Central Library - Fire Drill

Due to Staff training, Central Library will close from 11am to Noon on Tuesday, May 5. You may visit Locke and Barton Branches as the next nearest locations for your library needs. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Thursday, April 23, 2026 - 9:00am
Concession Branch - Renovations Underway

Renovations are expected to be completed by May 7. Construction repairs and noise may impact your next visit. Thank you for your understanding.

Published:
Monday, April 13, 2026 - 1:15pm
Turner Park - Study Hall Cancellations

Due to maintenance and construction, Study Hall is cancelled on Thursdays, April 16 and 23 (8pm-Midnight). The parking lot will also not be available on Thursday, April 23 (10pm-5am) and Friday, April 24 (10pm-5am). We apologize for the inconvenience.

Published:
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 2:30pm
Mount Hope Branch - Delayed Opening, Monday, May 4

Due to Staff training, Mount Hope Branch will have a delayed opening of 2 pm on Monday, May 4. You may visit Turner Park Branch as the next nearest location for your library needs. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Friday, March 27, 2026 - 8:00am
Central Library: Children's Area Renovation on 2nd Floor, March 30-April 27

Starting March 30, renovations for the 2nd floor Central Children's Area will begin. Programs will still be offered as scheduled and there will be a temporary pop-up Children’s Area on the northeast side of the 2nd floor (near the Piano Room), including access to collections and train tables. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Published:
Monday, March 23, 2026 - 9:00am
Bookmobile Service Modifications

Due to driver availability, Bookmobile is off the road for the following. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Tuesday, April 21

  • Greencedar 5:30pm-6:30pm (instead of 4-5pm)
  • Mountview 5:30-6:30 pm - Cancelled

Friday, April 24

  • Winona 11 am-Noon - Cancelled
  • Maplewood 2:30-4 pm - Cancelled

Tuesday, April 28

  • McMaster 3:30-4:30 pm - Cancelled

Wednesday, April 29

  • Swansea 10-10:30 am - Cancelled
  • Helen Detwiler 11 am-Noon - Cancelled
  • Warplane Museum 3-4 pm - Cancelled
Published:
Monday, March 16, 2026 - 10:15am
Sherwood Branch: Renovations

As of Monday, March 2, Sherwood Branch's 2nd floor is closed due to renovations. Makerspace, Children and Teen's collection are temporarily available on the 1st floor. All programs will be held in the basement program room. Renovations are expected to be completed in late Spring. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm

Brown / Hendrie Album

The Holmstead Parlour 191-?
The Holmstead Parlour 191-?

After the death of Mrs. William Hendrie in 1975, her heirs sold the family home Gateside, on Aberdeen Avenue, and offered to Local History & Archives many papers, journals, scrapbooks, etc. which had been stored in the attics.

The Hendries were prominent in Hamilton from the 1850s and Mrs. Hendrie's father, Adam Brown (1826-1926) had been a Member of Parliament, Hamilton's Postmaster, a businessman, churchman, active in many charitable organizations and a promoter of all things Canadian. The correspondence covers the years from the late 1850's to 1924. The earlier letters are mostly between members of the Brown and Kough families, but with Lily Brown's marriage to William Hendrie in 1901, the Hendrie family came to play a larger part.

In terms of photographs, this collection contains a series of exterior and interior shots of the home allowing us a personal glimpse into the lifestyle of one of Hamilton’s more prominent families. The correspondence and journal give a remarkable picture of life in Hamilton over a span of nearly 75 years, and an equally remarkable picture of a Victorian family as it evolved through the First World War and its aftermath.