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, Thursday November 21. Learn more.

Public computers are available at all branches.
Printing is available at all branches. Photocopying is available at all branches except for the Concession, Dundas, and Terryberry branches. Scanning is not yet available.
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, November 12, 2024 - 8:00am

Notices

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Magazine and ILLO Delay

Magazine and ILLO deliveries are delayed due to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) strike. Thank you for your understanding.

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 8:30am

City IT Planned Maintenance

A City IT systems update is scheduled for early Saturday morning. This will impact access to HPL's network and some applications. This update will improve overall network capacity, performance, resiliency, reliability and is the foundation for future network updates. Thank you for your patience.

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 8:00am

3D Printing Not Available On Sundays

Please note that 3D printing services are unavailable on Sundays. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Publish Date:

Thursday, November 14, 2024 - 2:00pm

Early Closure - All HPL Branches, Friday, November 22

Due to a special event, all HPL branches will close at 4 pm on Friday, November 22.

Central Library's 4th Floor will be closed all day except for the Newcomer Learning Centre and Makerspace which will be open until 4 pm.

Regular service hours resume on Saturday, November 23.

Thank you for your understanding.

Affected Branch:

Central Library

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 2:00pm

Join an HPL Book Club or Create One

If you’re looking to discuss the last book you read and always on the lookout for the next great read, join a HPL Book Club, or create your own club.

HPL offers many Book Clubs that feature fiction, non-fiction, romance, and French Check out our virtual clubs hpl.ca or join an in-person book club at a branch.

If you are keen to create a club with fellow book lovers, HPL has more than 350 titles to choose from in the Book Club Kit collection. Each kit has 10-12 books of the same title, along with a discussion guide, author bio and reviews — all contained in a large bag.

To borrow a kit, you need a valid HPL library card. Then, browse the collection, place holds or pause the kit for pick up at a later date. Kits can also be renewed, if no other book club is waiting for it.

Join a book club by signing up online at hpl.ca, or place a hold on a Book Club Kit.

Have more questions? Read through the Book Club Kit FAQ below.

Book Club FAQ

What is a Book Club Kit?
A Book Club Kit contains 10-12 copies of one title. When possible, it includes 10 standard copies and two large print copies. The kit also contains discussion questions, reviews, a sign-out sheet and an author biography.

Who can borrow Book Club Kits?
Anyone with a valid HPL card. Need one? Head to any HPL branch to sign up for a card. Bring two pieces of identification: one with your photo and one with your current address.

Can I still use my Book Club Kit HPL card?
Yes. But new Book Club Kit cards are no longer created, as all Members can place holds on any items in the catalogue with their personal HPL card.

Can Book Club Kits be reserved in advance?
Yes. You can browse the kits from our library catalogue and titles can be paused for a later date. Titles cannot be reserved for a specific date. Branch staff can help you place holds on Kits. Contact HPL at 905-546-3200, email askus@hpl.ca or chat at hpl.ca.

How many Book Club Kits can I put on hold?
You can place holds on up to 50 Kits. Book Clubs are encouraged to use Pause Holds to manage their Kits. You can see where you are in the holds queue to determine when your Kit may become available.

Where can Book Club Kits be picked up?
Kits can be picked up at any of our 23 branches.

How long can book clubs keep a Kit?
They can be borrowed for six weeks. Kits can be renewed if there are no other clubs waiting for the title. No fines are charged so you can hold on to your kit a few days longer if needed.

Can Book Club Kits be renewed?
Yes. Book Club Kits can be renewed if there are no other clubs waiting for the title. No fines are charges if you need to hold on to the Kit a little longer.

How many kits does HPL have?
HPL has over 350 kits.

How are Book Club Kits selected?
HPL’s Collection librarians carefully choose titles for purchase. They take into consideration reviews and current events when purchasing Kits.

Can I suggest a Book Club Kit title for HPL’s collection?
Suggestions are accepted here, and are considered alongside new, high-demand and timely titles. Not all suggestions are selected for purchase.

What if I return a copy damaged or lose my Kit?
Fines are not charged. Please let HPL Staff know if a copy is damaged or lost.