Women's History Month

WE BELONG HERE, TOO:
Women’s Voices in Online Comments

Wednesday, March 29, 6-7:30 pm
Hartford History Center, 3rd floor
Hartford Public Library
500 Main St, Hartford

Comments sections are our modern day venues for collaboration, for public discourse, for democratic deliberation. Ideally, digital discussion spaces are supposed to even the playing field for participation. But for many women, wading into the incivility of online comments is like walking alone down a scary back alley, or into an angry mob with torches and pitchforks. Why put yourself at risk?

The harassment that happens in online comments section is a form of the “heckler’s veto.” It keeps many female speakers from publicly expressing their views. This threatens to chill digital public discourse by discouraging half the citizenry from participating at all. Women should chime in. How can we do this safely, bravely and regularly? 

Join our discussion on the topic with UCONN's Marie Shanahan, (pictured upper left), Hartford Courant columnist Susan Campbell, and UCONN student and Daily Campus opinion contributor Haddiyyah Ali.

 

Carla Ten Eyck: 
see real women:
really see women


Administrative Wall, Third Floor
Downtown Library
Exhibit Through April 7
Originally commissioned in 2008, Carla Ten Eyck's exhibition, see real women: really see women, is part of the Hartford History Center's permanent collection. In honor of Women's History Month, the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library celebrates a Hartford-born photographer and her work that asks and answers the question, "When do you feel you are your most beautiful?"

Left,  Marsha #1


Strong Girls Zine Making

Albany, Monday, March 27, 4:30-5:30

It’s Women’s HERstory Month at the library. From celebrities to public figures to the leading ladies in our own lives, we’ll make mini magazines to celebrate our favorite strong women.

Patchwork Reflections
  Dwight, Tuesday, March 28, 4-5 pm
Goodwin, Tuesday,  March 28, 4-5:45 pm

Learn about Women's History Month through creative and beautiful patchwork.

Call Me Ishmael

Third Floor, Downtown Library

Hartford Public Library invites you to try “Call Me Ishmael,” which looks like a vintage pay phone, but  uses new technology to share reader reviews of popular books. 

 “Call Me Ishmael” is the opening line from “Moby-Dick: or, The Whale,” written by Herman Melville and released in 1851.   

 Our staff has programmed the phone with reviews of these books in honor of Women’s Month: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Little Women by Louise May Alcott, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.


Traditional Indian Dance
Kuchipudi Demonstration
Friday, March 24, 11 am
Center for Contemporary Culture
Main Floor, Downtown

Sarada Nori Akella will perform Kuchipudi, a traditional Indian dance. Sarada is the founder and artistic director of LayaVinyasa School of Dance and Music in Glastonbury, established in 2012. 
The demonstration will express the nine emotions in Navarasa: Shringara (love/beauty), Hasya (laughter), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veera ( heroism/courage), Bhayanaka (terror/fear), Bibhatsya (disgust), Adbutha (surprise/wonder), and Shantha (peace or tranquility).
Poets On Poetry
The Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop
  Hartford History Center,
3rd Floor, Downtown
Presented by John Stanizzi
Saturday, March 25th, 10:15 am
Elizabeth Bishop was an American poet and short story writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1956, the National Book Award in 1970, and the Neustadt International Price for Literature in 1976.
John Stanizzi, poet, teaches at Manchester Community College and has published several collections of poetry.
Photo:
Baby Grand Jazz Double Concert
Nita Zarif
Sunday, March 26, 1:30 pm
Center for Contemporary Culture

Nita Zarif is one of Hartford’s best-loved vocalists. Born and raised in Hartford,  Her collaborators include Hartford pianist and educator Emery Austin Smith, pianist and composer Kalim Zarif, pianist Donny DePalma, and performances with People of Goodwill, Orquestra Espada and Excursion.
Joining her is Warren Byrd on piano, Doug Long on bass, Saskia Laroo on trumpet, and Alvin Carter Jr. on drums.
This concert was originally scheduled for Feb. 12.  Photo by Steven Sussman.

Eugene Uman’s Convergence Project

Sunday, March 26, 3 pm
Eugene Uman says, "The Convergence Project is a sextet I have put together to interpret my own compositions. The intention when writing these pieces was to the vocabulary of jazz with the edge of rock and the inspiration of Colombian folkloric rhythms." The band includes Uman on piano, Michael Zsoldos on saxophone, Jeff Galindo on trombone, David Picchi on bass, and Jon Fisher on drums.
The 14th Annual Baby Grand Jazz Series, sponsored by The Charles H. Kaman Charitable Foundation.

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 1 pm. 

Information about Baby Grand Jazz.

We're Looking For Bands
For 2018 Baby Grand Jazz

Hartford Public Library has opened submissions for the 2018 season of Baby Grand Jazz, which runs 16 Sundays from January through April. These popular free concerts have been a staple of Hartford Public Library since 2004, thanks to support from the Charles H. Kaman Charitable Foundation. Concerts run from 3 to 4 pm. The Library live streams all performances on its website. Ensembles must include a pianist who will play the Library’s grand piano. Applications should include music samples (video encouraged), a list of ensemble members and their instruments, and high resolution images for publicity. Submit here

We Love Your Help
The Hartford Public Library needs your support throughout the year. Please consider making a pledge or donation to help us continue to offer a place that cultivates opportunities, empowers and inspires individuals, and fuels a more prosperous future.
We thank the leaders of Aetna, Travelers, and The Hartford, for their generous support.

ArtWalk 
 
WOOD./WORD.
Rafael Oses and Michael Sweeney
3rd Floor, Downtown
Show Runs through April 30

Rafael Osés ' small word paintings — everyday or esoteric words and phrases, using geometric shapes and simple color symbolism — encourage viewers to consider both the meaning and visual attributes of language.

Michael Sweeney’s body of work,  the books of things we do not know, examines the book as a symbol and prompts consideration of a centuries-old technology that remains an elegant vehicle for exploring one's curiosity.

Sweeney’s carved books cannot be opened and perused, and Osés’ punchy little paintings make their statements blankly. Books and the language they contain are picked apart, examined, and reformatted; this exhibition presents paintings to be pored over and books that cannot be read.


Author's Table
Sherry Horton
Thursday, March 30, Noon to 3 pm
Main Floor, Downtown
Witness Chair: A Memoir of Art, Marriage, and Loss
This is a poignant story of a marriage and a journey of loss.  This  memoir offers a compassionate guidebook to the art of living in the face of suffering and death. 
The author will have books for sale.


Puerto Rican Soldiers In WWI
Fighting on Two Fronts:
Puerto Rican Experience in WWI
Thursday, April 6, 5:30 pm
Center for Contemporary Culture
Downtown Library
Harry Franqui-Rivera, an assistant professor of history at New Jersey’s Bloomfield College, will talk about the experiences of Puerto Ricans in the United States military in the 20th century.  Veterans  from the Hartford area are invited to attend, share their experiences, and contribute to program topics.  Program will be bilingual (English & Spanish).
Information on WWI programs: 

Image: Rafael (left) with brother Jesús Hernández, during WWI, c.1917. Cesar J. Ayala and  Rafael Bernabe, " Puerto Rico in the American Century: A History Since 1898.
Lifelong Learning At Albany
Printmaking Class With  Robert Charles Hudson
Albany, Tuesdays, 10 am-Noon
April 4-May 9
Class is progressive; plan on attending all six workshops. Space is limited; pre-registration is required. Priority given to Hartford residents. All materials provided.
 
Call 860-695-7381 or email elane@hplct.org to register.
Image: LINOCUT, 13x19 cm, 1947, Elizabeth Catlett
RACE At Ropkins
Books and Basketball
 Students enjoyed the RACE at Ropkins event Wednesday,March 22,  with basketball and reading activities.  The Hartford Public Library branch, in the SAND School, serves the Clay Arsenal neighborhood. 
The Beloved Community Of MLK
Helping Those In Need
In Spirit of Dr. KIng
Tuesday, April 4, 2-7 pm
Ecospace, 224 Farmington Ave., Hartford

CT Center for Nonviolence and Hartford Public Library, are co-hosts of The Great American Give-Away – A Free Market and Community Gathering, Honoring the Legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.   The event takes place on the 49th anniversary of King’s assassination.
We invite those that have more to share with those who have less. Needed Items include: pots and pans; plates and silverware; scarves, ties, and pocketbooks.
The Center encourages organizations to sign up for one of two shifts.
Event registration (due March 27).  
Also: 860-570-9075 or email:  info@ctnonviolence.org


MetroHartford Alliance Luncheon
Break the Ice Event
Hartford Public Library CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey addresses members of the MetroHartford Alliance Wednesday, March 22,  in the Center for Contemporary Culture. The Alliance hosts a monthly Break the Ice luncheon at different locations to allow members to socialize and learn about local businesses.

Grant Letter Workshop

How to Write A Letter of Intent

Wednesday, March 29, 10 am-Noon
Youth Program Room 3rd Floor
Downtown Library

Funders often ask for a “letter of intent/inquiry” as the first step in a grant application process.  This letter, depending on the funder’s guidelines, allows one-to-three pages to make a case.
In this workshop you will learn to write a compelling and concise letter.
Register by sending your name and email address to dalexandre@hplct.org


UConn Downtown Campus Update
Construction Video
Louis Gaedt, a construction engineer with University of Connecticut, gives a tour of the progress Hartford Public Library and 38 Prospect St., which are part of the new UConn Downtown Campus. Take a look
Classes At Mark Twain Branch
Spanish for Beginners
Wednesdays, 6-7:30 pm, Through -May 17
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 22.
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 to20 registrants.
Information: 860-695-6316 and learning@hplct.org
Citizenship Test Prep Class
Tuesdays and Thursday, 6-7:30 pm,
Through May 31
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
Read to Succeed (R2S) Hartford
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
 3:30-7:30 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


Chief Charles A. Teale:
The Tools of Learning
Open Enrollment

Classes Continue Tuesdays and Thursdays 5 to 6 pm, through April 13

Tutoring By Appointment  Wednesday
Mark Twain Branch, West Middle School
West Middle Community School
927 Asylum Ave.

Join Charles A. Teale, former Chief of the Hartford Fire Dept., to learn strategies on how to learn, understand, and remember information for academic and professional success. Program is for beginning to advanced readers 18 and older. Register: jeagosto@hplct,org or 860-695-6367.

Classes at Barbour Branch
Study For Your GED

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:30-11:30 am
Classes Begin Tuesday, March 29
Barbour, 249 Barbour S.

Take classes in writing and math to prepare you for the GED test. Open enrollment.
Register: 860-695-6349 or 860-695-7400.  

The Library Is A Place For All

Read About Your Legal Protections
Hartford Public Library Serves Everyone

All community members of  every religion and ethnicity, whether citizens or immigrants, are welcome at the Library.
Stay informed and connected.

Draw a Hartford History-Maker:
A Black History Community Project

On Display Through March 31
Glass Cases Near  Hartford History Center
Downtown, 3rd Floor

The Draw a Hartford History Maker exhibition kicked off Feb. 2 with a reception honoring the artists who created portraits from photos and biograp hies featured online in 2016's More than A Month series honoring African Americans who made significant contributions to Hartford.  
Read the biographies illustrated with new portraits on the Hartford History Center's Facebook page

Ella Brown  portrait by Haben Abraham
Book of the Week
Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal by DanTDM

Author Dan TDM has created a graphic novel that re-imagines MInecraft worlds and characters.  Trayaurus and Dan TDM see a strange looking crystal that plummets to Earth, breaking into five pieces.  They recover one of the shards and realize they have a powerful object.  

Automatic Drawing Game 


Goodwin, Monday, March 27, 4-5:45 pm

March is Youth Art Month. Jump start your creativity by using the Automatic Drawing technique invented by Surrealists. This style of drawing begins with no preconceived subject or composition in mind. 

Leap Into Learning Programs for Birth to Five

First Friends Play Group
Mondays, March 27, April 3 & 17 11 am to Noon
Our play and picture book areas are reserved for you! Share toys, books, and music while your child meets other children.


Sensational Sensory Wednesdays
Downtown Children’s Room,
Wednesdays, 11 am - Noon
Interactive play time for children. Each week children will enjoy a new sensory, hands-on learning activity.

Every Child Ready to Read Story Time
Downtown, Friday, March 31, 11-Noon

An interactive program based on the five practices of the Every Child Ready to Read initiative: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Listen to stories, learn finger plays, and sing songs .

Make Your Own Bracelets
Friendship Bracelets and Cords
Park Branch,  March 28, 2:30-3:30 pm

Make your own friendship bracelets and cords for yourself or as a gift. All supplies provided.

Put On Your Game Face
Ropkins Branch
Tuesdays, 4:45 to 5:45 pm

The popularity of tabletop games is trending. There are thousands of versions, such as Forbidden Desert, where players crash land in a barren space and search for a lost civilization, or Flash Point, where you must rescue people from a burning building.
Bring your friends and your favorite games and set up a match.
Writing Workshops At Barbour
Thursdays, 3 to 6 pm
Barbour Branch
Learn the basics of expressing yourself through the written word. .
Our intern, Tinasia, will run the workshops.

Makerspace Mayhem

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 pm
Downtown Library, 2nd floor

Come to YOUmedia for the twice-weekly Makerspace challenge.

Anime Character Creation

Wednesdays 3-5 pm
Downtown Library, 2nd floor

Animefy yourself and your friends at YOUmedia - or create a new unique character of your own.

3D Sculpting and Design

Thursdays, 6-8 pm
Downtown Library, 2nd Floor 

Learn how to design cool characters and objects to use in animations, video games, graphic design, and more.

Drawing With Kahairi
Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 to 6 pm
Downtown Library, 3rd Floor

Let's talk about anime, pop culture and video games while we draw.
 
business-meeting-convo.jpg
Lawyer At Your Library
First Tuesday of Each Month, 11 am-1 pm
Upcoming: April 1 
Downtown Library, The American Place 

Meet privately with an attorney from Greater Hartford Legal Aid concerning questions about rights in the workplace. No appointment necessary. Topics include unlawful discrimination, wages and overtime, and rights fo former offenders. Visitors are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. 

U.S. Citizenship Classes

Class cycles  range from 12-to-14 weeks and repeat. Legal assistance with application completion and submission included.

Passport Services
You can apply for a passport at Hartford Public Library. Hours are Monday though Thursday, 3:30 to 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm.  No appointment is needed and photos can be taken on site.

The Passport office is now located on the second floor.

Online Learning

Accessible through the library website in the Online Education & Research Section. All free with your library card. Log in with your card number and create a user name and password.

  • Learn a New Language: Learn or practice more than 100+ languages using the online learning program Transparent Language.
  • LearningExpress Library™: Build your academic skills in reading, writing, math, and science; prepare for standardized tests, college admissions tests, and professional licensing and certification.
  • Universal Class: Select from over 500 courses in a wide variety of subjects through a program called Universal Class. Learn a new hobby, improve your computer skills, or expand your job or career options. 
  • Career Online High School (COHS)Earn your high school diploma online, must be 24 or older.

American Job Center

Monday-Thursday, 10 am-6 pm
Fridays, 10 am-5 pm,
2nd Floor, Downtown

 Looking for a job? Feeling a bit rusty on your interview skills or bewildered by all the new technology a successful job search demands? We can help! CTWorks Capital Workforce Partners and HPL Library have partnered to bring a CTWorks "American Job Center" to the Downtown Library.

The Job Center is in temporary space in the Learning Lab on the 2nd floor to accommodate UConn construction.

Catalog Options
Have you checked out our
mobile-friendly catalog?
Hartford Public Library | 860.695.6300 | hplct.org