Dearest to our hearts is National Library Week, officially observed April 13-19. First organized in 1958, this annual event provides an opportunity to celebrate the many ways libraries enrich our communities. At the Ridgefield Library, we will be celebrating all month long with special programs and gifts for our patrons. Stop by often and enjoy all your Library has to offer!

Drop-in Programs:

Young Adult Critics. Tuesday, 4:00-5:00 PM. Students in Grades 6 - 8 meet to discuss their favorite titles while enjoying snacks.

Draw On! continues through Friday. Stop in Children's Services to create your drawing as part of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's spring community art event.

Jazz- Alive and Swinging. Thursday 7:00-9:00 PM. Dayton Program Room. An evening of music, hot and cool, with pianist and composer David Morgan, in celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month.

Memoir Writing Group. Saturday 10:00 AM - noon. History Room. The Memoir Writing Group meets on the first Saturday of every month. The sessions will include advice from other writers, a prompt with writing time, critique and sharing.

Ridgefield Folk. Sunday 2:00 PM. Dayton Program Room. The spring concert season kicks off with the Homegrown String Band, a 21st century incarnation of the traditional family band. This family of acoustic musicians from Rocky Point, NY, utilizes unique instrumentation, percussive flatfoot dancing, and many varied musical influences to take their audiences on a rollicking ride through the sounds of American music.

Tickets will be given out on the day of the concert starting at 1 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 and the concert starts at 2 p.m. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, this is a free concert. Click here for more information about the band.

Art Exhibit. Paintings Inspired by the Gardens of Ridgefield by Noelle Carr will be exhibited in the Dayton Program Room as part of Ridgefield's 300th Anniversary Celebration. The show can be viewed through May 9th during normal library hours when the room is not in use for another program.

Think libraries aren't relevant in this age of Google and the World Wide Web? Think again. Last year, the Ridgefield Library's staff fielded 17,411 requests for information, instruction, reading recommendations and more. That's an average of over 51 inquiries a day, in person, by phone and via e-mail. As a matter of fact, requests for professional assistance from our staff have actually gone up 125% since 1985, when the first personal computers began to appear in offices and homes. It seems people have discovered that it isn't as easy as they thought to find accurate, timely and authoritative information by just typing a few words in a search engine!

THIS WEEK'S TIP: Crowded conditions have made it very difficult to separate noisy and quiet activities in the Ridgefield Library. Those who are looking for a peaceful spot where they can concentrate for studying, reading or other work are invited to visit the Quiet Study Room. Located on the 2nd floor, in the original Morris Memorial wing of the building, the Quiet Study Room combines the elegant ambiance of an old-fashioned reading room with the convenience of plentiful electrical outlets and wireless access for the modern laptop user. Traditional library "no talking" rules are observed, making this an attractive haven in the midst of a bustling building.