Soon after the Mark Twain Memorial Commission took over the ownership of the Mark Twain House, talk of a partnership with the Hartford Public Library began; it’s likely that this partnership helped the Mark Twain Memorial Commission, and thus the house itself, survive. A December 6, 1928 letter to the editor of the Hartford Courant suggests that that Mark Twain Memorial campaign has not been successful is due to “a considerable percentage of the persons who might contribute neither particularly liked Mr. Clemens nor approved certain of his books. Moreover, as he was neither a native of Hartford nor, after living there for some time, cared to make it his permanent residence, many consider the proposed memorial, as such, not incumbent upon the city…. On the other hand, everyone, as far as I know, thinks a branch library upon the site in question to be very desirable and that I should contain articles associated with Hartford’s many writers of the past, and in due time, of those who we hope, will succeed them.”

The Mark Twain Library Branch idea took off and was seeded by a donation of 500 books by Mrs. Arthur G Sugden (worth $1,000 in 1928) to start the Mark Twain Library branch collection. After three years, the branch finally came to life, opening to the public on May 1, 1930.

The library took over most of the first floor of the house, including the front hall, drawing room, dining room, and library, for use by library patrons and other spaces for offices and storage. A newspaper article from 1930 shortly after the public opening, stated that the drawing room had become the “children’s room of the branch library. It has been… filled with books well intended to delight the heart of any child.”

On Friday, April 25, 1930, four days before the public opening, the Mark Twain Library and Memorial Commission and the Hartford Public Library Board of Trustees hosted a small private reception in honor of the Branch’s opening. In attendance at this reception was Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch, only living child of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), along with her husband Ossip Gabrilowitsch.

During the visit, Clara was overcome by emotion visiting the house she and her family once lived in, seeing all of the changes that time did to the house, and work and hope being done to restore it back to the grandeur it once was. She was quoted in a Hartford Courant article saying, “My father made this house an unusual receptacle to receive the good that God can give and I am glad that this library will make the same sort of place for the present generation.”

At that same event, Truman R. Temple, Hartford’s City Librarian, said “You have seen your labors crowned with success but you are no happier than I am. Have been looking for this day for three years. It is a delightful place to carry on a branch library. For the first time, we will be able to carry on our work in pleasant surroundings. We will carry on our work here with the inspiration of Mark Twain’s spirit, the author who could see a little more than any other into the hearts of children.”

The Mark Twain Library Branch within the Mark Twain House opened on May 1, 1930; its hours were every afternoon from 1-6pm and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings from 7-9pm. The first branch librarian was Miss Lillian Abele , who was followed by five others: Esther K. Dudly (1932), Ruth Hyatt (1933-1914), Anita L. Woodward (1935-1937), Desier C. Moulton (1938-1945), and Esther D. Rioux (1946-1956).

The Mark Twain Library Branch moved locations, just down the street, reopening in their new home on May 1, 1956. The Hartford Courant reported that in the Branch’s 27 years at the Mark Twain House, it served 775,000 readers and at its close held 10,000 books, journals, periodicals and magazines which were transferred to the new location.

Today the Mark Twain Branch of the Hartford Public Library is still an active branch of the library system and located at 927 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT 06105.