2024 Recap

Hartford Public Library 2024 Recap

Thank you for being part of the journey of our incredible 250th year! This year, we circulated 71,145 books! Here's to many more amazing memories together.

Top Authors

1. Dav Pilkey

2. Jeff Kinney

3. Gege Akutami

4. Masashi Kishimoto

5. Lincoln Peirce

Top Youth & Teen Books

1. Jujutsu Kaisen

2. Naruto

3. Spy x Family

4. Big Nate

5. The Baby-Sitters Club

Top Adult Books

1. The Women

2. Black Bird

3. Demon Copperhead

4. Lore Olympus

5. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

New Books in Circulation

Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran

Azadeh Moaveni

"A compelling guided tour through the underground youth culture in Tehran... an illuminating book."

—Michiko Kakutani, The New York TImes

“...readers will be surprised at the level of sophistication and culture Moaveni found in this "axis of evil" state. In addition to her journalistic commentary, Moaveni presents her personal journey as she realizes that she must embrace both her American and her Iranian selves."

—Library Journal

Find it HERE in our catalog

The Glassmaker

Tracy Chevalier

"This charming fable is at once a love story that skips through six centuries, and also a love song to the timeless craft of glassmaking..."

—Geraldine Brooks, author of Horse

"The Glassmaker shares much with its predecessors, whose crafty female protagonists - among them embroiders and quilt makers, weavers and printers - are called upon to wrestle with societal constraints at various points in history, from the Dutch golden age to 19th-century Ohio."

—Guardian UK

Find it HERE in our catalog

Thank you for participating in our polls! We heard what you had to say.

Last Week's Poll: We tried a new look for our weekly book picks. What do you think?

Results:

Big fan! - 52%

It's alright - 26%

I liked the old way better - 24%

A HPL Holiday Tradition

The Sam Pasco Band’s annual holiday concert is a cherished Hartford tradition, bringing music, joy, and holiday spirit to the season! Join us for a festive, family-friendly event with your favorite holiday songs. FREE and open to the public.

Friday, December 13 | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

Learn More Here

Baby Grand Jazz Returns

Mark your calendars. Sunday afternoons are about to get a whole lot jazzier! We're thrilled to announce the return of Baby Grand Jazz for the 2025 season. Get ready to immerse yourself in smooth and soulful sounds.

We can't wait to see you there!

Starting Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. (doors open at 2:00 p.m.)

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

REACH Book Author Contest Workshop

The annual REACH Book contest allows local authors in grades K-5 a chance to get published! This year's theme is Community Heroes, and submissions are due by Monday, February 3, 2025.

Winners can look forward to:

A chance to display their book on the local author shelf at HPL's Park Street Library @ the Lyric for everyone to enjoy
A professional printed copy of their book.
Attendance at an award ceremony in May 2025

We are hosting a workshop to get those creative juices flowing and help in your story development.

Thursday, December 12 | 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Park Street Library @ the Lyric

Children's Area

603 Park Street

Thank you to our partners SINA, Connecticut Children's, Trinity College, and Hartford HealthCare.

Learn More Here

Holly Jolly Cinemas

Snuggle up by Kanopy’s festive fireplace this December and enjoy movies in Kanopy's Home Viewing for the Holidays collection. FREE with your HPL card.

Learn More Here

Calling All Hartford Artist

The Beat is looking for new talent to join their collection. A paid opportunity for artists of all genres! Submit your music today to join other Hartford artists on HPL's streaming platform.

Submissions are open until Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Learn More Here