Connect and Play

For children of all ages and their caregivers. Connect with your child during this drop-in program exploring early literacy activities.

Baby Storytime

For children from birth to 24 months and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement in a format especially designed for babies.

Drop-in Tech Help

Drop in for one-on-one assistance with computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Library staff will help troubleshoot library service needs on your own devices and library computers. We'll provide support with using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, setting up an......More

Drop in for one-on-one assistance with computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Library staff will help troubleshoot library service needs on your own devices and library computers. We'll provide support with using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, setting up an email or social media account, searching the internet, printing, scanning, accessing digital library materials, and more.

Ridgedale Library Chess Club

Open to chess players of all ages and abilities from complete beginners to more advanced. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Non-competitive and friendly playing only. All chess equipment will be provided. Walk-ins welcome!

Family Storytime

For children of all ages and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement.

Baby Storytime

For children from birth to 24 months and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement in a format especially designed for babies.

Glow in the Dark Puppet Lab

Grades 2-5. Explore the curious world of blacklight. Test colors, tinker with materials and shapes to find the glow! Follow Z Puppets’ design and engineering formula to create a critter to take home. Materials provided. Collaborator: Z Puppets Rosenschnoz. This program......More

Grades 2-5. Explore the curious world of blacklight. Test colors, tinker with materials and shapes to find the glow! Follow Z Puppets’ design and engineering formula to create a critter to take home. Materials provided. Collaborator: Z Puppets Rosenschnoz. This program is funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Drop-in Tech Help

Drop in for one-on-one assistance with computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Library staff will help troubleshoot library service needs on your own devices and library computers. We'll provide support with using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, setting up an......More

Drop in for one-on-one assistance with computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Library staff will help troubleshoot library service needs on your own devices and library computers. We'll provide support with using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, setting up an email or social media account, searching the internet, printing, scanning, accessing digital library materials, and more.

Ridgedale Library Chess Club

Open to chess players of all ages and abilities from complete beginners to more advanced. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Non-competitive and friendly playing only. All chess equipment will be provided. Walk-ins welcome!

Teen Games and Hangout

Grades 8-12. Join us at Ridgedale Library for board games, Nintendo Switch, tabletop RPG’s, and more! Meet and hang out with friends in a fun, relaxed environment where you can be yourself and take advantage of our wide range of games. Whether it’s videogames, Ticket t......More

Grades 8-12. Join us at Ridgedale Library for board games, Nintendo Switch, tabletop RPG’s, and more! Meet and hang out with friends in a fun, relaxed environment where you can be yourself and take advantage of our wide range of games. Whether it’s videogames, Ticket to Ride, Sushi-Go, Chess, Checkers, D&D, or something new and exciting, you can have fun here! Materials provided. Program occurs every two weeks during the school year.

Ridgedale Library First Thursday Book Club

Join our discussion of interesting fiction and nonfiction titles. The book club meets the first Thursday of each month.  Note: The January meeting will be on January 8 instead of January 1. January 8: ......More

Join our discussion of interesting fiction and nonfiction titles. The book club meets the first Thursday of each month.  Note: The January meeting will be on January 8 instead of January 1. January 8: The English Experience by Julie Schumacher February 5: All Girls Filling Station Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg March 5: Gulp by Mary Roach April 2: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett May 7: Song of Soloman by Toni Morrison June 4: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson  July 2: The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton August 6: The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich September 3: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan October 1: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton November 5: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon December 3: The Correspondents by Judith Mackrell eBooks or eAudiobooks available through www.hclib.org. Physical copies available for checkout at Ridgedale Library.

Connect and Play

For children of all ages and their caregivers. Connect with your child during this drop-in program exploring early literacy activities.

Book Club: Bring Your Own Book

Join us at the Luce Line Brewing Company for a casual, commitment-free book club and discuss what books you are reading with the group. You may hear about books you’d like to read and ones you may not have considered before. P......More

Join us at the Luce Line Brewing Company for a casual, commitment-free book club and discuss what books you are reading with the group. You may hear about books you’d like to read and ones you may not have considered before. Purchase of refreshments is not required to participate. Collaborator: Luce Line Brewing Company.

Drop-in Tech Help

Drop in for one-on-one assistance with computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Library staff will help troubleshoot library service needs on your own devices and library computers. We'll provide support with using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, setting up an......More

Drop in for one-on-one assistance with computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Library staff will help troubleshoot library service needs on your own devices and library computers. We'll provide support with using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, setting up an email or social media account, searching the internet, printing, scanning, accessing digital library materials, and more.

Ridgedale Library Chess Club

Open to chess players of all ages and abilities from complete beginners to more advanced. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Non-competitive and friendly playing only. All chess equipment will be provided. Walk-ins welcome!

Family Storytime

For children of all ages and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement.

For Nonfiction Writers: Strengthening the Writer’s Authentic Voice

When we talk about voice in creative nonfiction (CNF), we mean the voice of the writer, the one crafting the narrator, the sentences, and the deeper subject. So rather than finding our authentic writer’s voice, we craft it. According to CNF writer and teacher Jennifer......More

When we talk about voice in creative nonfiction (CNF), we mean the voice of the writer, the one crafting the narrator, the sentences, and the deeper subject. So rather than finding our authentic writer’s voice, we craft it. According to CNF writer and teacher Jennifer Sinor, “Voice is one of the most vital yet ephemeral qualities of writing.” We will read from a selection of diverse CNF writers, discussing the qualities that make each writer’s voice unique and recognizable, and then apply these learnings to the crafting of our own authentic voices. Part of a four-part series, “For Nonfiction Writers.” Attendance at all four sessions not required. Collaborator: The Loft Literary Center. This program is funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. "For Nonfiction Writers" series at Ridgedale Library: February 14: Personal Essay vs. Memoir February 28: Nonfiction Basics April 11: Strengthening the Writer's Authentic Voice May 9: Creative Nonfiction Forms & Structures