Central Library - Jackson Square Entrance

On Wednesday, February 18, the Jackson Square Entrance's sliding doors are scheduled for repairs. Please use York Boulevard as an alternate entrance. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Friday, February 13, 2026 - 12:00pm
Central Library - Fourth Floor Closure

The 4th Floor will be closed from 9 am-2 pm tomorrow, Friday, February 13, for a special event. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 2 and 3 are available for study and work. www.hpl.ca/central

Published:
Thursday, February 12, 2026 - 12:00pm
Concession Branch - Upcoming Renovations

Starting the week of February 9, renovation preparations are underway in anticipation of the March 2 start. Computer availability may be limited, and the Living Room space is closed. Renovations are expected to wrap up by late Spring. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Sherwood Branch - Upcoming Renovations

Renovation preparations are underway in anticipation of the March 2 start. Starting the week of February 23, the 2nd Floor will be closed. The Children's collection will be temporarily available on the 1st Floor. Renovations are expected to wrap up by late Spring. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Family Day Closure

All HPL Branches are closed on Family Day, Monday, February 16. Bookmobile is off the Road. Extended Access and Study Hall is not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, February 17. 

Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Central Library - Living Room Renovation Preparation

Starting Tuesday, February 10, the First Floor Living Room will be unavailable due to renovation preparations. Study and work spaces are available on Floors 2-3. 

Please note the Noon Hour Concert on Friday, February 13, will be held at Terryberry Branch instead. 

Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Friday, February 6, 2026 - 9:00am
Bookmobile Service Modification

Please note the following Bookmobile visit updates.

Friday, February 13
Winona (11am-Noon) - Cancelled
Queen Victoria (3-4pm) - Cancelled

Family Day, Monday, February 16 
Bookmobile is off the road.

Tuesday, February 17
McMaster University (3:30-4:30pm) - Cancelled
Thursday, February 19
Rockton (10:30am-11:30am) - Cancelled
Bennetto 5-5:30pm (instead of 4-5:30pm)

Published:
Monday, February 2, 2026 - 3:15pm
Carlisle Branch Accessible Washroom Out of Order

The accessible washroom at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to get it fixed quickly.

Published:
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - 12:30pm
Central Library - Sunday Hours Paused

Effective Sunday, February 1, Sunday service hours at Central Library will be paused. 

Sunday Hours will continue at Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park and Waterdown Branches from 1-5pm.

www.hpl.ca/hours 

Published:
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 - 11:00am

Digital Reproduction Requests

Local History and Archives has a unique collection of over three million images chronicling the history of Hamilton and surrounding areas dating from the mid-1800s. High-resolution copies are available for purchase for personal and commercial use.  

To order reproductions, please download and complete a Digital Request form. Save and attach the completed form and submit it via email to askus@hpl.ca. You can also print this document and submit it in person at the Local History and Archives Information desk. 

For assistance in selecting images or completing the form, contact staff at askus@hpl.ca

Below is an overview of the process.

Requesting Digital Reproductions at Local History and Archives

All prices are subject to applicable taxes. 

Type

Cost

Non Commercial Use
- Use applies to images intended for artistic, educational, and/or personal projects that will not be marketed, promoted, or sold for monetary compensation.
- Examples include personal research, websites (personal, civic and/or non-profit), home decor, gift.

$25 per item

Commercial Use
- Applies to images that are intended for resale or reproduction in advertising, items for resale or other revenue generating enterprises.
- Examples include books for sale (including textbooks and academic publications), journals with paid subscriptions, commercial websites.

$45 per item

 

Details: 

  • For image reproduction requests, up to 600 dpi JPEG files are normally provided. Up to 1200 dpi TIFF is available upon request.
  • Images can be delivered by email or on USB, to be picked up in person at Central Library. 
  • Print reproductions are not available. You can print large format images at our Makerspaces. 
  • Orders typically take 7-14 days to complete. Large orders, or images that are not already digitized may take longer, subject to Staff capacity. 

Copyright: 

It is the recipient’s obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions (such as donor restrictions, privacy rights, publicity rights, licensing and trademarks) when using, publishing or otherwise distributing materials received from Hamilton Public Library. Additional fees, set by the copyright or intellectual property owner, may apply and would be negotiated directly with them.

Payment: 

All image orders must be paid in full before digital image files are released. 

Payments can be made by Visa / Mastercard / debit card at Central Library or over the phone after an invoice is issued. 

Signed order forms can be submitted by email to askus@hpl.ca (preferred) or in person at Local History and Archives, at Central Library.