Our Projects
250 Stories
In 2024, Hartford Public Library celebrated 250 years of service to the Hartford community. To honor this great achievement, we set out to capture 250 library stories. 250 Stories is a series of firsthand interviews with a variety of voices from prominent Hartford figures, community leaders, professional athletes, and Hollywood filmmakers. Each episode explores the personal impact of libraries on their life and communities.
Whether you are a library lover, bookworm, community advocate, or just someone interested in hearing a story, this podcast is your go-to source for rich, first-hand accounts of American folklore.
New episodes are released every Tuesday. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a conversation. Let's dive headfirst into some real conversations about education and literacy.
Find us wherever you get your podcasts
The Beat
The Beat is a new collection of Hartford-based music, curated by the Hartford Public Library and a group of Community Curators from the Hartford music community.
Streaming the sounds of Hartford’s diverse communities The Beat delivers commercial-free, curated music from artists who represent CT’s Capital City. Jam, groove, or vibe out to Hartford’s best tunes, which can be accessed, 24/7, through a user-friendly digital music platform, free of charge. Furthermore, you can also download your favorite tracks for free, as long as you are a Hartford Public Library card holder.
The Beat’s jury of Community Curators selects a diverse array of musical styles to create a soundtrack for the Hartford area. We plan to make 10 albums available each year. Listen to Music Start streaming now From, hip-hop, reggae, latin jazz, rock and more, HPL’s The Beat has sounds for everyone. Discover your new favorite musician on the current The Beat’s roster that includes up-and-coming artists and Hartford music legends.
Thoughts Are Things
SHORT FILM
2021/US/12min
Writer-Director: CHRISTOPHER T. BROWN
When a little boy is accosted by a lady in the library after he tries to steal some money, a kind librarian comes to the boy's rescue. The librarian gives the boy a book, a kind word, and lunch money. Twenty-five years later, after a sever head injury lands the librarian in the hospital, his small act of kindness comes full circle.
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Cast:
Roger Guenveur Smith, Nondumiso Tembe, Percy Daggs IV, Judaea Brown, Carter Brown