All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, May 17. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access service is not available.
Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, May 19. Visit hpl.ca for our Virtual Branch.
All Branches Closed - Sunday, May 17
Published:
Monday, May 11, 2026 - 10:15am
All Branches Closed - Victoria Day, Monday, May 18
All HPL Branches are closed on Monday, May 18. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access and Study Hall services are not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, May 19.
Published:
Monday, May 11, 2026 - 10:15am
Bookmobile Service Modification
Due to Driver availability, Bookmobile has the following schedule modifications for the month of May. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Tuesday, May 12:
- Greencedar - Cancelled
- Mountview - Cancelled
Wednesday, May 13:
- Swansea - Cancelled
- Helen Detwiler - Cancelled
- Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - Cancelled
Thursday, May 14:
- Rockton - Cancelled
- Mohawk Gardens - Cancelled
- Meadowlands - Cancelled
Monday, May 18: All Bookmobile sites closed
Published:
Monday, May 4, 2026 - 12:00pm
Software Maintenance - Victoria Day, Monday, May 18
Due to software maintenance, HPL library's catalogue, online services and library accounts will not be available between 9am and 7pm on Monday, May 18. Thank you for your patience.
Published:
Friday, April 24, 2026 - 9:00am
Central Library: Children's Area Renovation on 2nd Floor
Renovations are currently underway for the 2nd floor Central Children's Area. Programs are still being offered as scheduled and there is 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. Construction is expected to be completed by late Spring. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Published:
Monday, March 23, 2026 - 9:00am
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
Hamilton Reads 2020 Finale a ‘Novel’ Look at Pandemic Life
HAMILTON, ON – Nov 20, 2020 – When Waubgeshig Rice’s dystopian novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, launched in April as Hamilton Public Library’s 2020 Hamilton Reads title, life as we knew it changed drastically.
There are several parallels in the story with the current state of pandemic life. In Rice’s book, panic and unease ensue in communities far and near as people adjust and readjust to changing routines and habits. Maintaining order amid this chaos is a challenge. Compliance is tested at every effort to maintain control.
Rice had hoped his book would prompt discussion and encourage people to look at themselves, their communities and positive ways to move forward.
The timing seems right for renewed discussion about the ways we deal with life in a time of COVID-19, as we grapple with the second wave of the deadly virus.
Join Rice in an online, live presentation and discussion about his book and more on Saturday November 28 at 2pm at hpl.ca. He is joined by fellow authors, Cherie Dimaline and McMaster University/HPL Writer-in-eResidence, Janet Marie Rogers.
Rice is also available for media interviews. Please contact HPL’s Communications Manager, Shelley McKay to arrange a chat.
Facts and Figures:
- Moon of the Crusted Snow was chosen as the one book everyone in Hamilton should read in April 2020.
- It was checked out more than 1,822 times since it was launched.
- It was also HPL’s No. 1 borrowed eBook this year.
- It was discussed in more than a dozen online book clubs over the past eight months.
- More than 244 badges were earned by participants in HPL’s Hamilton Reads challenge.
- Hamilton Reads related programs and artist studio tours, were viewed on HPL’s YouTube channel 727 times.
