A collection of community programs and resources at NHFPL and beyond.
Ives
Fair Haven
Mitchell
Stetson
Wilson
NHFPL Updates
Greetings New Haven Free Public Library community, 

As our City and our country continue to protest, struggle, and dialogue, I want to share with you the statement previously posted on the New Haven Free Public Library’s website and social media channels.  

The New Haven Free Public Library stands in solidarity with our community in condemning violence, racism, injustice and the dehumanization of people of color. We are committed to supporting all people who struggle for basic human rights and dignity. The recent, senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have once again brought to the forefront the shameful lack of progress we have made in this aspect of life as a diverse community of peoples. We at the Library reaffirm our mission to serve as a nonviolent space to build community for all people to have access to resources, experiences, and opportunities, and to work with the people of New Haven to facilitate communication, to foster the growth of our collective knowledge, and to nurture social activism that will truly facilitate change. Building knowledge allows us to learn from our mistakes, improve our present, and imagine a better future. We will continue to do our part in creating a strong and resilient community. We will listen, reflect, and hold ourselves accountable to intentionally achieve a transformative library-community partnership.  

One of our core roles as the public library is to provide access to information for all people in our community. If you are looking to process and understand what you are seeing in the news during these turbulent times, you are not alone. As we continue to make sense of current events, we can turn to literature, the arts and film to help educate and heal us. Toward that end, we have dedicated a section in this newsletter to share works by Black writers, artists, illustrators, musicians, and filmmakers that you can find with you NHFPL library card, many of which you may have seen on our social media platforms as well. 

While there is plenty we can offer you from afar, many of us miss having all doors of the New Haven Free Public Library open -- to see you, hear you, and share with you -- during these difficult times. Please know, we are working in partnership with the City, the State, and others on a careful reopening plan that puts the safety of our community and staff first. We look forward to reopening our buildings and sharing more about our plans and progress in the coming weeks. 

Stay safe and stay well,
John Jessen 
City Librarian and Director 
Register for READy for the Grade Summer Reading Program! 
Tuesday, June 30 - Thursday, August 6

READy for the Grade is open to all New Haven Public School students entering the 1st-4th grade this September who are below grade level in reading. Students will participate in virtual small reading groups, one-on-one tutoring sessions, and community building family nights for all participants of the program. Gift cards will be given out to each participant every week.

Students must attend the group tutoring sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-3 pm and one hour of individual tutoring a week.

If you have questions please contact Micaela Scelza at [email protected] or
Xia Feng at [email protected] or 475-201-5073.

Have a question for our library staff?

Use LiveChat on nhfpl.org Monday through Friday, 9 am-5 pm!

The New Haven Free Public Library is open online! Want to learn how to apply for an e-card? Do you have questions about how to use one of our databases? Need help checking out an audiobook or ebook? Talk with a staff member live with the new chat feature on our website!
Get Your e-Library Card Today!

Your electronic library card is your key to a world of free online learning and entertainment! Questions? Need an e-library card? Call us and leave a message at  (203) 946-8130, email [email protected] or visit nhfpl.org to chat with us live Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm. For Young Minds and Family Learning call (203) 946-8129 or email [email protected].
Check Outs, Returns and Meeting Rooms

  • All library cards set to expire from January 1, 2019 through July 31, 2020 have been renewed.
  • All library materials currently checked out will be automatically renewed through July 31. If necessary, we will extend this date. There will be no overdue fines. 
  • No holds are being fulfilled at this time.
  • You may return items to all book drops.
  • All programs and meeting room reservations are cancelled indefinitely.
Young Minds & Teen Programs & Resources
Summer Reading Kick-off!
Saturday, June 13, 1-2 pm

New Haven Free Library Presents Imagine Your Story! A Music, Bubble and Comedy Show by Turtle Dance Music! Register
NEA Big Read
The Big Read is an annual initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. This year the Big Read is going virtual! All of the programming will be online, centering around Stephanie Burt’s Advice from the Lights. Visit our NEA Big Read web page to stay up-to-date with all of our programming planned for this year.
Book Club for Young Adult Book Lovers
YA Book Bash! featuring LGBTQ+ Books
Tuesday, June 23, 4-5 pm
A monthly book club for Teens & Adults interested in sharing YA's hottest reads! Check out the NEA Big Read selection Advice from the Lights by Stephanie Burt in our Overdrive collection. This book of poetry is a memoir of the author's experience with (mis)identity and longing to live her life as a woman. This book club meeting will include discussion questions based on reading ANY LGBTQ+ book and issues of identity and acceptance.  Register
Support Your Student's Distance Learning

Access free home learning resources such as homework help, classes and lessons, and much more on our website. Resources available for students K-12  here!
Visit the Online Rainbow Library!

Don't miss this incredible list of 30 K-12 LGBTQ+ eBooks, all downloadable for free curated by GLSEN CT and the Rainbow Library Initiative! Visit now
Watch Story Times from NHFPL Staff

Visit the NHFPL  website where you can now find digital story times with new books being posted daily. All of the story times are done by our Young Minds staff from the comfort of their homes. Stay tuned to see what else they read!
NHFPL Adult Programs & Resources
As we continue to make sense of current events, we want to highlight works by Black writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and more to help educate and heal us.
Database
Your NHFPL library cards allows access to The African American Experience , a database focused specifically on African American voices and perspectives throughout American history (and before). With nearly 8,000 primary and secondary sources, your research will uncover endless biographies, slave narratives, speeches, court cases, quotations, and more. The database also features thousands of biographies of renowned African American historical and contemporary figures. Search or browse through 14 “eras” from the year 500 to present day. 
Books and Graphic Novels
Black Imagination by Natasha Marin Find it!
Daughter of the Boycott by Karen Gray Houston Find it!
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi Find it!
A Perilous Path By Sherrilyn Ifill, Loretta Lynch, Bryan Stevenson and Anthony C. Thompson Find it!
He Said, She Said by Kwame Alexander Find it!
Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis Find it!
Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump Find it!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Find it!
Monster by Walter Dean Myers and Guy A. Sims Find it!
Open Season by Ben Crump Find it!
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and
Kadir Nelson Find it!
Black Cool by Rebecca Walker Find it!
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde Find it!
Push Out by Monique W. Morris   Find it!
Citizen Outlaw by Charles Barber Find it!
So You Want to Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo Find it!
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Find it!
El Color De La Justicia by Michelle Alexander Find it!
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad Find it!

Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Find it!
Black Stats by Monique W. Morris Find it!
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Find it!
All About Love by bell hooks Find it!
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis Find it!
Fire Shut Up In My Bones by Charles M. Blow Find it!
We Are the Change by Harry Belafonte Find it!
Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues by Monique W. Morris Find it!
Black Enough by Various Authors Find it!
Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks Find it!
Black Music by by Amiri Baraka Find it!
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo Find it!
Run for It by Marcelo D'Salete Find it!
March- Book 1 by Andrew Aydin and John Lewis Find it!
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Find it!
Wayward Lives & Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman Find it!
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Find it!
Citizen by Claudia Rankine Find it!
Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates Find it!
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia Find it!
April 4, 1968 by Michael Eric Dyson Find it!
Films and Documentaries
Whose Streets? Find it!
I Am Not Your Negro Find it!
Black America Since MLK  Find it!
When Justice Isn't Just Find it!
Moonlight Find it!
Slavery by Another Name  Find it!
The Black Press Find it!
The Talk Find it!
Banished: A History of African American Expulsion Find it!
Music
Attica Blues by Archie Shepp Find it!
Freedom Highway by Rhiannon Giddens Find it!
New Amerikyah by Erykah Badu Find it!
To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar Find it!
Nina Simone’s Four Women: The Phillips Recordings  Find it!
NEA Big Read 2020

The Big Read is an annual initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. This year the Big Read is going virtual! All of the programming will be online, centering around Stephanie Burt’s Advice from the Lights. Visit our NEA Big Read web page to stay up-to-date with all of our programming planned for this year.

Find Your Next Favorite on Our New NHFPL Reviews Page!

Listen to reviews from our library staff to help choose your next book, movie and more on our new NHFPL Reviews page! There are new selections added every week spanning multiple genres and ages. You are sure to find something for everyone.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Virtual Book Chat
Tuesday, June 16, 6:30-7:30 pm

Join patrons of NHFPL and Prospect Public Library to discuss Richardson's popular recent novel and any other literary works that celebrate the power and redemption of books and education. Join via Zoom

NHFPL Genre Book Club
Wednesday, June 17, 6-7 pm

Join us to discuss collections of poetry, including but not limited to Stephanie Burt's book "Advice from the Lights"-New Haven's NEA Big Read pick for 2020!
Author Talk with Professor Helen Yaffe:
We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World
Wednesday, June 24, 7-8:30 pm

Helen Yaffe is a lecturer in Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow, specializing in Cuban and Latin American development. Since 1995, she has spent time living and researching in Cuba. Her new book, We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People have Survived in a Post-Soviet World has been published by Yale University Press. She regularly provides commentary on Cuba for the mainstream media.
Microsoft Virtual Classes
Wednesdays, 12-1:30pm

These are 90 minute classes in Microsoft Word and Excel. They are introductory sessions for getting you started with these key programs! Visit our calendar to sign up for a specific class date.

Obtain Zoom link by emailing Tom Smith at [email protected]  
Online English Conversation Class
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-7:30 pm

NHFPL, in cooperation with New Haven Adult Education and Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven is offering online English conversation instruction. Beginner to advanced - all are welcome. Contact Bill Armstrong at [email protected] for questions and sign-up.
Virtual Meditation
In Partnership with Elm Community Insight

Monday through Friday, 7:30-8:30 am
This time will include space allowed for discussion of meditation practice. Use this link to join at the time of the session.

Saturdays, 10:30 am-12 pm
These sessions will include a brief talk on improving skills, and an open discussion.
Use this link to join at the time of the session.
Enjoy Ives Squared at Home!
EIR Office Hours – Virtual Meetings
Tuesdays, 2-4 pm​
Thursdays, 2-4 pm​ 

Looking to build or grow your business? Make an appointment with our Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Samantha Williams, for one-on-one advice. Make an appointment .

Post-Pandemic Best Practices for Marketing Your Business
Monday, June 15, 1-2:30 pm

Learn the secrets to getting more clients in a New-Normal economy. Develop key strategies to manage your mindset into success after a world crisis to identify the actions you need to take now to move your brand forward online.

Small Business Financials
Friday, June 26, 2-3:30 pm

Entrepreneurs want to achieve financial success in business, but mastering this requires investing time to learn methods to maximize your financial portfolio. This webinar will provide strategies and habits that will put you on the road towards financial independence while managing your business.

Artrepreneur Series Goes Virtual!
Join us for a conversation with prominent New Haven artists as they discuss the opportunities and challenges unique to being an artist and an entrepreneur. This series is facilitated by local artist and entrepreneur, Eric Rey. Register to receive the Zoom link invitation one day prior to the event via email.

Dylan McDonnell
Wednesday, June 17, 2-3 pm
Dylan McDonnell is a local musician and educator. 

Kwadwo Adae
Wednesday, July 15, 2-3 pm
Kwadwo Adae is a local visual artist, muralist, and founder of the Adae Fine Art Academy.

Chad Browne-Springer
Friday, July 17, 1-2 pm
Chad Browne-Springer is the lead singer for Phat Astronaut.
Collab Virtual Office Hours – Virtual Meetings

Collab is a small business, nonprofit, and for-profit support program committed to serving Connecticut entrepreneurs. Get one-on-one advice about obtaining capital, mentorship, and other resources for entrepreneurs based in Connecticut. For more information about Collab, visit  collabnewhaven.org .
No Budget? No Problem! Launching a Successful GivingTuesday Campaign Using Pro Bono Support
Tuesday, June 16, 1 pm

In light of the recent shifts in traditional nonprofit fundraising, Taproot has teamed up with GivingTuesday for a joint webinar on holiday giving best practices, digital fundraising trends, and how pro bono support can help fuel nonprofit campaigns.
Financial Fundamentals:
Professional Development Workshop for CT Artists
Monday, June 22, 3 - 4:30 pm
Part 2
Tuesday, June 23, 3 - 4:30 pm

Latest IRS Rulings and Tax Law Changes that Help Small Businesses
Tuesday, June 30, 1 pm
CIR Office Hours – Virtual Meetings
Tuesdays, 2-4 pm​
Thursdays, 2-4 pm​ 

Looking for advice on your artistic or innovative projects? Make an appointment with our Creative-in-Residence, Joel Callaway, for one-on-one advice. Make an appointment .

Computer Programming Office Hours – Virtual Meetings
Mondays, 6:30-8:30 pm (Starting June 15)

Meet with full-stack developer Page Swanson to consult on any questions you may have about computer programming. Stay tuned to Ives Squared to make an appointment!

Basic 3D Modeling 
Saturday, June 13, 12-1 pm

Join our former Creative-in-Residence, Ryan Paxton, and learn how to use the software program Rhinoceros 3D to model a chess piece that can be printed on a 3D printer. This tutorial is intended to help participants become familiar with the software programs and skills needed for users to design for 3D printing.

Learn to Code - Animated Life in the Browser
Tuesday, June 23, 6:30-7:30 pm

Learn to use web technologies to build simple models and animate them on your own web page. Join full-stack developer Page Swanson to learn the basics of computer programming. This program will be held virtually via Zoom.

3D Modeling: Threaded Nuts and Bolts
Saturday, June 27, 12-1 pm

Join our former Creative-in-Residence, Ryan Paxton, and learn how to use the software program Fusion 360 to create a threaded nut and bolt; useful additions to many 3D printing projects. This tutorial is intended to help participants become familiar with the software program and skills needed to design for 3D printing. 

Free or Low Cost Adobe Alternatives

With Ives Squared closed it means we can't offer access to much of our creative software, but never fear we came up with this helpful list of free or low cost alternatives you can use at home! Check them out

Build Your Creative and Technical Skills from Home with Lynda.com.
Now Available With Your Library Card!

All levels of training in software, creative and business skills are available through Lynda.com, free with your NHFPL library card. Go at your own pace, follow a curriculum and absorb new skills! Check out this curated list of maker courses put together by one of our Ives Squared librarians. It includes learning paths for topics like animation, audio and music production, digital design and more!
Celebrate National Candy Month with Creativebug
Get your sweet treat on in June - it's National Candy Month! Check out our Creativebug database to learn how you can make your own confections. Some classes to check out: Homemade Marshmallows, Hand-Rolled Truffles, Raspberry Chocolate Bars, and Candy Leis. Yum!

Creativebug allows you to over a thousand award-winning craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. Log in with your library card
Collection Connection and Staff Picks
Enjoy these staff recommendations for books, films, and tv shows from our digital databases: Overdrive, Kanopy and Hoopla!
Choose from our ever-growing collection of downloadable audiobooks and ebooks with Overdrive! Borrow them anytime, anywhere and enjoy them across all your mobile devices.
Check Out One of Our New Reads!

Vanishing Half by Bret Bennett Find it!
A Burning by Majumdaar Find it!
Love by Roddy Doyle Find it!
Last Flight by Julie Clark Find it!
Always the Last to Know by Kristin Higgins Find it!
Night Sleep Death the Stars by Joyce Carol Oates Find it!
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager Find it!
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld Find it!
Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin Find it!
Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver Find it!
Stream a variety of feature films, documentaries and educational videos from Criterion Collection, First Run Features, PBS, Great Courses and more!
Complimentary Arts and Ideas Films
Dive deeper into this year's Arts & Ideas themes with a curated list of films on topics including social justice, race, and democracy.

Battle of Algiers Find it!
Born in Flames Find it!
Salt of The Earth Find it!
A Place of Rage Find it!
When I Saw You Find it!
Chocolate Babies Find it!
Lumumba Find it!
United in Anger: A History of ACT UP Find it!
Concerning Violence: Nine Scenes from the Anti-Imperialistic Self-Defense Find it!
Bloody Sunday Find it!
Fourth World War Find it!
A unique digital entertainment / media service which allows you to borrow movies, videos, music and audiobooks straight from your browser, tablet, or smartphone! 

Quo Vadis by Henry Seinkeiwicz Find it!
Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun Find it!
The Collected Poetry of William Butler Yeats   Find it!
Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw Find it!
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse Find it!
The Problems with Philosophy by Bertrand Russell   Find it!
Viper’s Tangle by Francois Mauriac Find it!
Burger’s Daughter by Nadine Gordimer   Find it!
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro Find it!
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro Find it!
Adore by Doris Lessing  Find it!
It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis Find it!
Community Programs & Resources
Don't Let Them Count You Out!
Complete the 2020 Census Today

The 2020 Census is now available to fill out online  or by phone: 844-330-2020. En español o por teléfono: 844-468-2020.

Participation in the 2020 Census remains critically important for access to health care and other resources in New Haven. The U.S. Census counts the country’s population and households. It determines voting districts and the number of congressional seats, and guides the distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funding every year. New Haven receives around $3,000 per person counted to support vital civic and community programs!

Be heard and spread the word.
Attend an Online Discussion: Build Your Savings
Tuesday, June 23, 11 am
Thursday, July 23, 11 am

Learn about financial health and savings with SaverLife. Register and find more information about here. Presented with Alice Saves and Connecticut Association for Human Services.

Free Online Job Training Program with SkillUp CT

Governor Lamont announced the expansion of  SkillUp CT  for any resident who is unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This at-home learning program offers free online job training and access to 5,000 courses in information technology (IT), business analysis, customer service and project management, just to name a few. To find out more or enroll in the program click  here .
Drive up, Fill up and Go! Food Give-a-Way

Either drive or walk up to food pick up locations to receive free groceries for your family. Pick up locations include First Cavalry Baptist Church 609, Believe In Me, New Haven Church of Christ, Mount Hope Temple, and Breakthrough Church. Click here for more information, pick up dates and addresses.
Comcast has Extended Their COVID-19 Response Policies

Through June 30, anyone trying to connect to the internet will have access to Xfinity wifi through their network of hotspots throughout New Haven. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit  www.xfinity.com/wifi .

Additionally, their offer of 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials has also been extended through June 30 for new qualified low-income households. For more information, visit  www.internetessentials.com .
 
For more information and updates from Comcast related to Coronavirus, please visit:
Virtual Festival of Arts & Ideas!

Arts on Call

Gift someone you love with a—socially distanced—arts performance! Starting in just a few weeks, you'll have the chance to choose an artist from a roster to be posted below and select a time for that artist to perform at an outdoor location of your choice. Book a juggler to perform on your grandchildren's front lawn, send a guitar player to strum beneath your girlfriend's window—the possibilities are endless. All proceeds go straight to the participating New Haven Artists. Interested in being one of their artists? Learn more and apply   here .

Activist Songbook's first Virtual Choir

Activist Songbook Virtual Choirs, made up of musicians and non-musicians, record songs from the songbook repertoire and perform together from the safety of their own homes, led by Activist Songbook Chorus Director Stephanie Tubiolo (Associate Director of Choirs at Princeton University). Performers use guide tracks to record their parts separately, singing along and improvising. Want to get involved? Singers of every level are welcome. Learn more and see the video  here .

Self-Guided Walking Tour:
New Haven's African American, Indigenous, and Latin History

This tour through the history of the dynamic Dixwell neighborhood was developed by the African American and Latinx history class from Metropolitan High School. Learn about notable resident John C. Daniels, New Haven's first black mayor and visit sites crucial to the founding of CT Students for a Dream and the history of our city's activism. Learn more  here .
COVID-19 Resources
Please visit these trusted sources for current information and updates.
City of New Haven COVID-19 Hub

Visit the City of New Haven COVID-19 website for the latest developments from City Hall, reliable local and global statistics, and guidance documents for community agencies on operations during this time .

On the website you will also find the New Haven School Meals Distribution Sites. Use their interactive map to see all meal distribution sites nearest to you and their open hours. Find locations near you here .
Yale New Haven Health Hotline

Yale New Haven Health has opened a call center for individuals
with questions about COVID-19. The number is 833-275-9644.
For more information, click here .
Sign up for State Alerts from the Governor

Governor Ned Lamont is calling for all Connecticut residents to sign up and get up-to-the-minute news on Coronavirus COVID-19 and other vital news for the state via your cell phone. Visit ctalert.gov .

Want more? Check out our Calendar !  Sign up for emails  here !