New Programs
Programs September through December 2023
Yoga – Fridays, 9:30 a.m. September 8 – December 15 (no class on 9/29, 11/10 and 11/24) 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.
Master Gardeners Present Fall Gardening - Wednesday, September 6, 7 p.m.(on Zoom)
Presented by The Morris County Master Gardener. Fall gardening is broken down into three phases. 1. Creating a cool season vegetable garden. 2. Planting bulbs for next year’s bloom and 3. Making plans to change all the things you didn’t like about this year’s garden. Fall can be a wonderful time to garden. The air is cool, the weeds have stopped growing and most pests are gone. The speaker will discuss 16 vegetables that can be successfully grown and methods to extend the season into January. The presentation will include photos of some spectacular bulbs for spring and the easiest and best way to plant them. The speaker will discuss division, seed collection,pruning and how to create a garden diary outlining design changes for the new season. In person Zoom screening at the library is available also.
AARP Driver Safety Program – Saturday, September 9, 10:00 to 4
The purpose of this course is to help drivers of all ages maintain their mobility and independence by refreshing their driving skills and learning how to adjust to age-related challenges.
*Course payment is required to hold a seat for this class. Please either mail or drop off a check at Riverdale Library for the class to secure a spot: $20 for AARP members, $25 for non-members. Course participants may be eligible for auto insurance premium discounts – check with your insurer.
Fab Four if by Air: The Beatles in America, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m.
Subtitle: John Lennon Biographer & Roxbury's Own Voice of John Lennon
Presented by Roxbury Library and other Main libraries. Join us for a talk and a presentation with writer and leading authority on John Lennon and the Beatles, Jude Southerland Kessler, and with Roxbury audiobook narrator and voice actor, Scott R. McKinley. The author talk will cover ‘The Beatles in America’, the beginning of which will have its 60th anniversary in February 2024. Discussion will be followed by a Q &A session, and a trivia contest. Offered on Zoom or in person at Roxbury Library.
Felting Owls - Saturday, 9/30, 1 pm Join Christine from Wooley Pets for this felting class. Registration for Riverdale residents begins September 1, non-Riverdale registration begins September 8. Registration is by phone (973) 835-5044 or in person.
Glenburn Archeology Project– Monday, October 2, 7 p.m. Joshua Butchko, MA, RPA, Principal Investigator & Laboratory Supervisor, Hunter Research, Inc. will give a general presentation about historic archaeology in New Jersey that will highlight the work completed at Glenburn, and other projects of theirs in the general vicinity.
The Riverdale Library will be displaying artifacts from Riverdale’s Glenburn dig in our gallery through the month of October.
Superstitions – Wednesday, October 11, 7 p.m. Presenter: Deborah Hoeflinger
Studies have shown that two thirds of Americans hold beliefs that qualify as superstitions. In this program we will look at what superstition is, how it developed and who is most likely to follow superstitions today.
Riverdale History Tour – Saturday October 14. Register for either the 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. tour
On this 90 minute tour, guided by town historian Ruth Pasquarello, you’ll stop at different important homes and areas of Riverdale, with an accompanying narrative. Celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this year, Riverdale has an interesting history you’ll want to hear. Transportation is provided in the air-conditioned and wheel chair accessible Dial a Ride bus.
Natural Support for Breast Cancer with Author Daniella Chace, Tuesday, October 17 @ 7pm on Zoom
Virtual Presentation hosted by Roxbury Library and Main Libraries. Learn about benefits of a whole plant foods diet and natural food nutrients that trigger cancer cell removal, and healing foods, as well as breast carcinogens in modern homes and how to remove them. Daniella is the author of Turning Off Breast Cancer (Skyhorse Press, 2015), Breast Cancer Smoothies (HCI, 2016), Home Detox (Storey, 2023), and the creator and host of the Beat Breast Cancer member program available through www.daniellachace.com
Medicare 101 - October 18, 7 p.m. Presenter: Carol Shanik, Morris County SHIP volunteer Medicare counselor. Are you soon enrolling in Medicare? Or are you on Medicare and confused about your options in the open enrollment period? Find out the facts in this workshop.
Friends of the Riverdale Public Library present Author Panel and Dessert Party – Thursday, October 19, 7 p.m. Celebrate National Friends Week with our Friends. Listen to a panel of three authors share their stories and discuss their books. Refreshments will be served. The authors books will be available for purchase and signing. Featured Authors: Linda Rosen, D. L. Cocchio and Kristen Houghton.
Witchcraft Craze – Wednesday, October 25, 7 p.m. Presenter: Deborah Hoeflinger
During the 1600 and 1700s, at least 110,000 people in Europe were accused of being witches. 60,000 were executed including several in the American colony of Massachusetts. In this program we will explore what caused the craze, which people were accused and why it eventually died out.
Halloween Trivia Night – Friday, October13, 7 p.m. It’s a special after hours program to host a Halloween trivia night on Friday the 13th. Attend with your team of 3 or 4, or attend solo, or with a friend, and we’ll put you on a team. Join in the fun as we compete. Winners get bragging rights and a small but spooky prize. The library will reopen at 6:30 to admit program registrants.
Thanksgiving Leaf Imprint Art – Wednesday, November 1, 7 p.m. Presenter Lynn Schwartz
Using leaf imprints and text, create a unique design for your Thanksgiving décor. Riverdale residents registration begins Monday, October 2, non-Riverdale registrant registration begins Tuesday, October 10. Registration is by phone (973) 835-5044 or in person.
Winter Design Glass Block Painting – Wednesday, November 29, 7 p.m. Bernadine Ferrari returns with a glass block with fairy lights painting project. Riverdale residents registration starts November 1, non-Riverdale registration begins November 8. Registration is by phone (973) 835-5044 or in person.
Gingerbread House Program – Wednesday, December 6, 7 p.m. The Friends of the Library will be here to guide you in creating your holiday gingerbread house. Great for a centerpiece or gift. Riverdale residents registration starts November 1, non-Riverdale registration begins November 8. Registration is by phone (973) 835-5044 or in person.
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 30 to September 5 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 -
Monday Night at the Movies – every second Monday at 7 p.m. in the summer
Jerry & Marge Go Large, August 14 - The remarkable true story of how retiree Jerry Selbee discovers a mathematical loophole in the Massachusetts lottery and, with the help of his wife, Marge, wins $27 million dollars and uses the money to revive their small Michigan town. Rating PG-13, 96 minutes
Movies - 4th Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. after Labor Day
September 23 – Book Club: The New Chapter - ( 2023). A close-knit group of four women entering their golden years of life decides to embark on a no-holds-barred luxury excursion to Italy. United by their passion for literature and romance, the women experience a series of madcap adventures while deepening their bonds of friendship. The sequel to the 2018 film. Rated PG-13, 107 minutes.
October 28 – Renfield (2023) Count Dracula has relied on his assistant, R. M. Renfield, for centuries. One day, Renfield decides to exit this toxic relationship, hoping to start a new life. Wandering the streets of New Orleans, he meets and falls in love with traffic cop Rebecca Quincy. But Dracula's control over Renfield's life is far from over. Rated R, 93 minutes
November 25 – Title to be announced
Ongoing Programs
See the events calendar for current dates and specific information.
Thread & Yarn Crafting Club - Meeting on the fourth
Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m. (In Person Event)
Experienced needle crafters (crochet, sewing, embroidery, etc) are invited to join with other like minded stitchers.
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
Personal Computer Tutoring
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.
