NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
Dear Friends –
 
While Hartford Public Library is temporarily closed to the public, please know we are working diligently behind the scenes to make sure the Library remains virtually open to you 24/7.

Please take advantage of our robust list of e-resources – books, movies, television shows, music, educational materials – all for free with an HPL card.

All Library fines will be waived from March 13 for as long as our Library is closed to the public.

We will also be suspending holds on physical items and have taken the step to renew all library cards that expired between 10/1/2019 and 6/1/2020. These cards will now have an expiration date of July 1, 2020.
 
If you are looking for help with your taxes, and you qualify, the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax assistance program is now online. The free tax help is available here: https://form.jotform.com/200715549679062 .
 
Most importantly, we recommend that the safest and most convenient way to do the Census is on your own. Without leaving home, you can submit a response on behalf of your household either online at  my2020census.gov  or  over the phone .
 
Working together, we will get through this difficult time.
 
If you have any questions please call 860-695-6300 or email contactus@hplct.org – our staff is on hand to return your calls and emails.
 
Warmly,
 
Bridget Quinn-Carey
The Hartford Public Schools are committed to providing high-quality meals and ensuring that students have access to good nutrition all year long. As such, an emergency meal plan will be implemented beginning on Monday, March 16. We will provide a hot meal to students that can be picked up and brought home for immediate consumption. Cold meal options will also be available.

A student, age 18 and under, must be present. Meals cannot be distributed to adults without their student present.

New Children's Book Collection Available Online!
Tumble Book Library has over 1100 titles perfect for students in grades K-6. It includes animated talking picture books, chapter books, videos, non-fiction titles, graphic novels, playlists, and books in French and Spanish. 


TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home! Your patrons can read as many books as they want, when they want, and on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly.
Kids books about germs are incredibly helpful when teaching children healthy hygiene habits.

If you have little ones asking how viruses spread and why they get sick, these books will impart the important messages you want to convey!
Boundless is the new model for urban learning – an education partnership between Hartford Public Library and Hartford Public Schools that deepens learning opportunities for students and adults. The library and the schools have worked together to offer a bundle of free services that teach, inspire, and entertain.

Our doors may be closed for the time being, but our online resources are ALWAYS OPEN! Use your Hartford Public Library card to access electronic books, music, movies, audiobooks and magazines that you can check out to use on your computer or portable device.

Axis 360 - Through Axis 360 you can download e-books from the Library's collection that can be viewed on your computer or a mobile device. There are never overdue books or late fees; titles automatically return to the Library's collection after 7 or 14 days.

RB Digita l - Access e-books, e-audiobooks, and e-magazines through RB Digital. Titles may be used on a variety of devices. One user account will give you access to all three formats.

Biblioboard - Enjoy digital books, images, videos and more from libraries, artists, authors and others from your community and around the world. BiblioBoard offers exciting new fiction, popular comic books, award-winning videos, colorful children's books and more!

Freegal Music - Freegal Music is a download music service that the Hartford Public Library offers, free of charge, for use by library cardholders. Every library cardholder can download 3 songs per week, and stream up to 3 hours per day.

Kanopy Streaming Service - Kanopy is a streaming video service that offers critically-acclaimed movies, documentaries, and foreign films. Watch 5 movies per month AND stream the entire Kanopy Kids library!

Acorn TV - Acorn TV provides world-class mysteries, dramas, and comedies from Britain and beyond.

IndieFlix - IndieFlix allows you to stream movies and classic TV.

Qello Concerts - Qello Concerts offers full-length concerts and music documentaries. There are over 1,500 of the most amazing live moments in music.

Pongalo - Pongalo tiene telenovelas en español y películas traducidas. (Pongalo has Spanish-language telenovelas and translated movies.)

Download our App! The Hartford Public Library App, available on Android and Apple devices, allows you to browse our collections, place holds, and download e-books and e-audiobooks.
As the number of coronavirus cases grows in the U.S., we’re hearing a lot about how social distancing, self-monitoring and even quarantine play into containment efforts.

But what do those terms mean and when do they apply?

Kaiser Health News asked experts and found out there is some overlap and lots of confusion.

" Libraries are a cornerstone of democracy - where information is free and equally available to everyone. People tend to take that for granted, and they don’t realize what is at stake when that is put at risk." — Carla Hayden