On the ArtWalk
Hartford Times:
The Newspaper & The City
ArtWalk
Downtown
Third Floor
Through September
For 160 years, Hartford had two daily newspapers.  The Hartford Courant, a morning paper, was founded in 1764, and the Hartford Times, an evening paper, founded in 1817.  Many people read both papers for their often-contrasting news coverage.  Like the Courant, the Times was much more than just a newspaper; it was a vital presence in downtown Hartford.  Its building was used as a podium by politicians and a stage for community events.  The Times ceased publication in 1976 and today its story lives on in the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library.  The current exhibition draws on photographs and artifacts from the Hartford Times Collection. It celebrates the re-opening of the Hartford Times Building as the centerpiece of the University of Connecticut’s new downtown campus and welcomes UConn faculty, staff, and students to their newly renovated space in the Hartford Public Library.
News
Talk With Library Leaders

Ropkins, 1750 Main St. Monday, July 31, 4 pm
Blue Hills, 649 Blue Hills Ave., Tuesday, Aug.1, 5 pm
Goodwin, 460 New Britain Ave.,Wed. Aug. 2, 4:30 pm
Mark Twain, 927 Asylum Ave.,Thursday, Aug. 3, 4 pm
Hartford Public Library will be holding community meetings at our three branch locations that will be closing in September, and at Ropkins, which will offer after-school programs. These meetings will enable you, our customers, to meet with members of the library’s senior leadership team, including Greg Davis (Board President), Bridget Quinn-Carey (CEO), and Andrea Comer (Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee). We will discuss new services schedules and answer any questions you may have.
Read more about the new lineup here.

Above:
Mayor Luke Bronin takes part in the Index Card Challenge at the Albany Branch on Thursday, July 13
Youth & Family Programs
Playful Engineers
Downtown, Thursday, July 20, 10-11 am
Dwight Branch, Thursday, July 20, 2-3 pm
Albany Branch, Mon. Aug. 7, 2-4 pm
Artist/educator Jay Mankita guides and inspires kids to construct delightfully complicated contraptions that accomplish simple tasks  using  dominoes, Popsicle sticks, magnets, rubber bands, string, balls and marbles. Goofy fun, and real engineering, with a bit of Rube Goldberg history. 
Cartooning With Joe Young
Hartford filmmaker and cartoonist Joe Young is running workshops showing the basics of cartooning. Join us and take home your own cartoon.
Each class runs from 1:45 to 2:45 pm at Albany Branch, Friday, July 14; Downtown Library, Monday, July 24; Goodwin Branch, Tuesday, July 25; Dwight Branch, Wednesday, July 26.
Concerts
Two Right Feet
Downtown,Third Floor
Saturday, July 15, Noon-1 pm
Garrett Demmerle and his daughter, Hannah, combine music with a fill-in-the blank game and a reading of Judy Sierra's Wild About Books.
A hula hoop session follows.  
World of Sounds
Smokin' Mirrors

Downtown Terrace
Tuesday, July 18, Noon-1 pm

Clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Maxine Martin, right, a Connecticut native, performs with Abu Alvin Carter Sr., Cori Lovejoy, and Jim Mercik in a combo of jazz, blues, R&B, and pop styles.

World of Sounds is sponsored by the Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund.
Sucari

Friday, July 21
Albany Branch, 11 am, Goodwin Branch, 2 pm
Surcari will have you moving and grooving to irresistible Latin beats. Kids can sing, clap, dance and play instruments with the band. Learn about Latin culture through music. 

Children's Book of the Week
Tim Green
Baseball Great
Former NFL player Tim Green tells the story of Josh Leblanc, 12, who wants to play baseball at his school, but his father signs him up for a competitive travel team. Josh learns about the downfalls of winning at all costs.
Origins of the Black Middle Class in Hartford
Barbara Beeching

Hartford History Center
Downtown, 3rd Floor
Saturday, July 22, 2 pm

Join author and Hartford researcher Barbara J. Beeching in exploring the origins of the Black middle class in Hartford. A short presentation will be followed by a discussion on the topic based on her recently published book, Hopes and Expectations. Signed copies of the book will be available for sale.
Based on 200 personal letters written in the 1860s, Beeching tells the story of three young African Americans in the North. Through extensive archival research, she shows how the Primus family intersects with changes over time in Hartford's black community and the country. 

Hartford Artisans Weaving Exhibition
Time to Try Tied Weaves
Glass Cases, Hartford History Center
Downtown, 3rd Floor 
Through Sept. 30

Every year the Hartford Artisans Weaving Center challenges its members to learn a new structure or technique.
T
ied weaves produce intricate patterns and textured looks.  The artisans often used two or more shuttles carrying different wefts. All the weft threads are “tied” to the warp at regular intervals to produce a stable and durable fabric. 
The Center encourages people with low or no vision and those 55 and older to develop their skills and interest in weaving original and beautiful handwoven items. 
Fran Curran, director of the Center, says this is a group that is often overlooked. 
Weavers learn the craft of hand weaving on small looms, find camaraderie with other artisans, and produce scarves, throws and wall hangings for sale.
Support comes from the Fisher Foundation of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Teens

Teens & Leadership Workshops
Downtown,  Monday, July 31, 2:30 pm
Ropkins Branch, August 15, 4 pm
These one-hour sessions will help teens learn about five qualities of a leader, participate in brainstorming sessions, and identify strong role models. Participants will also find resources for more information about critical thinking, communication skills, and responsibility. 

Security Officer Training


Hartford Public Library will be offering a new program for training security officers. All Contract Security Officers and Proprietary Uniformed Security Officers are required to take an 8-hour training program in order to become a Certified Security Officer in the State of Connecticut as mandated by state statute

Hartford Public Library’s Security Officer Training program, approved by the State of Connecticut, will be conducted by Charles Barberi, HPL’s Head of Security. The successful completion of this program will qualify candidates to apply for a Security Officers Identification Card, issued by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection.

Hartford Public Library will be offering this training once a month at our Downtown Branch starting in the August. Classes are $100. Information: Charles Barberi at 860-695-6356 or at [email protected].

Adult Learning
Immigrant Career Pathways
The Immigrant Career Pathways Program, sponsored by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, serves as a pipeline to jobs in the food service industry for English-language learners in the Hartford area. Eligible students may enroll for free in either one of two classes: the ESL and Food Service Training class or the ServSafe Manager Certification class. All classes are held in the morning. Information: 860-695-6292 or email  [email protected]

Study For Your GED
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, 9:30-11:30 am,  through July 21
Take classes in writing and math to prepare you for the GED test. Open enrollment. Registration forms are available at the The American Place at the Downtown Library and at the Barbour Branch.  Photo ID and validation of address is required.  Register: 860-695-6349 or 860-695-7400.  

Citizenship Prep
DOWNTOWN, Saturdays, 1-3 pm
DOWNTOWN, Saturdays, 3-5 pm (español)
ALBANY BRANCH, Saturdays, 10 am-Noon
Each class will focus on many of the 100 citizenship test civics questions. We encourage the community to join us for these lively interactive activities and discussions. The classes are open for U.S. citizens who want to improve their own knowledge of U.S. Civics or enhance their skills to tutor new arrivals on their paths to citizenship. I nformation: 860-695-6316 and [email protected]


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