New Programs
Nutrition Label 101: Friday, January 13th, 1 p.m. Registered Dietitian, Danielle Buonforte, from ShopRite of Lincoln Park will be speaking about how to read a food label correctly. You will learn about what to look for to control your blood sugar, cholesterol & blood pressure specifically! We will be sampling some healthy snacks you can find at ShopRite!
Yoga – Fridays, 9:30 a.m. January 13 – April 14 (no class on 2/3 and 2/10) on Zoom
Beginner/Senior Friendly. No matter what physical ability you enter class with, there will ALWAYS be a modification that’s perfect for you, today, in your body. You will learn how to listen to your body and honor where you are, today. You will also learn how to explore the breath and how it affects the way you move. Meditation and pranayama (breathing practices) may also be explored. No prior yoga experience is necessary, all levels are welcome.
The WPA: When the Government Promoted Art, Gave the Country Hope, and Defeated the Depression - Monday, February 6, 7 p.m. on Zoom. Zoom viewing available at the library. In 1935 the United States Government initiated an ambitious employment and infrastructure program known as the Works Progress Administration to contend with the bleakest years of the Great Depression. Federal Project Number One, as its cultural division was known, employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. This talk will introduce you to some of the artists and their works that helped lift the nation out of despair, launched many careers, and forged a lasting legacy.
The Museum of the American Revolution, Wednesday, February 8th, 7 p.m. Virtual Museum Tour on Zoom. Zoom viewing available at the library.
Located in Philadelphia, but you can view it at home. Join a museum educator for a guided, virtual walk-through of the Museum’s core galleries. Learn how soldiers, women, African Americans, Native Americans, children, and others experienced the tumultuous events of the Revolution through the stories and objects they left behind.
Pyramids, Obelisks, and Mummies: Monuments of Ancient Egypt - Wednesday, February 15th at 7p.m. on zoom. Zoom viewing is available at the library
Ancient Egypt is one of the wellsprings of world civilization. This presentation explores the ancient Egyptians and their many accomplishments. Come learn about their amazing feats of architecture and engineering, their beliefs and culture, and their religion. Explore the remains they left behind and see their impact on modern society today. Presented through MAIN Libraries collaboration. Presenter: Dr. Veit is Professor of Anthropology and Interim Dean of the School Of Humanities And Social Sciences at Monmouth University.
Mind Boosting Foods - Friday, February 17, 1 p.m. In person program. Danielle Buonforte, Registered Dietitian at ShopRite of Lincoln Park will be speaking about what foods to eat to help keep your mind strong! We will be making a brain power smoothie to sample!
Container Vegetable Gardening - Wednesday, March 22, 7:00 p.m. Presenter: Master Gardener Linda Zenkert, in person program
You don’t have to have a large sunny yard to have a vegetable garden. You can enjoy fresh vegetables grown in containers on your porch, patio, or balcony. Learn how to plant and grow a variety of vegetables from seed or transplant. The discussion will also include information on succession planting, as well as solutions to common pest and disease problems seen in home gardens.
Ukrainian Easter Eggs - Wednesday, March 29, 7 p.m. Presenter: Bernadine Ferrari
Registration begins March 1 for Riverdale library card holders, March 15 for general registration. Registration is by phone or in person only.
Learn the tradition of decorating Easter eggs known as pysanky.
Vikings: Myth, History, and Archaeology - Monday, April 10th at 7p.m. on Zoom
The Vikings in popular imagination are perceived as fearsome raiders of the sea. However, as is often the case, reality is more complicated than mythology. The Vikings did indeed raid, but they were also explorers, traders, craftsmen, and world travelers. This presentation introduces the Vikings and their world, the places they explored, the ships they built, and the sites they left behind. Come join us on a voyage of adventure. Presented through MAIN Libraries collaboration. Presenter: Dr. Veit is Professor of Anthropology and Interim Dean of the School Of Humanities And Social Sciences at Monmouth University.
Gardening Aprons - Wednesday, May 3, 7 p.m. Presenter: Bernadine Ferrari
Registration begins April 1 - by phone or in person only
Keep your clothes clean while gardening (or cleaning or cooking). You’ll be painting a canvas apron with a floral design.
Conquering Mount Everest Wednesday, May 17 be at 7 p.m. In person program. On May 18, 2018, Randolph resident, Dan Stringham, set foot on the top of Mt. Everest. Come hear Dan, an experienced high-altitude mountaineer, talk about the climb and the lessons he learned along the trail.
Adult Summer Reading begins Tuesday, May 30th.
Adult Summer Reading Bingo – Tuesday, May 30 – September 5
All Together Now is our theme this year!
Keep track of books you read from May 31 to September 6 by writing the title and author in the matching square. Bingo cards with this year’s squares will be available Tuesday, May 31.
Need suggestions for your squares? Ask a Riverdale Public Library staff person for recommendations and sign up for our adult summer reading newsletter. Suggestions for your squares will arrive weekly in your inbox.
How do I win?
Bingo: Complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line! Turn in your card and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card (4 winners).
Blackout: Complete all 25 squares! Turn in your card and you’ll be entered in a drawing for the grand prize – a bag of advanced reader copies from big publishers, and a $50 Amazon gift card (4 winners)
Book titles may be used only once per card, and only one entry per person
How do I submit my board for the prize drawing?
Submit your completed card (with either bingo or a blackout) by Tuesday, September 5, 2023. Entries can be delivered in person to the library, or scanned and emailed to:
Blockbuster Movies -
Saturday Afternoon at the Movies – every fourth Saturday at 1 p.m.
January 28 - Ticket to Paradise (2022)
Lily sends a message to her parents that she's going to get married to a local she met while vacationing in Bali. The distraught and long-divorced parents fly to Indonesia to hopefully derail their daughter's impulsive plan. However, they should learn how to control their scathing animosity toward each other if they are to succeed with their own plan.
Rating: PG-13, Runtime: 104 minutes
February 25 – Till (2022)
The story of Emmett Louis Till and the legacy of his mother who pursued justice for her lynched son.
Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 130 minutes
March 25 The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
In the remote town of Inishmore, Padraic and Colm share a close, intimate bond of friendship that spans their lives. Yet when one of the men brings their lifelong bond to a swift, abrupt end, the other reels, questioning their decades of friendship and his own identity in the process.
Rating; R, Runtime: 109 minutes
Ongoing Programs
See the events calendar for current dates and specific information.
Book Discussion
Join us online for a book discussion. Download or print the 2022 Book Discussion Group flyer. For more information on how to join, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Upcoming Book Discussion Dates:
January 23rd - The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
February 27th - The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
March 27th - The Overstory by Richard Powers
April 24th - The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
May 22nd - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
June 26th - The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
July 24th - Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper
August 28th - Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
September 25th - Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris
October 23rd - A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
November 27th - The Circus Train by Amita Parikh
December 11th - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
2022 Book Club Selections
January 24th - The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar
by Robert Alxander
February 28th - Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
March 28th - And if I Perish: Frontline U.S. Army Nurses in World War II by Evelyn Monahan
April 25th - Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
May 23rd - Dune by Frank Herbert
June 27th - The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
July 25th - What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J.A. Chancy
August 22nd - How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
September 26th - Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
October 24th - Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
November 28th - Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West & Back by Janice P. Nimura
December 12th - Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Previous Year - 2021 Book Club Selections
An Invisible Thread by Laura Shroff
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Shakespeare play Reading by book discussion group members
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
Previous Years Book Selections
Photography Club
From experts to beginners, this is the place for photographers to share information and discuss tips and tricks.
When: Usually the 4th Monday of each month. 6:30 – 7:45 PM but call re current Zoom meeting scheduling
Computer Classes (Temporarily Discontinued)
We offer a variety of computer instruction classes. Call the library or stop by to register (973) 835-5044.
Personal Computer Tutoring (Temporarily Discontinued)
Riverdale Library card holders can meet with a librarian for a 30 minute individual session on email basics or for an introduction to the computer. Please call the library for an appointment.
