Update on Our Downtown Library

Since the Downtown Library suffered significant water damage due to a burst pipe late December, our team has been working hard to assess the damage and restore the library to its full functionality. The Downtown Library is a vital resource for our community, and we are committed to reopening it as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the Downtown Library will remain closed throughout the summer due to ongoing construction. However, we are hopeful that we will be able to reopen some of its public spaces this fall.

While our downtown location is closed, we encourage you to visit one of our neighborhood branches and enjoy a full range of programs, resources and services. Visit our WEBSITE to learn more about our programing.

For additional updates on the Downtown Library, please visit the HPL Restore and Renew update page.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time of transition. Thank you for your continued support!

Celebrating Asian American &

Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Butterfly Yellow

Thanhhà Lai

 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

This moving story begins in the final days of the Việt Nam War and tells the story of a young women's desperate search to find the little brother who was taken from her family.



"In this radiant pearl of a book, Lại shows that we human beings are singing the very same song: a song of grace and redemption, a song of courage, a song of hope.” — New York Times Book Review

"Remarkable. Told with ample grace" — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Trick Mirror

Jia Tolentino

 One of the Best Books of the Year 2019 The New York Times Book Review

A bold, funny, and timely collection of essays that exam our current world from The New Yorker’s beloved cultural critic.

Tolentino is among our age’s finest essayists, dissecting the foibles that animate our modern lives with wit, intellectual rigor, and empathy.”—Esquire

"Exhilarating, groundbreaking essays that should establish Tolentino as a key voice of her generation." — Kirkus Reviews

Hartford Public Library Presents:

Jazz 101 is an interactive six-week series with audience discussion and instrumental demonstration and serves as a prelude to July's hugely popular Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz and the Greater Hartford Jazz Festival.

Haneef Nelson

From Pre-Jazz to Rag Time

May 15

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Haneef graduated from The Hartt School with a degree in African-American music study and has been involved in the Hartford arts scene for over 21 years. A prolific musician, businessman, and educator, his passion for music is displayed in every aspect of his professional career as a performer, composer, a master class teacher, and in his work in leadership development.

Free! Register HERE

We've got The Beat!

Hartford Artists. Hartford Music. Hartford Sounds.

We’re partnering with The Bushnell to bring you a curated collection of Hartford music with our new streaming platform The Beat.

Chosen by a team of movers and shakers in Hartford’s music scene, we’ve put together a selection of albums across all genres for you to enjoy. And if you’re a local artist, you can get PAID to let us share your music on The Beat.

Learn more about The Beat HERE

Family Game Night @ the Lyric!

¡Únete para la Noche de juegos familiares @ the Lyric!

All types of fun games for all ages of fun people.

Thursday, May 11

4:00 - 5:00 pm

Park Street Library @ the Lyric

603 Park Street

Citizenship Classes

Classes meet for 6 consecutive weeks, and cover the information you need to know in order to pass the Naturalization Interview and Civics Test. Please bring your Green Card (even if expired).

Wednesday, May 17

9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Albany Library

1250 Albany Ave

Learn more HERE

Learn about The American Place where we support adult education, careers, and immigration services HERE

We ❤️ Moms

Make jewelry for and with your mom.

All ages welcomed. 

Thursday, May 11

3:30 - 5:00 pm

Albany Library

1200 Albany Ave

Register HERE

Create Mother's Day hearts for someone you love.

Friday, May 12

4:00 - 5:30 pm

South Church

277 Main St. (entrance in back)

All ages welcomed!

ZUMMMM-BA!

Move. Dance. Sweat. Repeat.

Wednesdays, May 10, 17, 24, 31

5:00 - 6:00 pm

Call Dwight Branch to register

(space is limited)

OMMMM. OMMMMM

Yoga & Martial Arts Flow

In Celebration of Older American Month

Gentle yoga, marital arts flow, and creating art is a great way to spend time on Saturday.

Saturday, May13

12:00 - 1:30 pm

Albany Library

1200 Albany Ave.

Register HERE

Security Officer Training

Our Security Officer Training Program is approved by the State of Connecticut. The successful completion of this one-day program will qualify candidates to apply for a Security Officer ID card, issued by the State of CT Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection. 

Wednesday, May 10

8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Register HERE

“All my life I’ve been leaving myself breadcrumbs. It didn’t matter that I didn’t always know what I was walking toward. It was worthwhile, I told myself, just trying to see clearly, even if it took me years to understand what I was trying to see.”― Jia Tolentino, Trick Mirror