2024 Caroline M. Hewins Scholarship Recipient | |
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Hartford Public Library (HPL) is pleased to announce Jessica Perez of Long Beach, CA, as the 2024 recipient of the Caroline M. Hewins Scholarship, given annually to promising library school students who intend to become children’s librarians.
Jessica works as a Library Assistant at the Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach, CA. She is pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) to become a children’s librarian, and winning this scholarship will help her achieve her goal of contributing to her community by supporting, educating, and uplifting young readers.
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Our Kind of Game
Johanna Copeland
“A riveting and suspenseful debut. Copeland’s contemporary take on the balance of power in relationships, and the desire for control, is not to be missed.”
—New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Karin Slaughter
"This riveting, suspenseful, nightmarish debut is filled with dark twists as it highlights the simmering resentment of women who feel undervalued—and the lengths they’ll go to for their children."
—Booklist
Find it HERE in our catalog
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The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi
Wright Thompson
The instant New York Times bestseller, Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Slate, Vanity Fair, and more
“It literally changed my outlook on the world…incredible.”
—Shona Rhimes, American television producer an screenwriter
“The most brutal, layered, and absolutely beautiful book about Mississippi, and really how the world conspired with the best and worst parts of Mississippi, I will ever read…Reporting and reckoning can get no better, or more important, than this.”
—Kiese Laymon, American writer
Find it HERE in our catalog
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Thank you for participating in our polls!
Last Week's Poll: Do you have a reading goal for this year? If so, how many books?
Results:
5 - 10 books - 45%
20- 30 books - 5%
10 - 20 books - 20%
30+ books - 30% - Wow! You rock!
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Children's and Teen Spaces are Back! | |
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Thank you to those who were able to join us as we reopened our YOUmedia and Children's Departments at our Downtown Library on Tuesday, January 21.
Visit us!
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Children's Department Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
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YOUmedia Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 2:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 12:00 - 5 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: closed
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Downtown Library
500 Main Street
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9th Annual Mark Twain American Voice in Literature | |
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Bridget Quinn, HPL President & CEO, reading at the Downtown Library.
The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (MTAVL) is an annual national literary award sponsored generously by novelist David Baldacci and administered by the Mark Twain House and Museum. Honoring excellence in a work of fiction that tells a distinctly American story, the award helps maintain the legacy and spirit of Mark Twain’s writing. The honored writer receives a $25,000 prize.
This is where you step in, you perform the first round of judging, selecting from the 150+ entries. The panel of five judges will select the finalist and winner.
Your role:
- Read at least two books from the list of submissions, either books of your choice or assigned by MTAVL.
- Find the book at your local library or bookstore, or use a free PDF version on the MTAVL website.
- Give each book a grade and fill out a short form.
The process:
- The reading period is February 2025 - May 2025
- All at-large volunteer readers receive the 20% employee discount at the MTAVL gift shop and the same discount for a ticket to the award-night celebration in November.
- All "super-reader" volunteers who read and score five books or more will be included in a drawing, with three lucky winners receiving a signed copy of the winning book and a FREE ticket to the awards dinner.
- You don’t have to be a Twain scholar to judge. The only criterion in the first round is literary excellence, whether you find the books you read to be worthy.
To register as a volunteer reader, please contact Omar Acevedo Omar.Acevedo@marktwainhouse.org.
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This Sunday at Baby Grand Jazz:
Chris Beaudry Quartet
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Chris Beaudry, originally from Storrs, CT, has a rich background in jazz. He emerged from the Hartford scene in the early 2000s as one of Jimmy Greene's first students at the Greater Hartford Academy of The Arts (GHAA). He later returned to GHAA as a faculty member and earned his master’s in Jazz Studies from NYU.
Take some time this Sunday to tap your feet and groove in your seat!
Sunday, February 2 | 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 2:00 p.m.)
Downtown Library
Center for Contemporary Culture
500 Main Street
Baby Grand Jazz performances are free to the public. Can’t join us in person? Shows will be live-streamed on HPL’s YouTube and Facebook.
Thanks to our 2025 presenting sponsor, The Kaman Foundation, for its continuing support and longtime partners, The Hartford Jazz Society and WWUH 91.3 FM.
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Take Your Child to the Library Day | |
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Check out our newly updated Children’s Department, now open at our Downtown Library, on Take Your Child to the Library Day.
The Library is the go-to place for community and entertainment. Join us to learn more about all that Hartford Public Library (HPL) has to offer. Take a second to visit the Read to Grow Bookmobile, a magical space where children can select a book to keep and enjoy.
Saturday, February 1 | 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Downtown Library
500 Main Street
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Kyle Johnson, Co-Chair of the Foundation’s Grants Committee, of the Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation pictured with donated books at the Downtown Library's Children's Department.
HPL extends its heartfelt gratitude to Brown Rudnick for their generous donation of over 40 books to support young readers in our community. These books were handed out during the reopening of the Children's Department on Tuesday, January 21.
"The Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation has proudly supported the Hartford Public Library since 2011 to improve educational outcomes for Hartford’s youth. This past holiday season, Brown Rudnick employees held a book drive, donating over 40 new books to build home libraries of Hartford families," said Meredith Joseph, Executive Director of the Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation. "The Foundation is honored to work alongside Hartford Public Library in their mission to inspire reading, guide learning, and encourage individual exploration."
Thank you, Brown Rudnick!
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A Place Like No Other
HPL offers engaging, educational, and fun programming for all ages.
Check out our full programming calendar HERE
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