Throughout the month of August, the Pandemic Journaling Project (PJP) will visit Hartford Public Library branches to host “Picturing the Pandemic,” journaling sessions with children ages 6-12 that will capture their thoughts and feelings about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their daily lives.
The program is an opportunity for children to express themselves through journaling and other art forms while discussing how to make the world a better place.
Participants will view and analyze artifacts such as photos and drawings from the PJP, listen to a read aloud of the picture book “Change Sings” by Amanda Gorman and create their own representations of their lives during the pandemic.
The PJP will visit each branch of Hartford Public Library. Participants will receive a free copy of “Change Sings” while supplies last.
In the fall, Hartford Public Library will display a collection of images submitted to the PJP by both adults and children. The exhibit will be accompanied by the Hartford History Center’s Hartford 2020 collection: photographs of daily life in Hartford during 2020 –– COVID testing sites, protests, outdoor events and more –– shot by three local documentary photographers.
WHO:
The Pandemic Journaling Project, a partnership between UConn and Brown University.
WHERE/WHEN:
PJP will visit HPL branches for “Picturing the Pandemic” on the following dates:
Park Street Library @ the Lyric
Monday, August 1, 2 p.m.
603 Park St.
Dwight Library
Thursday, August 4, 2 p.m.
7 New Park Ave.
Albany Library
Wednesday, August 10, 2 p.m.
1250 Albany Ave.
Camp Field Library
Thursday, August 11, 2 p.m.
30 Campfield Ave.
Downtown Library
Monday, August 15, 2 p.m.
500 Main St.
Barbour Library
Thursday, August 18, 2 p.m.
261 Barbour St.
The PJP and Hartford 2020 exhibits will be on display:
October 17 – December 15, 2022
at the Downtown Library
500 Main St.
An opening reception for the exhibit will be held October 27 from 4-6 p.m. at the Downtown Library.
About the Pandemic Journaling Project
The Pandemic Journaling Project is a historical archive effort created in partnership between UConn and Brown University. It is a project dedicated to remembering the experiences and perspectives of a wide range of people living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The PJP recognizes that the narrative of history is usually dominated by the powerful, so the project aims to tell the stories of ordinary people when recounting this historical pandemic. Participants answer a set of survey questions and a few open-ended journaling questions; they are asked to follow up with answering a new set of questions every week until the pandemic is over. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. So far, the PJP has collected over 14,000 submissions from more than 45 countries.
About Hartford Public Library
With roots dating to 1774, Hartford Public Library remains at the forefront of redefining the urban library experience in the 21st century. With seven locations throughout the city, the library provides education, intellectual enrichment and cultural development for thousands of children, youth and adults every year. Hartford Public Library has also gained local and national recognition for its wide range of new initiatives and partnerships designed to meet the needs of a diverse and dynamic city and region, including immigration services, employment assistance and youth leadership training. www.hplct.org.