$12.5M VISION UNVEILED TO TRANSFORM HARTFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY INTO 21ST-CENTURY COMMUNITY HUB

From left to right: Cong. John Larson, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, Bridget E. Quinn, Gov. Lamont, Dan O'Shea, Global Atlantic Fin Grp. Ritu Paliwal B, Shirley Surgeon, Councilwoman at the City of Hartford. Photo: Boceto Media

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Hartford, CT.- City and state officials have launched the Hartford Public Library campaign, restore, renew, and reimagine a new vision that is moving forward the education for the future of the residents of Hartford.


“To date, we have raised $4.3 million toward our goal of $5 million in philanthropic efforts, in addition to $5 million in bonding funds from the state,” said Dan O’Shea, chief administrative officer at Global Atlantic Financial Group.


The state has pledged $5 million to help renovate library services, but officials haven’t announced when the funds will be released. Library leaders say they’re hopeful they’ll reach the full $12.5 million goal with support from donors.


“We could not have reached this moment without the dedication, generosity, and belief of so many friends of the library,” said Bridget E. Quinn, president and CEO of the Hartford Public Library.

Library leaders say the renewal will create more opportunities for workforce readiness and development for the more than 300,000 visitors they serve each year, by expanding on the services they already offer.

“On the second phase of this renovation will ensure that we have a much more dynamic and larger space for immigration services, programming, and entrepreneurial small businesses,” said Quinn. “HBO Studios, which is already an incredible place where we do film video, audio recording, sound engineering, podcasting, and not just doing it but actually teaching our community how to, and providing things in our threshold access.”


From recovering after past floods to upgrading public libraries across the Hartford area, state leaders celebrated the funding secured to bring library services in line with the needs of the 21st century.


“The Hartford Public Library is one of the first to say we do books. We also do community, for people with all the different types of services we have here, including citizenship classes and ways to say you're welcome here in Greater Hartford, the state of Connecticut”, said Governor Ned Lamont.

From left to right: Shirley Surgeon, Councilwoman at the City of Hartford, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, and Ritu Paliwal Barna. 

“This library is not just a goal. It's a testament to our values that everyone and everybody and every kid should be able to expand their imagination of knowledge in a beautiful company like this”, said Arunan Arulampalam, mayor of Hartford.


Officials say the project will transform the Hartford Public Library into a modern hub for creativity, connection, and a vision for the future.

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