surgeon. All welcome, registration required. To register: 1-800-825-5391 or www.valleyhealth.com/events.

Local History & Genealogy

Internet Genealogy, Monday, April 20, 7pm. Learn the best steps to accessing genealogy records and information on the Internet. For info/registration, please contact Sarah Kiefer atHeritagecenter@ridgewoodlibrary.org or 201-670-5600, ext. 135.

Researching Civil War Ancestors, Saturday, April 25, 10:30am. For info/registration, please contact Sarah Kiefer at Heritagecenter@ridgewoodlibrary.org or 201-670-5600, ext. 135.

Ellis Island, Monday, Monday, April 27, 7pm. Monthly meeting of the Genealogical Society of Bergen County. All welcome.

Great Decisions Discussion Group

“Sectarianism in the Middle East,” Thursday, April 23, 12:30-2pm. Many of the current Middle East conflicts have been attributed to sectarianism, a politicization of ethnic and religious identity. How have governments manipulated sectarian differences? And what is the U.S. doing about it? Pre-registration and readings required. Please contact Eileen Colyer at 201-670-5600, ext. 132 or ecolyer@ridgewoodlibrary.org.

ESL for Adults

Spring Conversation Group, Wednesdays, 1-2:30pm, March 18-May 6. No class on April 1. Free for all ESL students. No registration required. For info, contact Eileen Colyer, ext. 132 oresl@ridgewoodlibrary.org.

Readers Choice Book Group

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Friday, April 17, 1-2:30pm. Copies available at the Circulation desk. Led by Dr. Ginny Hyman.

Movies

Monday Night Movie, Birdman (2014; R; 119 min), Monday, April 20, 6:30pm. Washed-up actor tries to overcome former superhero role. Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone. Academy Award Best Picture.

Friday Matinee, Gone Girl (2014; R; 149 min), Friday, April 24, 1pm. When Amy disappears, her husband is suspected of murder. Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

Posted on March 5, 2015 June 27, 2021

Events at the Ridgewood Library Next Week

Ridgewood Library Offers Organic Farming & Backyard Gardening Class
Mon, March 09, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Organic Farming & Backyard Gardening,
Monday, March 9, 7pm.
Natural and sustainable growing methods, safe seed/fertilizer sources, how to compost, natural pesticide control and more.Ridgewood Library Valley Hospital Wellness Partnership
Tue, March 10, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Brain Food and Brain Health
Tuesday, March 10, 7-8:30pm.
Did you know some foods can promote alertness while others keep us calm? Learn to make food choices for your body’s needs. All welcome, registration required.
Please call 1-800-825-5391 or visit www.valleyhealth.com/events. Please note location: Annie Zusy Youth Lounge at the Community Center.

Ridgewood Library 26th Annual Author Luncheon
Wed, March 11, 2015
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Seasons, Washington Tsp, NJ 07676
26th Annual Author Luncheon
Wednesday, March 11, 11am-3pm.
Featuring Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train,
Seasons, Washington Township, NJ.
Reservation forms available at Ridgewood Library service desks

Posted on October 17, 2014 October 17, 2014

Ridgewood Library nominated for prestigious title

Ridgewood Library nominated for prestigious title

OCTOBER 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Library is in the running to be named “Best Small Library in America.”

The title is bestowed by the Library Journal, co-sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to “showcase the exemplary work of these libraries.”

The benchmark for “small” is a library serving a population of fewer than 25,000 – and at 24,958 residents, Ridgewood barely makes the cut.

Library Director Nancy Greene worked with her staff to put together the nomination by the Sept. 10 deadline, which required compiling a variety of information like statistical data on the population, circulation, staff and programming.

The nomination itself came from Franklin Appleton, a 63-year-old “lifelong” resident who heard about the award through his friend Robin Ritter, the library’s program coordinator.

“At one time it was just a resource for reading, and of course they had encyclopedias way back when, and I think it’s just kept up with the technology,” said Appleton of how the library has evolved. “It’s held up through the ages, which is why I like it so much.”

The winning library will receive a $20,000 cash award, and will be announced with a feature story in the Feb. 1 edition of the Library Journal. Two finalist libraries will be awarded a $10,000 cash award and will be given special mention in the Library Journal.

Meredith Schwartz, the senior editor of news and features at the Library Journal, said more than 50 small libraries have sent in nominations.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/at-the-library/library-nominated-for-prestigious-title-1.1111514

Posted on September 30, 2014 September 30, 2014

Ridgewood Library hoping for renovation

Ridgewood Library hoping for renovation

SEPTEMBER 29, 2014 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2014, 10:50 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The tedious and comprehensive process of planning a major renovation of a government building, in this case the Ridgewood Public Library, is making slow and steady progress.

The Library Board of Trustees recently discussed its progress on the plans to completely transform the inside of the 34,000-square-foot facility, which hasn’t been updated since 1995.

The process to update the library, which began more than two years ago, started with interviewing members of the public on areas like the library’s strengths and values, and the use needs of different patrons.

From that, a strategic plan was developed with a focus on creating better community gathering and study spaces, an expanded young adult area, and a more welcoming circulation desk at the entrance of the library.

In addition to the resident surveys, the library also studied the demographics of Ridgewood, which showed that 24 percent of residents don’t speak English at home and highlighted a huge income disparity: 33 percent of households have an income of more than $200,000 while 12 percent of households live on an income of less than $35,000.

“We’re the cultural center, the education center, the career center, the equal opportunity center, the early literacy center,” said Library Director Nancy Greene. “There are all the different roles that we try to serve.”

With those details, the library created a Request for Proposals (RFP) in August and received plans back from three architectural firms earlier this month.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/at-the-library/strategic-plan-stresses-keeping-up-with-the-times-1.1098282#sthash.n6xv7WKB.dpuf

Posted on August 8, 2014 August 8, 2014

Ridgewood Library hosts art exhibit featuring scenes in Ridgewood

Ridgewood Library hosts art exhibit featuring scenes in Ridgewood

AUGUST 8, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER

Adele Grodstein’s exhibit at the Ridgewood Public Library features oil paintings of scenes in Ridgewood as well as landscapes from travels, still lifes and even a portrait. The show is full of life and vivid color.

“Movement is always there – the struggle to keep everything in position for the brushstroke balancing the knowledge that when I look up again, the whole view will have changed slightly,” said Grodstein.

“Big Sky (Going to the Sun Road)” is a large painting from a family trip to Glacier National Park.

“I was very excited about the photo I took and wanted it to be a painting. Glacier National Park is so beautiful, a disappearing landscape,” she noted.

Ridgewood’s Duck Pond scene was painted in February and is called “No Skating.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/art/travels-as-well-as-everyday-life-inspire-artist-1.1064387#sthash.V5lzb9Gs.dpuf

Posted on June 20, 2014 June 20, 2014

Cafe at Ridgewood Library reopens

Cafe at Ridgewood Library reopens

JUNE 19, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014, 2:43 PM
BY BY SALVATORE TRIFILIO
CORRESPONDENT

The café at the Ridgewood Public Library is reopened for business.

June 1 marked the first day of business for Grazia Nigro-Mastellone, a former teacher at The Village School in Waldwick and current Ridgewood resident.

She and her parents, Mimi Nigro and Angelo Nigro, are the new proprietors of the café after being awarded the public bid on March 28.

The café closed last January when the previous owner needed to take care of a personal situation, according to library officials.

Library administrators are excited to see the café bring some life back into their entranceway.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/cafe-at-ridgewood-library-reopens-1.1038314#sthash.j0pUGUpK.dpuf

Posted on April 14, 2014 April 14, 2014

Reader says Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries

Reader says Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries

Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries in the physical books and brick and mortar sense that we know of them today. This probably sounds unthinkable, and I hear the arguments that libraries do a lot more than loan books, but it will simply come down to a continual lessening of library usage and economics. The only reason they will remain operational as long as they will is due to political resistance and a misguided hankering for community spirit.

Posted on April 11, 2014 April 11, 2014

Ridgewood Library seeks return to 2009 funding level

Ridgewood Library seeks return to 2009 funding level

APRIL 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014, 2:55 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER

The Ridgewood Public Library is seeking a 1.9 percent increase over last year’s department budget, a sum that would return its municipal funding to 2009 levels. Library officials reviewed their proposed 2014 spending plan with Village Council members Monday afternoon, focusing their presentation on key elements of the $2.32 million budget.

Members of Ridgewood’s Emergency Services and Office of Emergency Management also detailed their respective spending proposals earlier this week, as the municipality inches closer to finalizing its 2014 budget. The village’s governing body is expected to introduce the municipal budget April 23, with a public hearing and vote to adopt scheduled for May 28.

Much of the library’s operating budget was dismantled about six years ago, when the global financial crisis rocked all levels of government. Since then, the library has attempted to do more with less, while trying annually to recoup its funding.

Director Nancy Greene provided several library highlights, such as a 10 percent increase in both attendance at library programs and the number of reference questions directed to staff members. Notable programs include English as a Second Language, special needs events, technology training and student-to-student homework help.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/at-the-library/ridgewood-library-seeks-return-to-2009-funding-level-1.898588#sthash.fsOlDZte.dpuf

Posted on April 2, 2014 April 1, 2014

AWWP Reading in Ridgewood, NJ on April 7th

AWWP Reading in Ridgewood, NJ on April 7th

March 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

The Ridgewood Public Library and the Afghan Women’s Writing Project present:

Readings from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project
Featuring novelist and founder Masha Hamilton

Monday, April 7, 2014
7:00 p.m.
Ridgewood Library
125 N. Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, New Jersey
07450

A selection of poems, essays, and stories by participants of the Afghan Women’s Writing Project will be read by audience members, AWWP staff and volunteers, and special guests. AWWP believes that to tell one’s story is a human right, and this work testifies to the bravery of Afghan women and to the power of their words. Author and AWWP founder Masha Hamilton will also read from her latest novel What Changes Everything. Admission is free.

Masha Hamilton is the author of five acclaimed novels, most recently What Changes Everything, which the Washington Post praised for its “elegantly wrought prose [which] conveys terror as well as tenderness” and 31 Hours, which the Washington Post called one of the best novels of 2009. In October 2013, she finished sixteen months working in Afghanistan as Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy. She is currently working as Communications Director for Concern Worldwide. She also founded two world literacy projects, the Camel Book Drive and the Afghan Women’s Writing Project.

Masha is the winner of the 2010 Women’s National Book Association award, presented “to a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts, and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.” She began her career as a fulltime journalist, working in Maine, Indiana, and New York City before being sent by the Associated Press to the Middle East, where she was news editor for five years, including the period of the first intifada, and then moving to Moscow, where she worked for five years during the collapse of communism, reporting for the Los Angeles Times and NBC-Mutual Radio and writing a monthly column, Postcards from Moscow. She also reported from Kenya in 2006, and from Afghanistan in 2004 and 2008.

Ridgewood Public Library
125 N. Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 670-5600

For more information, please contact workshop director Stacy Le Melle at stacyawwp@gmail.com or 713.306.3786.

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