The area around the Park Library is fiercely and unapologetically urban. People are close together. The buildings are on top of each other. It’s makes for a vibrant neighborhood but sometimes people can long for a patch of green.

That’s where the KNOX Affleck Street Community Garden, located at 158 Affleck Street, comes in.

Thanks to a City of Hartford “Love Your Block” community grant, Graciela Rivera, manager of the Park Library, will be holding a series of three events in August in the garden.

HPL's librarians celebrate community readers
A child’s exposure to books up to the age of 5 is crucial to determining their future success in school. With parts of Hartford having the potential to be classified as a “book desert,” meaning there is no easy access to reading materials, some children are behind before they even get started.


HPL’s children’s department is taking active steps to help encourage a steady reading practice by participating in the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program. The program offers prizes and incentives for every 100 books a child reads.

(1930-2011)
Teacher, Community Historian, and Civic Leader
(1915-2005)
CT's First Black Judge & State Senator
Real estate company owner, former city councilman, priest


Workshops are ongoing for the Hartford Changemakers project and we are excited about unveiling the resulting murals in September.

We've also put together The Hartford Changemakers online resource made up of reference materials on Black, Latinx, and indigenous Hartford historical figures drawn from a 2016 Black History Month project called  More Than a Month  and the  Draw a Hartford History Maker  community art project that took place in 2017.

Each week we'll be sharing information about some of the individuals who have changed the city's history.
HPL Resource Roundup : Online classes, Dial-A-Story, and more
  • The American Place is currently offering English language, citizenship, and Spanish language classes online. GED classes are currently being enrolled and citizenship applications can be taken by appointment. For more information go to tap.hplct.org.
  • The library is currently offering its “Dial-A-Story” program, a round the clock service where by calling 860-695-6288 children and parents can hear a recorded story read to them in either English, Spanish or Urdu/Hindi.
  • HPL’s children’s department is passing out Basics Backpack, containing everything a child might need to do a craft or work on a fun creative project, including markers, crayons, construction paper, watercolors. glue, and scissors. Supplies are limited. For more information 860-695-6330.
  • HPL's Summer Learning Adventures continues through August. Learn more here.
  • Contact-free pickup continue at the Downtown Library and two of our community libraries. Click her for more information on our limited reopening.
"The three most important documents a free society gives are a birth certificate, a passport, and a library card.”
―  EL Doctorow