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Hartford Public Library
4 reviews for Hartford Public Library
Okay, okay, I'm on the Board, but Brenda S. is right. This place is great. A new main building, right next to City Hall, and it's filled with great people, great programs and great collections.
Beyond the books, check the videos and DVDs. Way better rentals than Blockbuster - they're free! Great CD collections too. When the building is complete and all the collections are back in place, the Hartford Collection will be available again. It's the closest thing we have to a local historical society collection and it's an amazing treasure trove of Hartford's past. It includes books by Hartford authors, books printed in Hartford, an incredible collection of Hartford photographs, and all kinds of unique items left to the Library over the centuries.
Visit a neighborhood branch, too! Several have been renovated or expanded in recent years, and all offer special programs and are very closely tied to their neighborhoods.
The Hartford Public Library has gotten a bad rap recently in the press, but the library has many valuable programs and a real commitment to community engagement and development. They have solid education and literacy programs and have made real efforts to connect with other non-
profits throughout the city. They completed a beautiful physical renovation last year and the reality is that there are very few spaces in the greater Hartford area that are really open to all citizens, the indigent and wealthy alike.
This is the oldest public library in the United States. The Hartford Public Library is amazing and undergoing a transformation making it larger and more beautiful. More than just a library, this institution is truly a community partner. I have had the pleasure of doing consulting work with and for the library and can attest to their commitment to the City of Hartford. They offer an amazing array of classes to the public, most of which are free --- all one need do is sign up. Hartford is very lucky.
I hate to be a downer but the working environment at the HPL can get pretty bad. I was there once in the wintertime and 60% of the seats were filled by people just looking for a warm indoor space. It made it difficult to do research and have quiet. Also, they have a lot of public programs in the library which are very LOUD and disrupt the whole place. The collections are good, though, but if you're just looking for a particular book you can request it through interlibrary loan to be delivered to another branch. Hopefully once the fantastic renovations are done things will improve.