Digital Inclusion Week Starts Monday

Giving everyone the opportunity to use technology to learn, live and thrive!

We are pleased to welcome American Library Association Executive Director Tracie D. Hall and a group of community stakeholders to the Downtown Library next week for an important discussion about digital equity in Connecticut.

Advancing to Digital Equity in CT

Wednesday, October 5th

9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Downtown Library

500 Main St.

Learn more about how Connecticut libraries are working to close the digital divide HERE.

Hispanic Heritage Month picks for our YA friends

The Poet X

Elizabeth Acevedo

National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Winner

This is a novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

"A powerful, heartwarming tale of a girl not afraid to reach out and figure out her place in the world." — Booklist

"The force and intensity behind her words practically pushes them off the page, resulting in a verse novel that is felt as much as it is heard. This is a book from the heart, and for the heart." — New York Times Book Review

More Happy Than Not

Adam Silvera

New York Times Bestseller

Paste Magazine Best Young Adult Novel of All Time

An engaging science fiction story of race, suicide and sexuality that despite the challenging subjects remains hopeful.

"Poignant. ... So engrossing that once you start it, you won't be able to put it down. Don't say we didn't warn you." — TeenVogue.com

"A beautiful debut novel. ... Aaron's Bronx universe [is captured] with a precision that feels at once dreamy and casually reportorial. ... Mandatory reading." — New York Times Book Review

Featured artist on Hartford Public Library's The Beat:

Trombeatz

Trombeatz, led by trombonist Hommy Ramos, is a group of fantastic musicians that get together and play some beautiful Caribbean jazz music.

If you want to know what Caribbean jazz is all about, then check out “A Caribbean Thing.”

The Beat is Hartford Public Library's growing catalog of local music, curated by professionals, that can be streamed online by anyone with an internet connection. You can download the albums with your library card.

Click HERE to check out The Beat today!

The Beat will be accepting new submissions from Hartford-area musicians beginning in November. Stay tuned.

Arthur is singing the truth

It's National Library Card Signup Month: Get your library card today!

Third year of Hartford Changemakers is in the books!

What a summer.

Through storytelling, mural painting, urban farming and documentary photography, workshop participants created their own homages to the Changemakers in their lives.

Many thanks to all the amazing participants who joined us to share their stories, and to all our artist instructors!

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢'𝘴 𝘌𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

Make some art

Create African Masks

Join Ms. Fey to learn the history of African masks and create your own while listening to a story. All ages welcome!

Monday, October 3rd

4-5 pm

Barbour Library

261 Barbour St.

Chicago-Style Steppin'

🎼"You can dance. You can jive. Having the time of your life."🎼

Calling all dancing queens and kings! Come alone, with a partner or a group and learn how to dance from the Hartford City Steppers.

Dancing will make you happy. We promise.

Free and no registration required.

Saturdays: October 1st, 8th, 22nd and 29th

Downtown Library, Atrium

500 Main St.

Learn more HERE.

Let your voice be heard!

Throughout the month of October we are hosting voter registration drives at each of our branches! Click the image above to register to vote or stop by one of our drives next week:

Monday, October 3rd

4:30-6 pm

Downtown Library

500 Main St.

Thursday, October 6th

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Park Street Library @ the Lyric

603 Park St.

Online and paper voter registration is available at all HPL locations during regular hours.

Need a reminder of your polling place? Or want to check if you're already registered? Click HERE.

Don's miss out on this student loan forgiveness program!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

In 2007, Congress created the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program with a simple promise: Work 10 years for government or nonprofits and all your remaining federal student debt will be erased. The average qualified borrower has $60,000 in loans forgiven.

Don't miss out! Apply by October 31st!

Learn more about the program and find out if you're eligible HERE.

Celebrating the life of Hartford's Johnny Eagan

Before embarking on a decadelong NBA career, Hartford's Johnny Eagan led Weaver High School to consecutive New England high school basketball championships in 1956 and 1957.

Please join Mike Copeland and Howie Greenblatt, co-authors of Oh What a Move!: Profiles of Hartford Basketball Players 1954-1984 for a reception to honor the memory of Eagan, who died in Texas in July at the age of 83.

Saturday, October 1st

1-3 pm

Downtown Library

500 Main St.

Learn more HERE.