New Haven’s Amistad History
Image: Roger Sherman Baldwin painted by Rufus Wright Written by SCSU Intern, Isaac Rivera and Digital Inclusion Librarian, Alexandria Robison | July 2026 A Brief History In 1839, La Amistad was transporting 53 kidnapped Mende people, originally from Sierra Leone, to a plantation after being sold into slavery in Cuba. The ship was helmed by … Continued
New Haven’s Historic Freddy Fixer Parade
Written by SCSU Intern Isaac Rivera | June 2026 This year the 61st annual Freddy Fixer Parade was held on June 7! Learn more about its beginnings and the people that brought it to life. History The original Freddy Fixer parade wasn’t a parade at all—it wasn’t even named Freddy Fixer yet. It was a Dixwell and Newhallville neighborhood cleanup that … Continued
Learn more about Women from NHFPL’s History!
This March, the New Haven Free Public Library is recognizing just a few women who have made a significant impact on our organization.
How New Haven Helped Build a Nation
New Haven turns 242 this week – during our nation’s 250th year!
We’re thrilled to partner with the City of New Haven’s America 250 Commission to offer residents a year packe
A Look Behind the Curtain: Ives Main Library Construction
You might be wondering what is happening behind the black plastic on the first floor of Ives Main Library. Here is an sneak preview into the updates that are being made to help make the library more welcoming, comfortable, and functional! Updating the Information Desk The first project to get underway was removing the old … Continued
Reel Horrors – Haunting Stories that were Reimagined for Film
by Amanda Breeden, J Wren Pennington, and Alexandria Robison, Adult Services Librarians | October 10, 2025 Step into the shadowy corridors of classic gothic and horror fiction as we explore chilling tales that have been transformed from the written word to the silver screen. Whether you’re a fan of creaking floorboards, unreliable narrators, or decaying … Continued
Explore New Graphic Novels for Pride Month
This Pride Month, we’re celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community by highlighting a few of our newest graphic novels! There’s more where these came from, so stop on by the library to find more.
It’s News Literacy Week! Celebrate with a New Resource from NHFPL
At the New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL), we believe that informed communities are strong communities. That’s why we’re excited to celebrate National News Literacy Week by introducing our brand-new Information Literacy page! In today’s fast-paced digital world, misinformation spreads quickly. It can be challenging to tell the difference between reliable news, misleading content, and … Continued
City Directories at NHFPL
By: Allison Botelho, Local History Librarian City directories hold a trove of information on New Haven, its households, organizations, and businesses. Issued yearly, most of ours were published by the Price & Lee Company. Similar to phone books (if you remember those), they are a yearly snapshot showing every entity that had an address, making … Continued
Are You Ready for Election Day?
Your vote is your voice! Read on for what you need to know about voting in New Haven!