Hartford Public Library (HPL) brings you something new every week! From author talks and concerts to cooking demos and music production, stay tuned for fun and educational programs for all. | | | | |
Special Notice
On Monday, June 1, at 11:00 a.m. HPL will cut the ribbon to the fully reopened Downtown Library! To allow staff to attend the celebration, we are opening all HPL locations at 1:00 p.m. The Downtown Library will be open following the ribbon-cutting.
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Upcoming Highlights
Thursday, May 28:
Teens, celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with a special K-Pop Club event focused on South Korean culture. Learn a quick K-Pop routine, practice basic Korean phrases, and sample Korean snacks!
Barbour Library | 261 Barbour Street | 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, June 1:
Experience the art of weaving up close with the Hartford Artisan Weavers during this live demonstration. Learn about the tools, techniques, and traditions behind the pieces on view in Woven Hartford: Craft of Community. Free and open to the public, weavers will be on hand to answer questions.
Downtown Library, Hartford History Center, Third Floor | 500 Main Street | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
For more fun and engaging programs and events, click the buttons below!
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Film Screening
Join us at the Downtown Library for a screening of The Librarians, a 2025 documentary that follows librarians across America as they fight against book banning and censorship.
Watch the trailer HERE.
Monday, June 1 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Downtown Library
HPL Hall, First Floor
500 Main Street
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Whistler
Ann Patchett
"Patchett devises for her characters an incident with edge-of-one's-seat suspense in this novel overflowing with rewards for all."
—Library Journal
Find it HERE in our catalog
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Land
Maggie O'Farrell
"A breathtaking hymn to the sanctity of natural spaces, operating on timescales both intimate and geological. I finished Land moved not only by the vivid lives of its human characters, but the thrumming, gorgeous presence of its mosses, waters, winds, and skies."
—Publishers Weekly
Find it HERE in our catalog
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"We were loved, not passionately but enough, and we were largely ignored, which allowed for our healthy separation from the primary family."
—Ann Patchett, Whistler
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The Latest with HPL Studios
Podcasting:
Have you ever wanted to start a podcast? Come learn podcast basics with HPL Studios, hosted by DJ B. Davis. This program is made possible by COMCAST.
Starting Tuesday, June 2 - Monday, August 10 | 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Downtown Library
Classroom 139, First Floor
500 Main Street
Register HERE.
The Beat:
New albums on Hartford Public Library’s The Beat have dropped! From hip-hop to reggae, Latin jazz, rock, and more, The Beat has music for everyone.
The Beat showcases local Hartford artists. Tune in to the best songs for free with your library card, with no commercials.
Start streaming HERE.
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First Ever R&B Performance at HPL Hall
Celebrate the reopening of HPL's Downtown Library with live music from Ru Love Williams. Get here early for the free giveaways, first-come, first-served.
About Ru: Ru Love Williams is an R&B singer, songwriter, and recording artist based in Hartford, Connecticut. Known for his "real R&B" sound, his music blends soulful urban grooves with contemporary pop sensibilities.
Monday, June 1 | 2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Downtown Library
HPL Hall, First Floor
500 Main Street
| | Get a preview of his sound HERE. | | | | |
Books & Brews
Books & Brews is back!
Experience the Library in a vibrant new way with tasty eats, interactive experiences, a signature mocktail & spirits by The Wini Bar, live music by Matt Parker, and a FREE beer tasting by Urban Lodge Brewing Co.
Books & Brews is a ticketed event. Tickets are $30 at the door and online.
Presenting and Community Sponsorships are available. For information, contact Jessica Dolan, Assistant Director of Development at jdolan@hplct.org.
Thursday, June 4 | 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Downtown Library
Terrace & The Kitchen at Futures Inc.
500 Main Street
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ArtWalk Opening Reception
The ArtWalk is back! Join us for the opening reception on Friday, June 5.
…And My Heart Beats For You presents new work by Connecticut-born artist Traé Brooks, whose multidisciplinary practice explores identity, memory, spirituality, and the ways we carry personal and collective grief.
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Through paintings, sculptural objects, writings, and video installations, Brooks reflects on how loss transforms us, reshaping the stories we hold, the bonds we form, and the ways we move through the world. What began as a tribute to his grandmother has grown into an expansive meditation on all the lives that leave an imprint - family, friends, brief encounters, and ancestors alike. In this exhibition, Brooks considers both intimate mourning and the larger currents of collective grief shaped by violence, injustice, and global upheaval. His works become vessels for remembrance, resilience, and the ongoing act of rebuilding the self.
...And My Heart Beats For You is funded by the Roberts Foundation of the Arts and Suzanne Hopgood in memory of Frank Lord.
HPL's ArtWalk, on the third floor of the Downtown Library, will run from Monday, June 1, through Saturday, August 29, 2026.
Opening Reception - Free and open to the public
Friday, June 5 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Downtown Library
ArtWalk, Third Floor
500 Main Street
Image: You will always be my best friend (Corey)
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Record Release Concert
A special evening celebrating the release of Tom Willits’ newest record, All of Us. Tom is a singer-songwriter, performer and producer. His music is rooted in storytelling and connection.
Registration is encouraged.
Thursday, June 11 | 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Downtown Library
HPL Hall, First Floor
500 Main Street
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Downtown Library Opening Week Events | | We have so much in store for you and we can't wait to show you our new spaces. Join us as we celebrate the Downtown Library all week long with events and programming. We hope to see you there! | | |
Thursday, June 4:
10:00 a.m.
Coffee & Conversation: Networking Hosted by WBDC - The Hartford Business Resource Center, First Floor
11:00 a.m.
Storytelling Bootcamp: Nonprofit Workshop - Travelers Center for Arts & Culture, First Floor
12:00 p.m.
Zumba - Atrium, Ground Floor
Creating and Exploring VR Worlds - YOUmedia, Second Floor
2:00 p.m.
Help Shape the Future of UConn Co:Lab's Work - Travelers Center for Arts & Culture, First Floor
3:00 p.m.
Arts, Crafts and, 3D Modeling and Printing for Teens - YOUmedia, Second Floor
Jewelry Making - Children's Department, Third Floor
5:30 p.m.
Books & Brews - Café and Terrace
6:00 p.m.
Artist Talk: Andre Rochester, Masem Enyong, Brooke Toczylowski - HPL Hall, First Floor
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Friday, June 5:
11:00 a.m.
Story Time - Children's Department, Third Floor
Job Fair - Atrium, Ground Floor
12:00 p.m.
Creative Art And Animation - YOUmedia, Second Floor
3:00 p.m.
Music Production & VR Tournament for Teens - YOUmedia, Second Floor
4:00 p.m.
Poetry, Art and Jazz: Haneef Nelson and Mind Evolution - HPL Hall, First Floor
5:30 p.m.
ArtWalk Opening Reception - ArtWalk, Third Floor
Saturday, June 6:
9:00 a.m.
Book Sale - Atrium, Ground Floor
12:00 p.m.
Summer Learning Kickoff - Terrace
| | For more information and a full lineup of events please click the button below! | | | | |
Resources & Services
Fight Hunger:
Facing food insecurity? Here's help:
- Text "211Food" to 898211
- Enter your zip code when prompted
- Identify an open food pantry near you
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For more information, click HERE.
Free Medical Rides:
HPL + Bus or Car Rides = FREE rides to medical appointments for Hartford residents 18+. Contact us or have your provider contact us to schedule transportation to your next verified medical appointment. This service is for those who do not have a transportation benefit through their insurance provider. Please call: (860) 840-1264 for more information.
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Your support makes a difference. | | | | |
