UConn Hartford was well represented at the Hartford Public Library’s “Beyond the Words” annual Gala at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Author Reyna Grande was the featured keynote who spoke about her immigrant experience and how books and libraries gifted her with equal access to knowledge and information. West Hartford resident and architect, Tai Soo Kim, received the Caroline M. Hewins Medal, which “recognizes an individual who embraces the City of Hartford and its people, who breaks the mold and provides service of a revolutionary kind, who stretches the boundaries of a social or cultural institution with a humanistic approach to public service, and who shows strong guardianship of and advocacy for the basic right to equal access to information and opportunity.” As one of the most impactful institutions in our city, UConn Hartford is committed to supporting this partnership and HPL’s programming.