Cool down with some great programs at the library!

Summer Learning is in full swing!

Hartford Summer Space Mission, our Summer Learning program, is in full swing, with raffle prizes for children, teens and adults who pledge to read at least 20 minutes a day.

We've got a lot of great programing this week!

Check out our full schedule of events and activities HERE.

We got some great books for you

Build Your House Around My Body

Violet Kupersmith

One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR,

New York Times Book Review, Good Housekeeping, Kirkus Reviews

The title intrigued us. And then the story grabbed hold. Two young Vietnamese women go missing decades apart in this heart-pounding thriller.

“Unsettling and powerful.” — BookPage

“A rich and dazzling spectacle ... that peels back the layers of a haunted Vietnam." — Kirkus Reviews

The Comfort Book

Matt Haig

New York Times Bestseller

Who doesn't need more hope and encouragement in their lives? Matt Haig offers an easy-to-follow road map for a bit more happiness in our lives.

"Profound, witty and uplifting, and a stirring testament to hope and the imagination" ― Observer (London)

"With Haig’s trademark empathy and celebration of the resilience of the human heart, this is a book we all need and deserve." — Booklist

Plant the seeds and watch them grow

Teach your children the gift of tending the earth and the miracle of planting seeds and seeing what pops up. Plus bring home something fresh and delicious for your family!

Join Ms. Fe at the Earle Street Community Garden down the street from the Barbour Library!

Thursdays: July 28th; August 11th, 18th, 25th

11 a.m.

Earle Street Community Garden (Across from Unity Plaza)

151 Earle St.

Translations and Interpretations

Works by the Hartford Artisans Weaving Center

July 23rd – September 22nd

Meet the Artisans: Tuesday, August 23rd, 5-7 pm

Downtown Library

3rd Floor (glass cases outside Hartford History Center)

500 Main St.

The Hartford Artisans Weaving Center welcomes people 55 and older or people of any age with blindness or visual impairment to our creative weaving community.

Learn more about their important mission HERE.

Job openings & opportunities

Security guard training

Completion of this one-day course will qualify candidates to apply for a security officer ID card, issued by the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Classes will be limited to the first 10 people who sign up.

Next class:

Wednesday, August 17th

8:30 am - 4 pm

Downtown Library

500 Main St.

More info & registration HERE

We're hiring!

You've got skills. We've got opportunities. Let's work together. (And have some fun while were at it!)

Join our team and make a difference in your library and in your community.

Check out job opportunities across many different departments HERE.

Fairytales and folktales

Who doesn't love a good fairytale?

Join us for a reading of some classic children's stories that are part of the Hartford History Center's collection, including selections from Mother Goose, Aesop's Fables and the Chinese Wonder Book.

Thursday, July 28th

Hartford History Center

Downtown Library

500 Main St

2-3 pm

Ages 6-12

Make art. See art

Zentagle!

Discover the art of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns, while increasing your focus and creativity.

Friday, July 29th

11am - 12:30 pm

Camp Field Library

30 Campfield Ave

Free museum passes!

Take a break from the heat and check out some place new with a free museum pass. How cool is the Carousel Museum in Bristol? They have a stunning collection of carousel horses!

HERE is a list of all our passes.

Did you know kids can come free in most museums this summer? Learn more HERE.

Connecticon!

Our YOUmedia teens and staff had a super time at ConnectiCon this month showing off their cosplay and sharing the great work that goes on at HPL!

YOUmedia, our digital learning and maker space for teens, offers programs in video production, photography, music recording, extended reality and so much more

Check out all the fantastic programs at YOUmedia HERE.

We're all in this together

COVID-19 vaccine clinic

Thursday, July 28th

Albany Library

1250 Albany Ave.

2-5 p.m.

Ages 6 months and up

At-home COVID-19 tests and N95 masks are available at all library locations, just ask at the library front desk during regular business hours. (Proof of Hartford residency required.)

"Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world." — Roald Dahl

We are partnering with Hartford Next to encourage you to vote in the primary elections in August and the November election. You can register at any one of our branches.

Make a difference HERE.

“You can’t change the past. You can’t change other people. You can change you though. You narrate this story. So start to write a new chapter. " ― Matt Haig, The Comfort Book

🌟Your support makes a difference.🌟Please make a gift to the library today. Thank you!