It is the responsibility of the Hamilton Public Library Board to ensure that the funding it receives provides the best possible library service to Hamilton residents. It is the responsibility of the library to ensure that all residents have access to the information and the resources required to enhance their lives. Libraries thrive when five core elements are present. These elements are:

1. Collections that are relevant and that are available when people need them;
2. Facilities that are busy, attractive, accessible and open sufficient hours to justify their costs;
3. Technological infrastructure that is robust and capable of adapting to changing customer demands and expectations;
4. Staff that are knowledgeable, trained and who perform work that provides relevant value to those they serve.
5. Services and programs that remain relevant to those they serve and that are modified, added or eliminated to reflect changing customer needs.

When too much or too little of the available funding is disproportionately spent on any single element or elements, a library system cannot operate effectively or provide relevant on-going service to the municipality it serves.

The Hamilton Public Library Board is committed to seeking a delicate balance between these elements when it sets budgets and when it reviews the operations of the library system