Construction Updates

We’re thrilled to share that a stunning new ceiling sculpture now enhances our Downtown Library café! It's mesmerizing to look at and helps dampen the noise from above and below! 

We can’t wait to welcome you through our Main Street doors this fall. Follow along for our weekly updates.

Banned Books Week

Share your love of reading and freed between the lines!

Hartford Public Library (HPL) and Justice Dance Performance Project (JDPP) are celebrating books and the power of a story during Banned Books Week. Join us at A Response and a Call

Story Power: Reclaiming the Narrative for a panel discussion of community members and artists of color spanning generations, exploring the critical ways books help us recognize and affirm culture and identity and how libraries create communities of growth, empathy, and compassion.

Thursday, September 26 | 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

Please enter through the Arch Street entrance.

Banned Books Week is an annual event, established in 1982, that celebrates the freedom to read and highlights censorship. This year's theme is "Freed Between the Lines". There is freedom in each page of a book but book bans threaten that freedom, along with other rights and institutions.

HPL's Book Recommendations

Banned Books to add to your reading list

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie

National Book Award Winner

". . . this ultimately affirms the incredible power of best friends to hurt and heal in equal measure. Younger teens looking for the strength to lift themselves out of rough situations would do well to start here."

—Booklist Online

". . . may be his best work yet. Working in the voice of a 14-year-old forces Alexie to strip everything down to action and emotion so that reading becomes more like listening to your smart, funny best friend recount his day while waiting after school for a ride home."

—The New York Times

Find it HERE in our catalog

Looking For Alaska

John Green

New York Times Bestseller

Michael L. Printz Award

"...an unusually heavy-handed note in an otherwise mature novel, peopled with intelligent characters who talk smart, yet don't always behave that way, and are thus notably complex and realistically portrayed teenagers."

—Horn Book Magazine

"...capturing the energy, hopes and pain of these young people without resorting to vocal gimmicks, Green's insights into the impact they have on each other come across with full artistic strength.

—Publishers Weekly

Find it HERE in our catalog

You're Invited!

Join us at our book launch

Please join us for a night of celebration as we debut Caroline Hewins: First Lady of the Library, written and illustrated by HPL's own Marie Jarry (pictured on the left) and Natalie Curtis (pictured on the right). The event will feature an introduction by HPL Board Chair David Barrett, a reading by the author and, a Q&A led by Bridget E. Quinn, HPL President & CEO. 

FREE and open to the public

Book signing and light refreshments

Take home a signed copy of the book with a $15 donation!

Thursday, October 10 | 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street, Hartford

Please enter through the Arch Street entrance.

The Journey of Memories

Now on display at HPL

HPL has the honor of hosting the art show, Journey of Memories, until September 30.

Journey of Memories is a heartfelt tribute to the cherished moments and cultural treasures that women forced to leave Afghanistan, Syria, and the Congo have carried with them to Hartford. Despite being unable to bring all their belongings to their new homes, these resilient women have captured the essence of their memories through their artwork. 

These artworks serve as a reminder of the beauty and richness of their cultures, preserving fragments of their valuable time spent with family and friends. This platform ensures that every woman's story is honored and celebrated.

Art Justice: Disparities in Art

A compelling discussion panel

Join us for a conversation as we examine systemic disparities that affect artists and communities. We’ll discuss insights and perspectives on advocating for an inclusive platform, featuring panelists Andre Rochester, Javiera Olhaberry, and Kolton Harris. 

Whether you're an artist, advocate, or art enthusiast, you don't want to miss this discussion!

Wednesday, September 25 | 6 - 7 p.m.

The 224 EcoSpace

224 Farmington Avenue, Hartford

250th Scavenger Hunt Winners!

Hooray!

Congratulations to our winners! Thank you for taking the time to celebrate our 250th anniversary and explore Hartford with us. A special congratulations to all who participated in and completed the hunt.

We had such a fun summer learning about Hartford’s history while exploring the city!

A Place Like No Other

HPL offers engaging, educational, and fun programming for all ages.

Check out our full programming calendar HERE 

Check out our Family Programming calendar!

Check out our Adult Programming calendar!

Check out our Youth & Teen Programming calendar!

“If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty amazing."



―Sherman Alexie, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Thank you for participating in our polls!

Last Week's Poll: Will we see you there (Hartford's L.I.T. Festival)?

Results:

Yes - 72.7%

No - 27.3%



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