Thank You For Your Philanthropy
We Appreciate Your Generosity
 On behalf of the thousands of people who visit our libraries, borrow and use materials, attend a class, learn to read, connect with others, find a job, and acquire new skills at the Hartford Public Library, thank you to insurance leaders Mark T. Bertolini of Aetna Inc., Christopher J. Swift of The Hartford, and Alan D. Schnitzer of Travelers Cos. Inc., for your investment in the future of Hartford, and in the entire state of Connecticut.

Classes At Mark Twain Branch
Spanish for Beginners
Wednesday, 6-7:30 pm, March 15-May 10
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
927 Asylum St.

Hartford Public Library card holders can sign up for a beginner Spanish course, on Wednesday, March 15.
The classes cover basic Spanish grammar in a step-by-step approach. Classroom instruction will transition to an online program called “Transparent Language,” for continued studies.Classes will be taught by a native Spanish speaker.Class size will be limited to the first 20 registrants.
Information: 860-695-6316 and [email protected]
Citizenship Test Prep Class
  Tuesday and Thursday, 6-7:30 pm,
March 15-May 31
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
927 Asylum St.

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.
Information: 860-695-6316 and [email protected]
Read to Succeed (R2S) Hartford
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 3:30-7:30 pm
Begins March 15
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
927 Asylum Ave.

The classes are a combination of one-on-one instruction with a teacher and computer-based reinforcement activities for adults new to reading.
Information: 860-695-6316 and [email protected]


Chief Charles A. Teale:
The Tools of Learning


Classes Continue Through April 13
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
West Middle Community School
927 Asylum Ave.

Join Charles A. Teale, former Chief of the Hartford Fire Dept., to learn strategies on how to learn, understand, and remember information for academic and professional success. Program is for beginning to advanced readers 18+.. Register: jeagosto@hplct,org or 860-695-6367.


The Library Is A Place For All

Read About Your Legal Protections
Hartford Public Library Serves Everyone

All community members of  every religion and ethnicity, whether citizens or immigrants, are welcome at the Library.
Stay informed and connected.

Try SCOLA
SCOLA is a new service that uses foreign television programming to help us all understand other cultures, languages and ideologies.

Learn more here.


The Amanda Monaco Three
Sunday, March12, 3 pm
Center for Contemporary Culture

Guitarist Amanda Monaco and pianist Noah Baerman met in high school at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven. They formed the group  Playdate in 2008 and their debut CD was released on Posi-Tone Records. Henry Lugo on bass joined them to form the Amanda Monaco Three. They perform their blend of original jazz compositions and contemporary jazz standards.

The 14th Annual Baby Grand Jazz Series, sponsored by The Charles H. Kaman Charitable Foundation.

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 1 pm. 

Information about Baby Grand Jazz.

We're Looking For Bands
For 2018 Baby Grand Jazz

Hartford Public Library has opened submissions for the 2018 season of Baby Grand Jazz, which runs 16 Sundays from January through April. These popular free concerts have been a staple of Hartford Public Library since 2004, thanks to support from the Charles H. Kaman Charitable Foundation. Concerts run from 3 to 4 pm. The Library live streams all performances on its website. Ensembles must include a pianist who will play the Library’s grand piano. Applications should include music samples (video encouraged), a list of ensemble members and their instruments, and high resolution images for publicity. Submit here


WOOD./WORD.
Rafael Oses and Michael Sweeney
Opening Reception
Friday March 17, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
3rd Floor, Downtown
Show Runs through April 30

Rafael Osés' small word paintings — everyday or esoteric words and phrases, using geometric shapes and simple color symbolism — encourage viewers to consider both the meaning and visual attributes of language.
Michael Sweeney’s body of work  the books of things we do not know examines the book as a symbol and prompts consideration of a centuries-old technology that remains an elegant vehicle for exploring one's curiosity.
Sweeney’s carved books cannot be opened and perused, and Osés’ punchy little paintings make their statements blankly. Books and the language they contain are picked apart, examined, and reformatted; this exhibition presents paintings to be pored over and books that cannot be read.
Women's History Month
Carla Ten Eyck: Artist Talk
see real women:
really see women

Thursday, March 23, 6 pm
Hartford History Center, Third Floor
Downtown Library

Exhibit runs until April 7, 2017
Third Floor Administrative Wall

Originally commissioned in 2008, Carla Ten Eyck's exhibition, see real women: really see women, is part of the Hartford History Center's permanent collection. In honor of Women's History Month, the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library celebrates a Hartford-born photographer and her work that asks and answers the question, "When do you feel you are your most beautiful?"

Join us in hearing Carla Ten Eyck share her thoughts on how her images find new meaning almost 10 years since the project was conceived. 

Above, left: Marsha #1
Left: Seyenah #16


WE BELONG HERE, TOO:
Women’s Voices in Online Comments


Wednesday, March 29, 6-7:30pm
Hartford History Center, 3rd floor
Hartford Public Library
500 Main St, Hartford

Comments sections are our modern day venues for collaboration, for public discourse, for democratic deliberation. Ideally, digital discussion spaces are supposed to even the playing field for participation. But for many women, wading into the incivility of online comments is like walking alone down a scary back alley, or into an angry mob with torches and pitchforks. Why put yourself at risk? The harassment that happens in online comments section is a form of the “heckler’s veto.” It keeps many female speakers from publicly expressing their views. This threatens to chill digital public discourse by discouraging half the citizenry from participating at all. Women should chime in. How can we do this safely, bravely and regularly? 

 Join our discussion on the topic with UCONN's Marie Shanahan, (pictured upper left), and Hartford Courant columnist Susan Campbell.

 

Call Me Ishmael

Third Floor, Downtown Library

Hartford Public Library invites you to try “Call Me Ishmael,” which looks like a vintage pay phone, but  uses new technology to share reader reviews of popular books. 

 “Call Me Ishmael” is the opening line from “Moby-Dick: or, The Whale,” written by Herman Melville and released in 1851.   

 Our staff has programmed the phone with reviews of these books in honor of Women’s Month: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Little Women by Louise May Alcott, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.


Geographic Literacy
Maps for All 

Hartford Public Library and the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, launched its Maps for All Initiative, originated by Louise Loomis, on Wednesday, March 1, in the Hartford History Center at the Downtown Library.

The mission of Maps for All, is to promote geographic literacy and a greater awareness of global issues. Library visitors will be encouraged to mark the place of their birth on the map with stickers. World maps will be displayed at all Library branches.

Top picture, from left,: Megan Clark Torrey, executive director of Connecticut World Affairs Council; Michael Howser, director of the Harleigh B. Trecker Library, Hartford Campus of the University of Connecticut; Louise Loomis, Originator of Maps for All; and Bridget Quinn-Carey, CEO of Hartford Public Library.

Pictured left: Louise Loomis.

See a video of the ceremony.


Draw a Hartford History-Maker:
A Black History Community Project

On Display Through March 31
Glass Cases Near  Hartford History Center
Downtown, 3rd Floor

The Draw a Hartford History Maker exhibition kicked off Feb. 2 with a reception honoring the artists who created portraits from photos and biograp hies featured online in 2016's More than A Month series honoring African Americans who made significant contributions to Hartford.  
Read the biographies illustrated with new portraits on the Hartford History Center's Facebook page

Richard Weaver-Bey portrait by Solangel Patino
We Love Your Help
The Hartford Public Library needs your support throughout the year. Please consider making a pledge or donation to help us continue to offer a place that cultivates opportunities, empowers and inspires individuals, and fuels a more prosperous future.


Deborah Ravenwood:
Silence


Wednesday, March1 5, Noon to 2 pm
Main Floor, Downtown Library

Silence is Deborah Ravenwood’s first book. She is a personal life coach. For two decades she has helped people through non-judgmental listening. She describes her book: “the process of reclaiming my voice has opened the floodgates of my memory.”
The author will have books for sale.

Book of the Week
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Like her classmates, builder Iggy and inventor Rosie, scientist Ada uses her imagination and curiosity. When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble.

Just Weave It

Campfield Branch, Monday, March 13, 3-4 pm
Ropkins Branch (for teens), Tuesday, March 14, 3:30-4:30 pm
Blue Hills Branch, Tuesday, March 14, 4:30-5:30 pm
Albany Branch, Wednesday, March 15, 4:30-5:30 pm
Dwight Branch, Thursday, March 23, 4 to 5 pm
Learn about the ancient art of weaving and create a simple weaving loom from ordinary drinking straws. Then make a colorful woven friendship bracelet or a bookmark to take home.

Leap Into Learning Programs for Birth to Five
First Friends Play Group
Downtown, Monday, March 13th, 11 am -Noon
Our play and picture book areas are reserved for you! Share toys, books, and music while your child meets other children.

Sensational Sensory Wednesdays
Downtown Children’s Room, Every Wednesday 11 am - Noon
Interactive play time for children. Each week children will enjoy a new and exciting sensory, hands-on learning activity.

Leo Lionni's Animal Friends
Park Branch, Tuesday, March 14th, 10-11 am
Dwight Branch, Wednesday, March 15th, 11 am to Noon
Downtown, Friday, March 17th, 11 am to Noon 
Celebrate the art and stories of author/illustrator Leo Lionni with stories and activities.

The Wind Blew Story Hour
Ropkins Branch, Wednesdays, March 15th, 10-10:30 am, 10.30-11 am
Enjoy a windy story with a craft.


Build Your Nonprofit
So, You’ve Decided To Build a Nonprofit. Now What?
W ednesday, March 15, 9 am to Noon
Downtown, Youth Program Room, 3rd Floor
Martey Rhine, owner of Management Solutions & Resources, will cover the basics of building a board, budgeting, operational planning, marketing, and fundraising.  Tools, templates, and references for taking the steps to effectively structure your nonprofit organization will be provided.  

Register: [email protected]


Put On Your Game Face

Ropkins Branch
Tuesdays, 4:45 to 5:45 pm

The popularity of tabletop games is trending. There are thousands of versions, such as Forbidden Desert, where players crash land in a barren space and search for a lost civilization, or Flash Point, where you must rescue people from a burning building.
Bring your friends and your favorite games and set up a match.
Writing Workshops At Barbour
Thursdays, 3 to 6 pm
Barbour Branch
Learn the basics of expressing yourself through the written word. .
Our intern, Tinasia, will run the workshops.

Makerspace Mayhem

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 pm
Downtown Library, 2nd floor

Come to YOUmedia for the twice-weekly Makerspace challenge.

Anime Character Creation

Wednesdays 3-5 pm
Downtown Library, 2nd floor

Animefy yourself and your friends at YOUmedia - or create a new unique character of your own.

 



Learn Debate Basics
Great Debates
Thursdays, 6-8 PM
Downtown Library, 2nd Floor

Share your opinions on topics that matter while learning about another perspective from the other debater. 









3D Sculpting and Design

Thursdays, 6-8 pm
Downtown Library, 2nd Floor 

Learn how to design cool characters and objects to use in animations, video games, graphic design, and more.

Drawing With Kahairi
Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 to 6 pm
Downtown Library, 3rd Floor

Let's talk about anime, pop culture and video games while we draw.
 
business-meeting-convo.jpg
Lawyer At Your Library
First Tuesday of Each Month, 11 am-1 pm
Upcoming: April 1 
Downtown Library, The American Place 

Meet privately with an attorney from Greater Hartford Legal Aid concerning questions about rights in the workplace. No appointment necessary. Topics include unlawful discrimination, wages and overtime, and rights fo former offenders. Visitors are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. 

U.S. Citizenship Classes

Class cycles  range from 12-to-14 weeks and repeat. Legal assistance with application completion and submission included.

Passport Services
You can apply for a passport at Hartford Public Library. Hours are Monday though Thursday, 3:30 to 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm.  No appointment is needed and photos can be taken on site.

The Passport office is now located on the second floor.

Online Learning

Accessible through the library website in the Online Education & Research Section. All free with your library card. Log in with your card number and create a user name and password.

  • Learn a New Language: Learn or practice more than 100+ languages using the online learning program Transparent Language.
  • LearningExpress Library™: Build your academic skills in reading, writing, math, and science; prepare for standardized tests, college admissions tests, and professional licensing and certification.
  • Universal Class: Select from over 500 courses in a wide variety of subjects through a program called Universal Class. Learn a new hobby, improve your computer skills, or expand your job or career options. 
  • Career Online High School (COHS)Earn your high school diploma online, must be 24 or older.

American Job Center

Monday-Thursday, 10 am-6 pm
Fridays, 10 am-5 pm,
2nd Floor, Downtown

 Looking for a job? Feeling a bit rusty on your interview skills or bewildered by all the new technology a successful job search demands? We can help! CTWorks Capital Workforce Partners and HPL Library have partnered to bring a CTWorks "American Job Center" to the Downtown Library.

The Job Center is in temporary space in the Learning Lab on the 2nd floor to accommodate UConn construction.

Catalog Options
Have you checked out our
mobile-friendly catalog?
Hartford Public Library | 860.695.6300 | hplct.org