We're Having a Party!

Let's Make History Together!

Cheers to 250 years! Hartford Public Library’s 250th Anniversary Celebration is almost here. Expect an unforgettable evening of live music, light bites, and a toast to our shared legacy. Here’s to making history together!

250th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, February 22, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

RSVP HERE (we would love to see you!)

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

We're celebrating Black History Month.

Rediscover important and beloved literature

Their Eyes Were Watching God

 Zora Neale Hurston

 PBS Great American Read Top100 Pick

Originally published in 1937 and a classic of the Harlem Renaissance, this novel has become one of the most important and enduring works of modern American literature.

"A deeply soulful novel that comprehends love and cruelty, and separates the big people from the small of heart, without ever losing sympathy for those unfortunates who don't know how to live properly."

—Zadie Smith

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

"All-TIME 100

Non-Fiction Books" Time Magazine

Originally published in 1969, this modern-day classic is filled with joy, pain, poetry and mystery. It will touch the hearts of all who read it for the first time or over and over again.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.” —James Baldwin

Baby Grand Jazz

 Erez Aviram Ensemble performs this Sunday

February 25

Center for Contemporary Culture (CCC) at the Downtown Library

2 p.m., Doors open to the public (Please come through the Arch Street entrance)

3 p.m., Concert

You are in for a treat.

The Erez Aviram Ensemble is a live experience that offers a unique blend of groovy, hip, and emotionally rich chamber music. The ensemble, with its distinctive instrumentation of piano, violin, cello, French horn, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, bass, and drums, creates a fresh sound that is a testament to the fusion of genres, incorporating lively and fast-paced elements packed with emotional depth.

Get a preview of these incredible musicians and their sound HERE

Erez Aviram - piano

Skyler Hagner - baritone saxophone

Justin Mullens - French horn

Meg Okura - violin

Nicholas Biello - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, flute

Agustin Uriburu, cello

James Robbins, bass guitar

Dan Pugach, drums

Learn more our about entire line up of concerts HERE

We're celebrating the 20th season of Baby Grand Jazz with the support of a generous three-year sponsorship from The Kaman Foundation. Our free series features accomplished jazz musicians and bands from around the region. 

James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket

Photo by Dmitri Kasterine

Film Screening and Centennial Kickoff with Shawn Salvant

Tuesday, February 27, 6 - 8 p.m.

Downtown Library

James Baldwin tells his own story in this emotional portrait. Using rarely-seen archival footage, the film melds intimate interviews and eloquent public speeches with glimpses of Baldwin and original scenes from his extraordinary funeral service in December 1987. His close friends and colleagues — even critics — illuminate the narrative, among them Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka.

Check out a preview of this extraordinary film HERE

Immediately following the film, a discussion will be facilitated by Shawn Salvant.

Shawn Salvant is an Associate Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. His first book Blood Work: Imagining Race in American Literature was published in 2015. His work has appeared in African American Review, Nineteenth Century Literature, and more. Professor Salvant’s areas of teaching and research include: nineteenth-century African American literature, Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction African American literature, and racial science and American literature. He received his B.A. in English from Duke University and his Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

Celebrating Black History Month

Come on by our Park Street Branch and check out this stunning window display put together in celebration of Black History Month.

Sharing a month of programing that honors and celebrates the rich cultural heritage and triumphs of Black people and communities.

Black History Month: Family Storytime

Thursday, February 22, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

South Church - Ages 5 and under w/ caregivers

277 Main St

Join us for stories, activities, and music movement.

Black History Month: Learning Through Food

Thursday, February 22, 4 - 5 p.m.

Albany Branch - For Teens

Learn about Black History through making and enjoying food.

Register HERE

Celebrate Children’s Author-Illustrator Vashti Harrison

Monday, February 26, 4 - 5:45 p.m.

Downtown Library - All Ages

An interactive read aloud of "BIG" by Caldecott Award Winner Vashti Harrison. Explore other children's books by this brilliant creator followed by refreshments.

Register HERE

Learn more about all the programming we have planned for the month HERE

GATHER

We're hosting a series of events that goes beyond the music and explores themes of migration, history, women's representation in jazz, and more.

Up Next:

Young Musician Showcase with Nigel Bello and Priyanka Magavi

Monday, February 26, 6 - 8:15 p.m.

Downtown Library

Presented in partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

A Place Like No Other

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

Check out our calendar of programming HERE and head to your favorite branch!

Check out some of our upcoming programming:

Family Dinner & a Movie @Park! - ¡Cena familiar y película @Park!

Wednesday, February 21, 3 - 5 p.m.

Park Street Library @ The Lyric - All Ages

Join us for fun family time with dinner & a movie!

Winter STEAM Series: ArtLab

Friday, February 23, 2 - 3:30 pm

Downtown Library - Ages 6-12 w/ siblings/parents/caregivers

Enter the Children’s Museum’s ArtLab to explore and create different art forms through a science and engineering lens.

Register HERE

Virtual Reality Art & Game Design Workshop

Saturday, February 24, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Albany Branch - For Teens & Adults

Whether you're an artist seeking a new canvas or a game enthusiast ready to shape virtual worlds, join us to explore the exciting possibilities with the Meta Quest VR headsets.

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”

―James Baldwin