Programs at the

John P. Webster Library!*

events are FREE unless otherwise mentioned. We ask that you register to secure a spot!

The John P. Webster Library (JPWL), along with First Church’s pastoral staff, sponsors frequent programs for adults. Programs on mental wellness, Islam, memoir-writing, antiracism, climate change, social justice, home improvement, and gardening are just a few of the topics we have explored in recent years. Some programs are offered in person in our beautiful facility, and others have a Zoom option.

*Some Co-Sponsored events are in different rooms, or off site

To stay up-to-date on adult faith formation classes and programs at the JPWL, please contact Jennifer deSimas, Library Director, at jpwebsterdir@westhartfordfirstchurch.org.

Click here for Adult Faith Formation info. which includes book groups, bible study, exercise classes and more!

Please see Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots with John Mills and Environmentalist Bill McKibben photos on the Photo Gallery page

Faces of resilience: First Church and John P. Webster Library host exhibit featuring Japanese-Americans in WWII

Now through May 30, 2026
in the Chapel

The John P. Webster Library will host a traveling exhibit from the American Baptist Society entitled: A Resilient Faith: Japanese American Baptists During World War II. The short window of opportunity to view it while it’s in town is from April 27 to May 30 in the First Church West Hartford Chapel.

The exhibit examines this chapter in American history through the lens of faith and perseverance, illuminating stories of determination and community among the 70,000 Japanese migrants who were forcibly confined during the war.

“It’s about the stories, and sharing those stories that humanize the experience, and I think that’s what’s important here – understanding the human side of history.”

The library and church are pleased to host this important work during the month of May, when we also take time to reflect and celebrate the important role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have played in our shared history.

Find out more about the exhibit.

Lunch and Learn Book Talk
Quarter-Acre of Heartache
by Claude Clayton Smith

Sunday, June 7, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Register Here

We will be joined via Zoom by Clan Mother Shoran Waupatukuay

2026 marks the 50th anniversary of what the late Chief Big Eagle of Connecticut’s Golden Hill Paugussett Indians called “the war for the quarter-acre,” the 20th century fight for one of the oldest and smallest Indian reservations in America.

In July of 1976, the Chief learned of a lawsuit challenging the very existence of his tribe. Violence soon erupted in sedate Trumbull, CT, where the tribe had once flourished. The issues tested the limits of local, state, and federal authorities. Noted civil rights lawyer William Kunstler advanced the tribe’s legal case, while Clyde Bellecourt and Russell Means, from the American Indian Movement, joined the Chief in the reservation’s armed defense.

Ultimately, the tribe was victorious, securing the status of the Golden Hill Paugussett Reservation in perpetuity.

Quarter-Acre of Heartache tells the story of their struggle and survival from Chief Big Eagle’s perspective.

Join the discussion! A light lunch will be served. The JPW Library has a limited supply of copies to lend. If you’d rather purchase a book, you may order through West Hartford’s River Bend Bookshop at riverbendbookshop.com

Located beneath the First Church Meeting House, the JPWL is the go-to place for books and media related to sermons, Sunday School, social justice issues, and so much more!

Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m.–12 noon (watch Worship Service from here)
Closed Friday and Saturday

Phone: 860-232-3893

Email: jpwebster@whfirstchurch.org