Programs & Exhibits | Hartford Public Library

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Programs & Exhibits

HPL offers a mix of virtual programming and in-person programs. Below is a selection of upcoming programs.

Summer Learn 2021 - All Ages!

EXHIBITS

To submit a public program or exhibition proposal, click here.

We want to hear from you!

We're hosting two Town Hall events on Wednesday, July 21, and invite you to join us as we undergo a strategic planning process to set a vision and goals for the future of your library.

The Town Halls are an open platform for community members to contribute ideas toward our strategic planning.

What do you feel are the highest priority issues for Hartford today?
What Hartford Public Library services have you found to be the most valuable to you and your family?
How can the Library become more accessible?
How can the Library better partner with the community?

Event Details:

Town Hall 1: July 21 from 12:00-1:30pm

Town Hall 2: July 21 from 5:30-7:00pm

In-person Location: Hartford Public Library, Center for Contemporary Culture

Virtual Location: Zoom and Facebook Live (please see registration link for more detail below)

Registration is free and open to all. Seats at the in person events are limited to 50. The events will be held in person, on Zoom, and on Facebook Live. Spanish, Hindi/Urdu language translation will be available on Zoom

If you require special accommodations to participate, please call 860-695-6320 by July 16.

You can register HERE

¡Queremos escuchar de TI!

Estamos realizando dos reuniones de ayuntamiento el miércoles 21 de julio, y les invitamos a que se junten a nosotros mientras emprendemos un proceso de planificación estratégico para establecer una visión y metas para el futuro de su biblioteca

Las reuniones de ayuntamiento son una plataforma abierta para que los miembros de la comunidad contribuyan con ideas para nuestra planificación estratégica.

¿Cuáles cree que son los temas de mayor prioridad para Hartford en la actualidad?
¿Qué servicios de la Biblioteca Pública de Hartford le parecen más valiosos para usted y su familia?
¿Cómo puede la biblioteca ser más accesible?
¿Cómo puede la Biblioteca asociarse mejor con la comunidad?

Detalles del evento:

Reunión de ayuntamiento 1: 21 de julio de 12: 00-1: 30pm

Reunión de ayuntamiento 2: 21 de julio de 5: 30-7: 00pm

Local en persona: Hartford Public Library, Center for Contemporary Culture

Local virtual: Zoom y Facebook Live (consulte el enlace de registro para obtener más detalles a continuación)

La inscripción es gratuita y está abierta a todos. Los asientos en los eventos en persona están limitados a 50. Los eventos se llevarán a cabo en persona, en Zoom y en Facebook Live. Traducción al español, Hindi/Urdu estará disponible en Zoom

Si necesita adaptaciones especiales para participar, llame al 860-695-6320 antes del 16 de julio.

Puedes registrarte AQUÍ

"What Colors Your World?" Summer Adventure

Join Hartford Public Library’s Summer Learning Adventure!

Dive into a summer of creativity and color featuring art workshops, music performances, and creative activities for children, teens, and adults.

Starts on June 21st to August 21st

Click here for all Summer Adventure Adult Programming including the Hartford Changemakers Project, and the Get on Up! music series

SAVE THE DATE

Hartford's L.I.T. presents:
The 3rd Annual Hartford Book Festival
202One Love One Life

September 17th - September 19th, 2021

Hartford's L.I.T.'s (Literary Integrated Trailblazers) third annual Hartford Book Festival will be a celebration of reading and writing for children, teens, and adults in the City of Hartford. The festival will feature local author vendors, live & virtual poetry performances, in person & virtual workshops, panel discussion, youth activities, readings, book giveaways & more.

Friday, September 17th 10am-3pm

Saturday, September 18th 10am-4pm

Hartford Public Library - Downtown

500 Main St. Hartford, CT

Sunday, September 19th 3-9pm

Free CNTR

460 New Britain Ave. Hartford, CT

To register go to: bit.ly/HartfordBookFestival3

Are you a local author or vendor who is interested in being involved? For any inquires and more information please email: hartfordslitfestival@gmail.com

If you require special accommodations to participate, please call 860-695-6320 two weeks prior to the event

BOOK CLUBS

Hartford Reads in Color

Facilitated by Hartford's L.I.T, "Hartford Reads in Color" is a book club committed to delving into the narratives and rich diverse voices of communities of color. From the intellectually astute, to the uncouth and wretched, we are reading with no limits. Focused on shedding light on literature across the diaspora while also educating the community of the various authors and stories that sound and look like them.

This group meets once a month. Registration is required. Register here: bit.ly/ReadsInColorAug

August Pick:

The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

Sunday, August 1st: 2-3pm

Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it's about her dark, black skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?

The Life I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

Sunday, August 29th: 2-3pm

The powerful and long-anticipated companion to The Skin I'm In, Sharon Flake's bestselling modern classic, presents the unflinching story of Char, a young woman trapped in the underworld of human trafficking.

My feet are heavy as stones when I walk up the block wondering why I can't find my old self.

Hartford Reads in Color is facilitated Hartford's L.I.T. For more information about Hartford L.I.T, click here

"Reading material for the homies."

Hartford Public Library is a chapter of Noname's Book Club, an online/irl community dedicated to uplifting POC voices. They do this by highlighting two books each month written by authors of color. From cult classics to the words of emergent authors, Noname’s Book Club highlights books that speak on human conditions in critical and original ways. In addition to social media presence have free virtual meet ups to discuss the monthly picks in a safe and supportive environment. Click here for more information on Noname's Book Club. *If you have incarcerated friends/family who would be interested in reading along with us email their information to info@nonamebooks.com and they will send them the books. For a list of all of Noname's book picks, click here.

Click here for more information on Noname's Digital Nationwide Monthly Meet Up

July Pick:

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.

One of Oprah’s Best Books of the Year and a PEN/Hemingway award winner, Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.

Deep Appreciation Book Club

Hartford Public Library and Hartford Stage invites you to the next “Deep Appreciation" book club meeting, a heart-led gathering featuring live readings, interactive dialogue and reflections on fiction and poetry by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) authors, past and present. The book club will meet quarterly to discuss the selection with teens and adults, as well as provide a family friendly book pairing for those who wish to continue the conversation at home.

Check back in for the next book club meeting date!

Hartford Springs into Summer

Online exhibit available HERE!

Spring is here, and the Hartford Parks beckon!

Local residents have made use of these spaces for decades. Take a look at how the parks have been enjoyed over the years, through the lens of early to mid-20th century Parks Department photographers.

ART WALK

ArtWalk at Hartford Public Library offers one of the largest and most stunning exhibition spaces in greater Hartford and the opportunity for Hartford residents and others to view art in a magnificent setting in our city.

The Banner at the Downtown Library

A banner was recently installed on the northwest corner of Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street. The banner depicts various library activities.

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When Ramiro Louisa returned to Hartford from the Netherlands, one of the first place he brought his daughter, Delyani, was the Hartford Public Library’s Children’s Department.

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On Wednesday, May 15, Connecticut Ballet came to Hartford Public Library to present a free preview of “Old, New, Borrowed and Blue, an incredibly beautiful show it performed later in the week at The Bushnell. Shown here are Connecticut Ballet dancers are Stephen Diaz and Claire Mazza, performing ‘In The Shadow of Women’ by Marden Ramos.

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Each library in the HPL system tailors its programming to reflect the population it serves. The Downtown Library’s Children’s Department is very popular with Indian-Americans who live in the surrounding area. Each year, the department celebrates both Diwali in the fall and Holi in the spring. Yogitha Sarjay is shown making a decoration for Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights.