Weekly Updates from HPL

Next Week!

Travelers Insurance volunteers recently joined us at Hartford Public Library's Downtown Library to prepare for our annual Books & Brews event on Tuesday, September 16.

The Travelers team wrapped nearly 100 books for our “Date with a Book” activity. Each book is disguised to be a surprise read, inviting attendees to discover something new, spark conversations, and celebrate the joy of reading.

We are grateful for Travelers’ continued partnership and their commitment to literacy, learning, and community engagement.

Books & Brews is a ticketed event. All proceeds will go to support HPL programming.

For more information, please contact Jessica Dolan, HPL's Assistant Director of Development, at jdolan@hplct.org or 860.695.6325.

Tuesday, Sept. 16 | 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

J Under the Dome

1 Sequassen St, Hartford, CT 06106

Purchase Tickets

Welcoming Hispanic Heritage Month

The Bewitching

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

National Bestseller

"In Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s sure hands, every uncovered secret is fraught with intrigue and creeping horror."

—Tananarive Due, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Reformatory

"It’s as unsettling as it is unputdownable."

—Publishers Weekly

Find it HERE in our catalog

My Name Is Emilia del Valle

Isabel Allende

National Bestseller

"All of Allende’s books, My Name Is Emilia del Valle included, have the epic feel of a major Hollywood film."

—Associated Press

"An action-packed, brightly detailed historical novel not much hampered by its thinly characterized central figure."

—Kirkus Reviews

Find it HERE in our catalog

Win!

When you thought you could only win prizes in the summer, we are offering two contests this fall!

Did you know you can use your Connecticut library card at other libraries in the state? Travel by train and explore the libraries of the Hartford Line for a chance to win a library swag bag and to pick up other prizes along the way!

How to participate:

Pick up a guidebook at one of four participating libraries for more information and to begin your journey at HPL's Downtown Library, Wallingford Public Library, Meriden Public Library, or Windsor Public Library
Show your train tickets at each of the four participating libraries to receive a stamp and a small prize

Once you receive all four stamps, return your guidebook to any of the participating libraries by Oct. 7 to be eligible for the grand prize drawing.

Contest runs from Sept. 2 to Sept. 30!

Win Big!

September is Library Card Sign Up Month! This month only, visit any HPL location to sign up for a library card or renew your existing one to be entered in a raffle. The winner will receive a FREE iPad.

The winner will be selected at the end of the month.

Fall Themed Cooking Demo

Starting this month, Shoprite will be hosting cooking demonstrations at the Library. Learn more about practical tips for cooking and eating healthy, watch as tasty dishes are prepared, and enjoy samples.

Registration is required.

Wednesday, Sept. 17 | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Dwight Library

7 New Park Avenue

Check out the other dates and locations. All sessions run 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Friday, October 3

30 Campfield Avenue

Camp Field Library

Wednesday, October 8

603 Park Street

Park Street Library @ the Lyric

Friday, November 7

261 Barbour Street

Barbour Library

Wednesday, November 12

1750 Main Street

Ropkins Library

Hartford Reads In Color

Join Nzima Hutchings Visionary Chief Executive Founder Director and T'challa Williams Executive Co-Founder, Spokeswomen, Event Coordinator and Liaison of Harford's L.I.T. for a quarterly book discussion.

This discussion is on The Roots of a Tree: The Genesis of a Conscious Conversation by Alphonso McGriff III.

Registration is required.

Sunday, Sept. 21| 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Virtual

Save the Date

HPL, Sistah Anyango of The FLYY Movement and Karla of Sudor Taino Fitness are getting ready to bring back your monthly fitness special. Make sure to save the date to your calendar. Sessions are by Afrikan, Caribbean, and Latin rhythms that exhilarate your heart and soothe your soul for all bodies and abilities.

Registration is recommended.

Wednesday, Sept. 24 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Downtown Library

500 Main Street

Are you registered to vote? Not sure? Come find out at our voter registration drives on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Barbour Library: 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Camp Field Library: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

7th Annual Book Festival

Celebrate Literary Art Aligned 2025 with us and Hartford's L.I.T. this fall! The festival is a family-friendly event featuring crafts, performances, workshops, and more.

Saturday, Sept. 27 | 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Downtown Library

500 Main Street