It's Almost National Library Week!

Celebrate National Library Week with us from April 19–25, 2026. It's a time to honor the many ways libraries bring people together, spark imagination, and support lifelong learning. From books and e-resources, citizenship classes, social services, to concerts, author talks, and more, HPL is at the heart of the Hartford community. HPL is for you, and for everyone. 

Do you have an old HPL Library card? During National Library Week, you can get a free upgrade or replacement card! To take advantage of this special offer, visit any HPL location during our regular hours and speak with a member of our staff. This special deal is available to both new and returning customers and is valid throughout National Library Week. 

Upcoming Highlights

Thursday, April 16:

Learn how to write creatively and enjoy shared experiences at a hands-on poetry workshop hosted by local poets inspired by Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Light refreshments will be provided. Register HERE.

Downtown Library, Classroom 139 | 500 Main Street | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Monday, April 20:

Discover the art of tea blending, where you can learn about common herbs, flavor profiles, and basic wellness while creating your own blend. Register HERE.

Albany Library | 1250 Albany Avenue | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 21:

Teens, bring your very own original comic book or magazine to life at a self-publishing workshop.

Downtown Library, YOUmedia, Second Floor | 500 Main Street | 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 22:

Share cherish family recipes and their history with others, a discussion inspired by Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

Barbour Library | 261 Barbour Street | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Children will go on a culinary adventure beginning with the story, Anni Dreams of Biryani by Namita Moolani Mehra and Chaaya Prabhat and learn about Indian foods. Register HERE.

Downtown Library, Children's Department, Third Floor | 500 Main Street | 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

For more fun and engaging programs and events, click the buttons below!

Baby Grand Jazz



Double-header this Sunday!

1:15 p.m. – Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Digba Ogunbiyi began playing drums at his local church before studying at the Peter King College of Music and the Music Society of Nigeria. Active in the Nigerian music scene, he has performed with artists including Lagbaja, Etuk Ubong, and more.

3:15 p.m. – Tyler Sherman and Friends

Bassist and composer Tyler Sherman, a Connecticut native, studied at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts under Dave Santoro and Paul “PB” Brown. He earned degrees from Berklee College of Music and Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Sunday, April 19 | 1:15 p.m.

Doors open at 1:00 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

Thank you to our 2026 presenting sponsor, The Kaman Foundation, for their generous support, and to our longtime partners, The Hartford Jazz Society and WWUH 91.3 FM, for helping us bring incredible music to the community every week

Book Recommendations

Unmasking Autism

Devon Price



"A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement."

—Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism"

Find it HERE in our catalog

Also available in HERE in Spanish

The Reason I Jump

Naoki Higashida



"One of the most remarkable books I've ever read. It's truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid."

—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show



Find it HERE in our catalog

"True compassion is about not bruising the other person’s self-respect."



—Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump

Celebrate the Café

The Kitchen at Futures Inc. is officially cutting the ribbon on its new space at HPL's Downtown Library, 500 Main Street. You're invited to join us on Thursday, April 23, at 11:00 a.m.

Registration is encouraged.

As a special offer, show this newsletter from Wednesday, April 15 - Tuesday, April 21 to receive 10% off your next order!

Thursday, April 23 | 11:00 a.m.

Downtown Library

Café

500 Main Street

CT Humanities and Freedom Trail

A presentation of renowned storyteller Andre Keitt portrays William (Billy) Lee, an enslaved American man who served as George Washington's personal assistant before, during, and after the American Revolution.

Registration is required.

Thursday, April 16 | 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

April is Poetry Month

Haiku your way through April. Every Friday at our Downtown Library we feature a different Haiku on the intercom. Here are a few you might have missed:

Morning mist rises.

Pin trees whisper to the breeze.

Sunlight warms the earth.

-Stephanie Perez, HPL's Community Resource Navigator

The quiet creates

Dreams far beyond exposures.

Seeds sown; grown unknown.

-Roseau Tomlin, HPL's Security Guard

Still Going Strong!



HPL’s Big Read is centered around Bite by Bite by acclaimed author Aimee Nezhukumatathil and the companion children’s book Anni Dreams of Biryani by Namita Moolani Mehra and Chaaya Prabhat.

The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read is a dynamic, citywide reading initiative that promotes community connection through literature, running through Wednesday, May 20.

For a full list of programs and events, click HERE.

More Than Books

Discover how libraries go beyond books to expand access, uplift diverse voices, and strengthen civic life. Join us for a community discussion as we reflect, share, and imagine the future of libraries as essential spaces for connection, equity, and opportunity.

Refreshments will be served. Registration is required.

Monday, April 20 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

Hartford Circus Fire

Join us for a discussion of the legal aftermath of the Hartford Circus Fire and how it influenced the concept of “mass tort, presented by TheaterWorks Hartford and CT Humanities. Judge Henry S. Cohn, author of The Great Hartford Circus Fire: Creative Resolution of Mass Disasters, will be in attendance in conversation with Deborah Schandler, Connecticut State Librarian.

Registration is required.

Saturday, April 25 | 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Downtown Library

Center for Contemporary Culture

500 Main Street

Special Notice

HPL’s Boundless Library @ Rawson will be closed for spring break from April 13 - 17 and will reopen on Tuesday, April 21, with regular schedule hours.  For hours and locations, click HERE.

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
• 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.

Your support makes a difference.