Happy Diwali!

Diwali Festival

Saturday, November 19th: 12:30-4:30 pm

Downtown Library, Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main St.

Join Hartford Public Library this Saturday to celebrate Diwali with children's performances including dances, songs and shloka (Hindu prayers) recitals; a Diwali presentation in prose and poetry; a Bollywood interactive dance presentation by guest presenter Mahi Arora; a fashion show; and so much more.

A special thank you to CT Humanities for supporting our program.

We highly recommend these stunning novels

How Beautiful We Were

Imbolo Mbue

New York Times Top 10 Book of 2021

This is an epic novel about greed, community and people coming together to fight evil, led by a determined young woman



“Mbue reaches for the moon and, by the novel’s end, has it firmly held in her hand.” — NPR

“What a stunningly beautiful writer Mbue is, and how lucky we are to have her stories in the world.” — USA Today

Intimacies: A Novel

Katie Kitamura

Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award in Fiction

A woman confronts power, love, betrayal and heartbreak in her career and life.

"A master of cool disquiet ... Kitamura writes with forceful, direct prose that makes for a bracing read and leaves the reader mesmerized." — Vogue

"Beautifully written and mysterious.” —Real Simple

Calling all artists — submit to the ArtWalk today

Congratulations to Darshiv Rana for winning our fall reading contest. We are super proud! Keep on reading Darshiv!

...and dance by the light of the moon

It's A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play

Hartford Stage

November 25th-December 24th

Free tickets to this holiday classic are available now for HPL cardholders while they last. You can pick up passes at your favorite branch or reserve them online HERE.

Wanted: Dancers, musicians and unique talents

Hartford's Got Talent

We know Hartford has talent – let’s find it and celebrate it! 

All ages are welcome to audition. Those who advance are eligible for cash prizes and a chance to compete on stage at The Bushnell!

Final Audition for:

Dancers, Musicians and Unique Talents

November 19th, 12-4 pm

Downtown Library, Atrium

Register or learn more HERE.

School choice assistance available

Join us to learn about magnet and Open Choice school options 

Plus balloon art fun with balloon artist Ed Popielarczyk!

Monday, November 21st: 4 p.m.

Albany Library

1250 Albany Ave.

Questions about school choice? Email us HERE or call us at 860-695- 6325 .

Deadline to apply is February 23, 2023

Encounters: Picturing the Pandemic

Image by Andy Hart

Together let's explore how preserving our stories, and the stories of our families, neighborhoods and communities, might help us see differently, remember and begin to heal.



Wednesday, November 16th

5-7:30 pm

Downtown Library

500 Main St.

Dinner will be provided following program of group discussions, creative exercises, journaling and engagement with cultural specialists. Register HERE.

The grace and beauty of Ballet Hartford

We loved having Ballet Hartford dancers at our Downtown Library to preview snippets from their upcoming show.

Get your tickets to Hartford Ballet's Nutcracker performance HERE.

Thank you Leticia Colon De Mejias!

Students from the Maria Sanchez School recently had a special visit from author, environmental educator and Hartford native Leticia Colon De Mejias. Staff at the Park Street Library @ the Lyric helped organize the event and each student received a copy of the book Luis and the Giant, which teaches children how ordinary people can be superheroes by using their voice for good.

COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots available for you

COVID-19 vaccination clinic this week

Thursday, November 17th: 2-5:30 p.m.

Albany Library

1250 Albany Ave.

Ages 12 and up

Flu shot vouchers

Thanks to Bank of America and CVS Health we will be providing vouchers at all of our libraries for free flu shots at any CVS Pharmacy. Can't make it to the library? Just email us and we will send you a digital voucher.

“My mother always cautioned me against dwelling on the past and the future. What happened will never unhappen, she liked to say; what is to happen will happen--better you focus on what's happening in front of you.”

― Imbolo Mbue, How Beautiful We Were