The Library offers free public classes, programs, and exhibitions at its 10 locations throughout the city of Hartford. Below is a selection of upcoming events.
Jump to: Programs / Adult Learning / Exhibits
To submit a public program or exhibition proposal, click here.
Wednesday, June 28, 5:30 pm
Dwight Branch, 7 New Park Avenue
Please join Hartford Public Library’s CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey, Board President Greg Davis, and Andrea Comer, Board Member and Chair of Strategic Planning Committee, for a presentation and discussion about the library’s preliminary strategic planning report. The presentation will introduce four different potential operating scenarios designed to ensure that HPL remains a vibrant and sustainable organization for the future.
Lifelong learning classes in the arts for older adults.
Let’s talk about art! In this introductory course, practice your close looking skills and visual vocabulary while exploring the role of art in our world today. Identify the elements of art and the principles of design, discuss the role of collectors and museums, write a poem or story inspired by a work of art, and more! Each session will include a hands-on art-making lesson, with all supplies provided.
The class will include walking field trips to some of Hartford’s artistic treasures; some walking is required.
Space is limited; pre-registration required. Call 860.695.6377 or email spelletier@hplct.org to register. Priority given to Hartford residents.
Support made possible by Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.
Collage Remix: Art Workshop
|
|
Trumpet player Haneef Nelson leads his Hartford-based jazz ensemble featuring original music and arrangements of Latin jazz and jazz standards.
Haneef was introduced to jazz by his father and through the local Jazzmobile program. He studied with Dave Burns, a well-respected player and teacher. Haneef graduated from the Hartt School, working with Jackie McLean, Nat Reeves and Roger Murtha.
World of Sounds is sponsored by the Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund.
Thursday, July 13, Noon-1 pm
Downtown Terrace
Clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Maxine Martin, a Connecticut native, performs with Abu Alvin Carter Sr., Cori Lovejoy, and Jim Mercik in a combo of jazz, blues, r&b, and pop styles.
World of Sounds is sponsored by the Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund.
Program on new equipment now available presented in partnership with the Secretary of State's Office.
Program on the popular vote and its impact presented in partnership with the Secretary of State's Office.
|
Hartford Public Library is pleased to offer the opportunity for local writers to showcase their latest publication and connect with library visitors. HPL will publicize your appearance and will make available your book in the circulating collection. Hartford authors will be given first consideration. Please contact 860.695.6320 for more information, or click here to submit. |
|
RC Goodwin, The Stephen Hawking Death Row Fan Club: Six Stories and a NovellaFriday, July 7, 2:00-5:00 pmHow do people wind up in prison? Once there, can they change? What's the aftermath of a violent assault on victims and their families? What kind of a toll do jails and prisons take on those who work there? These are a few of the questions confronted by the characters in R.C. Goodwin's collection of stories, The Stephen Hawking Death Row Fan Club. The questions don't make for easy answers, and the characters don't fall into clear-cut categories. Taken together, the stories illuminate some of society's darkest corners. Goodwin's experience practicing psychiatry in correctional settings for over twenty years adds depth and authenticity to them. His stories offer unexpected turns and endings, as well as surprising doses of gallows humor. |
|
Poets on Poetry SeriesThe Connecticut Poetry Society holds its monthly poetry book group discussions on the fourth Saturday of the month in the Hartford History Center on the third floor of the downtown library from 10:15 am-12:15 pm. Poets on Poetry is free and open to the public. The series takes a break in July and August and resumes in September. For further information, visit www.ctpoetry.net. |
|
The Poetry of William Carlos Williams
Presented by Mark Sheridan
so much depends
a red wheel
glazed with rain
beside the white -The Red Wheelbarrow, 1923 |
 |
|
To nominate a poet for discussion or volunteer to moderate, contact:
Christine Beck |
Tuesday and Thursday, 6-7:30 pm,
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
927 Asylum St.
Each class will focus on many of the 100 citizenship test civics questions. We encourage the community to join us for these lively interactive activities and discussions. The classes are open for U.S. citizens who want to improve their own knowledge of U.S. Civics or enhance their skills to tutor new arrivals on their paths to citizenship.
Information: 860-695-6316 and learning@hplct.org
Wednesday, 6-7:30 pm, Runs through June 21
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
927 Asylum St.
Hartford Public Library card holders can sign up for a beginner Spanish course, on Wednesday, March 15.
The classes cover basic Spanish grammar in a step-by-step approach. Classroom instruction will transition to an online program called “Transparent Language,” for continued studies. Classes will be taught by a native Spanish speaker. Class size will be limited to the first 20 registrants.
Information: 860-695-6316 and learning@hplct.org
Tuesday, Wednesday, 2-7:45, Thursday, 2-5 pm
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
927 Asylum Ave.
The classes are a combination of one-on-one instruction with a teacher and computer-based reinforcement activities for adults new to reading.
Information: 860-695-6316 and learning@hplct.org
|
|
ART WALKArtWalk 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. |
May 19-July 1, 2017
Opening Reception: May 19, 6-9pm
Pablo Delano, a painter-turned-photographer, documents the city of Hartford in flux. His exhibition Hartford Views consists of large format photographs that focus on the built environment of this small metropolis. The photographs, spanning eight years, highlight the nuances and contradictions inherent in a city with a layered history, and record what has been lost over time. They are not sociological statements, despite their subject matter; Delano’s love of visual form, design, composition, and color elevate the images to works of art.
3rd floor
Visit the old-fashioned pay phone on the Library's third floor to listen to book reviews by community members. Just pick up the receiver and dial a number! For Women's History Month, you'll hear reflections on novels by Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Sandra Cisneros, among other.
Read more about the Call Me Ishmael phone here
On view at onebook.hplct.org
The Road Not Taken was on view at the Hartford Public Library in the Fall of 2015. Exhibition co-producer Thea Montanez worked with her cousin, Eddie Delberto, who is serving 60 years at Cheshire Correctional Institution. He is a member of the Lifers Group. Childhood photos of lifers are accompanied by written descriptions or where and who they were when the photo was taken.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Phone: (860) 695-6300
