Happening today!

Join us as we reopen our Children's and YOUmedia spaces TODAY

at the Downtown Library!

Children's Department:

Welcome back to our Children's Department! Open today until 6:00 p.m.

Explore our room, and don't miss out on balloon sculpting from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

YOUmedia:

Hang out, mess around, and geek out! Join us for an open house on the second floor from 2:30 - 5:30 p.m.

This innovative space is explicitly designed for creativity and empowerment, targeting teens aged 13 to 19. It features hands-on stations for activities such as virtual reality, eSports, 3D printing, laser cutting, music production, digital design, and much more. Get a sneak peek of the exciting programs and workshops available, and discover how YOUmedia is helping young creators unlock their full potential!

UConn Library:

The UConn Hartford campus library and classes will return to the ground floor of Hartford Public Library on January 21.

Tuesday, January 21

Downtown Library

500 Main Street

Pick Your Poison

The Silent Factory

Bridget Collins

International Bestseller

"Thanks to its clever speculative twist, this stands out from the pack of Victorian historicals."

—Publishers Weekly

"A delicately woven novel with an utterly original premise, it ensnared me from the very first page.”

—Emilia Hart, bestselling author of Weyward

Find it HERE in our catalog

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore

Evan Friss

New York Times Bestseller, Goodreads Choice Award Winner in History & Biography, One of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2024

"A spirited defense of this important, odd and odds-defying American retail category."

—The New York Times

"It is a delight to wander through the bookstores of American history in this warm, generous book." 

—Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author and owner of Books Are Magic

Find it HERE in our catalog

This Sunday at Baby Grand Jazz:

Michelle Tucker Quintet + Strings

Michelle Tucker is a percussionist, composer, and music educator living in the woods of Massachusetts as a transgender woman. Michelle has released two singles with The Michelle Tucker Quintet, Both Can Be True and Leapin’, and she premiered a piece for a jazz quartet and orchestra titled Pieces of Home at The Berklee Performance Center in September of 2024.

Visibility is crucial, and by openly living her life through music, she hopes to contribute to normalizing trans identities. Join Michelle this Sunday to foster a more inclusive community and enjoy some jazz!

Sunday, January 26 | 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. 

Mindful Friday with PEP

Connect with others in the 50+ community and enjoy a delightful craft or activity with PEP (Practice, Engagement, Play). Don't miss this incredible opportunity to relax, create, and make new friends!

Friday, January 24 | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Downtown Library

X-Space, First Floor

500 Main Street

A Place Like No Other

HPL offers engaging, educational, and fun programming for all ages.

Check out our full programming calendar HERE

Check out our Family Programming calendar!

Check out our Adult Programming calendar!

Check out our Youth & Teen Programming calendar!

“What it creates is not the silence of the ears: is it deeper than that"



―Bridget Collins, The Silent Factory



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