City-Wide Outage, Library Service Impacted

HPL is recovering from the City of Hamilton's cybersecurity-related outage, which began Sunday February 25 and continues today, Tuesday October 29. Learn more.

Public computers are available at all locations except Central Library's 2nd and 3rd Floors.
Printing is available at all branches. Photocopying is available at all branches except for the Terryberry, Concession, and Dundas branches. Scanning is not yet available.
Website log-in is available, access is restored to the catalogue, the HPL App is online, online eResources are available and Holds can be placed.
Public Wi-Fi is available at most branches except the Ancaster Branch.
Automatic check-ins are operating.
Makerspace services are available at select locations.

Contact Library Staff: call 289-779-7588, chat at hpl.ca, and email askus@hpl.ca. Branches are open. Check hpl.ca/events for program updates. Thank you for your patience.

Frequently Asked Questions | HPL

Publish Date:

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - 8:00am

Concession Accessible Washroom Unvailable

The accessible washroom at Concession Branch is currently out of order. We are working with facilities staff to restore access. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Affected Branch:

Concession Branch

Nearest Branches:

Sherwood Branch

Terryberry Branch

Publish Date:

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - 6:30pm

Phishing Scheme

Please be aware of online phishing attempts impersonating Hamilton Public Library and Library Staff. HPL does not solicit paid freelance opportunities through social media or other messaging applications. HPL does not request personal or banking information through social media or require financial compensation when reviewing job applications. Please report phishing schemes to communications@hpl.ca. If you think you are a victim of fraud, please call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

Publish Date:

Thursday, October 17, 2024 - 10:00am

Working With Us

HPL partnership continuum. 1, extend and enhance HPL services and program goals in sustainable ways. 2, support the city and broad based initiatives that advance our economic, social and cultural richness. 3, Enhance coordination and reduce overlap. This is a summary of the full Working With Us Policy.

HPL works with organizations that align with our core organizational values (Intellectual Freedom, Inclusiveness, Innovation, Respect and Accountability) and/or share common goals or objectives with HPL.

There are three (3) core reasons we engage in partnerships:

Extend and enhance HPL services and program goals in sustainable ways.
Support the city and broad-based initiatives that advance our economic, social and cultural richness.
Enhance coordination and reduce overlap in effort between agencies.

Priority is given to organizations and initiatives that meet multiple partnership criteria:

Align with HPL’s core organizational values (Intellectual Freedom, Inclusiveness, Innovation, Respect and Accountability) and/or shares common goals or objectives.
Committed to mutual benefit and a reciprocal approach to levels of commitment.
Demonstrated commitment to collaboration and shared planning.
Demonstrated commitment to ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement.
Demonstrated commitment to collective impact and long-term strategies.
In some cases, partners that can provide an activity or service at multiple locations.

Priorities of Library Space Use

HPL partnership priorities. 1, Library managed or co-planned activities. 2, Free community learning programs. 3, HPL partners and City Counsillors free allocations*. 4, Paid room rentals

Library managed or co-managed programs
- Co-managed programs are developed in advance; HPL and the partner organization collaborate on program planning and evaluation.
Free community learning programs from aligned partners
HPL partners and City Councillors' free allocations
Paid room and space rentals

Some examples of acceptable use of Library spaces including: partner-led learning programs with Library partnership, partner-led speaking programs with Library input, local committee meetings and group test proctoring.

HPL restricts illegal activity, discrimination, sales promotion, private social gatherings, religion-based activities, fundraising events and gambling in Library spaces.

Stop sign graphic with examples of activities not allowed at the branch

Programs

HPL programs support learning, skill development, and creativity. They are free, inclusive, informational and maintain a respectful tone. Presentations are planned in alignment with system goals and objectives.

Read more about our program objectives. HPL prefers co-planned programs which challenge thinking and cover gaps in community needs. Topics include:

Literacy for all
Life-long learning journeys
Digital inclusion
Workforce development
Community cohesion
Empowers people to improve
Access to arts, music and culture
Civic engagement
Information to community services
Creative aging
Inter-generational experiences

Next Steps

For partnerships and use of library spaces, contact us.

For programming suggestions, complete the Program Application Form.