All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, October 12, and Thanksgiving Monday, October 13. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access and Study Hall services are not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, October 14. Our Virtual Branch is open at hpl.ca.
Due to the ongoing Mohawk College Support Staff strike, the Bookmobile visit on Monday, October 6, is cancelled. You may select Terryberry Branch as an alternative location to pick up your Holds. On Wednesday, October 8, the Helen Detwiler visit is changed to 11-11:30 am this week.
Interlibrary Loan (ILLO) service will be temporarily paused starting Friday, September 26, due to continued negotiations between CUPW and Canada Post. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items.
Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 14. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. Thank you for your patience.
The History of the Bookmobile


Our library on wheels is a very special and unique part of HPL’s public services, allowing us to go beyond the brick and mortar and connect with our many communities in the city of Hamilton.
The first time there was a mention of having a travelling branch for the Hamilton Public Library was in an article in Globe & Mail dated November 16, 1949. Then Chief Librarian Freda Waldon mentioned the idea of having a travelling branch whose chief function was to serve outlying areas beyond a one mile radius from existing library branches. It wasn’t until May 7, 1954 that talks of a possible bookmobile was discussed in city council.
Two years later, on December 20, 1956, the first bookmobile rolled onto the streets of Hamilton.
In a Hamilton Spectator article dated January 5, 1957, they talked about how the five stops of the Bookmobile were very popular among children, citing an example of one boy who went back five times, each time bringing someone with him and encouraging them to register for a library card. Another proof of the Bookmobile’s popularity was its February 1957 circulation exceeding that of the Main Library’s circulation.
Now, the Hamilton Public Library has two bookmobiles and services 12 neighbourhood stops and 25 senior residences. For 2014, the Bookmobile’s circulation was at around 123,000. Since October 1973, our bookmobiles have also offered movies in its collection.
The Bookmobile will continue to serve communities that do not have a library branch in their vicinity and provide materials for seniors who cannot travel far anymore. Our friendly staff will surely provide a personalized service and find the perfect material for you.
Find a Bookmobile stop near you!