HPL Childtren's Librarian Denise Martens distributing books
Hartford Public Library and the Hartford Public Schools continue to take tangible steps to help children’s literacy in low-income neighborhoods across Hartford. No virus can stop that effort.

Through its partnership with First Book, a nonprofit organization committed to distributing free books in low-income areas, HPL purchased over 2,000 books and started giving them out at each of the Hartford Public Schools’ food distribution sites on Wednesday, April 29.

Construction on the new, state-of-the-art Park Library is now beginning in earnest! We have an update. Learn more here!
You can check out our virtual programming every day on our Facebook page, YouTube channel, and on our Instagram account!
On Mondays and Thursdays, we'll have story time. On Wednesdays, we'll have a story in Spanish. Tuesdays and Fridays we'll have crafts and other educational activities.
Art Inside
Using simple air dry clay, Michelle Thomas will show you how to create a pinch pot and transform it into a music shaker

Poetry on the Streets
Poetry on the Streets: Quarantine Series is an opportunity to express yourselves and share your voices with others. Everyone has a poem inside. Join Melanie Faranello to answer the question 'What's your poem today?'
Afro Caribbean Dance  
Lael Marie Williams , owner, CEO/master teaching artist of FootLights Performing Arts & Education program, will offer a class that is her own choreographed blend of African and Caribbean movements.
Kooking with KAKE
Keren Prescott will show how to cook seafood mac and cheese and jerk chicken.
Jams with Jazz 
Get moving and grooving to the latest and hip songs, every Friday with Jasmine Mcpherson ’s open level dance class! 
Hartford Public Library was featured on NPR's All Things Considered on April 23, talking about the wide array of services being offered while we are closed due to Covid-19 including online classes, citizenship services, access to Wi-Fi and more. 

Each week we'll try to bring you a profile of one of our amazing local online presenters.

Hartford resident Tenaya Taylor is many different things – an artist, a musician, an activist, and a social justice advocate to name a few. Taylor conducted a workshop on how to make bookmarks this past week on Facebook , YouTube , and Instagram . 

Our own Julie Styles, manager of public services at the Downtown Library, has been delving into HPL's cookbook collection. This week she makes Coconut-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Green Onion-Peanut Relish from "Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction."


Hartford Public Library has gathered the most up-to-date facts about homelessness assistance in Hartford during the COVID-19 crisis. Information about how to get help, short-term shelter, long-term housing, health care, domestic violence support, and child care can be found here.

Shopping on Amazon while you're staying at home? You can support Hartford Public Library at the same time with Amazon Smile!

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support Hartford Public Library by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com .
"The very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of man." — T.S. Eliot