Modified Bookmobile Service - September 15-18

Bookmobile has the following schedule modifications. Thank you for your patience. 

Monday, September 15

  • Mohawk College, 12-1pm - Cancelled

Tuesday, September 16

  • Greencedar, 4-5pm - Cancelled

Wednesday, September 17

  • Helen Detwiler - Changed to 11-11:30am

Thursday, September 18

  • Meadowlands - Changed to 3:30-4pm
  • Bennetto - Changed to 4:45-5:30pm
 
 
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Affected Branch: Bookmobile
Nearest Branches: 
Published:
Friday, September 12, 2025 - 3:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees Resume October 1st

To avoid a replacement or lost fee, please return library materials due October 1st or later within 28 days. Replacement fees are intended to encourage Members to return items on a timely basis so everyone in the community can enjoy them. 

https://www.hpl.ca/news/frequently-asked-questions

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
SuperCrawl - Road Closures near Central Library

From Thursday, September 11, until 5 am on Monday, September 15, road closures for SuperCrawl will be in effect in and around James Street North from King to Wilson/York to Cannon to Barton Street. Additional closures will take place on King William, Rebecca, Vine, Mulberry, Colbourne and Murray Streets. If you are planning to visit Central Library over the next few days, we suggest taking HSR for a convenient route to downtown Hamilton. www.hpl.ca/central

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Affected Branch: Central Library
Published:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 10:30am
Central Library - Fourth Floor Temporary Closure

Central Library's Fourth Floor is closed on Tuesday, September 16, from Noon to 6 pm due to a special event. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 1-3 are available as study and work spaces. www.hpl.ca/central

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Affected Branch: Central Library
Published:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 10:00am
Kenilworth Branch - Temporary Closure (Sept 2 - Oct 10)

Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 10. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. On August 28-29, there may be some noise disruptions and limited parking spots while the roof repair set-up begins. Thank you for your patience.

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Published:
Monday, August 11, 2025 - 8:00am

Maps

Map cabinet
Map cabinet

Fire Insurance Maps

These plans are valuable maps for building research. They are large scale maps that show shape, size and exact location of individual buildings. They provide detail about the construction materials, outbuildings and neighbourhoods.

1898: Local History & Archives (microfiche only) and the Lloyd Reeds Map Collection, McMaster University.

Revised to 1911 – Vol. 1, 2, 3: Local History & Archives (microfiche only) and Lloyd Reeds Map Collection, McMaster University.

1927 revised to 1947: Local History & Archives (incomplete)

1927 revised to 1933: Local History & Archives (complete)

Mid-1960’s – Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: Local History & Archives, Lloyd Reeds Map Collection, McMaster University.

Bird’s-eye View, Pictorial and Surveyor’s Maps

These types of map can show a building’s location within its neighbourhood and the city of Hamilton. These maps can also provide information about the layout of the city or town and changes in street names over the course of time.

1842 – surveyor’s map showing buildings

1854 – from the escarpment looking north

1859 – from the escarpment looking north

1876 – from the Bay looking south

1883 – from the escarpment looking north

1893 – from the Bay looking south

1909 – from the Bay looking south

1921 – surveyor’s maps showing buildings. Large versions are hanging in Local History & Archives. Smaller versions are available in the map collection.

Map inventories are available by date or by location.

Wentworth County Atlas

There were a series of detailed atlases created to document counties across Ontario. They can show locations of structures and other detail. Some buildings are also illustrated in the body of the atlas.

1875 – atlas stand

1903 – R912.7135 T985 CESH folio [note: fragile]

You can also search Historical Atlases on-line, a project hosted by McGill's Rare Books and Special Collections Division with indexed county atlas information.