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.
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.
3D Printing Not Available On Sundays
Please note that 3D printing services are unavailable on Sundays. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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.
Kenilworth Branch - Roof Repairs
From November 11 to 29, the parking lot may not be available at certain times of the day due to repair maintenance. There may also be some noise disruptions in the branch. Thank you for your understanding.
Service Fees
For full Service Fees information, see the Service Fees Policy.
Is the Library no longer issuing fines?
The Hamilton Public Library is not charging fines for its materials as of May 2021. This ensures access to the library without fear of fines and supports the community.
What about fines accumulated before the Library went fine-free?
All fines were cleared from Members’ Library accounts. It’s a fresh start for everyone.
What about fees for lost or damaged items?
In August 2020, all Member Library accounts were given a fresh start. Lost or damaged Digital equipment or Interlibrary Loans after the fresh start will be charged a fee.
I want to borrow Library materials, but I have large fines on my account, what can I do?
All fines were wiped from Members’ accounts. See the Borrowing Policy for more information.
My account is blocked, can you tell me why?
Accounts may be blocked for several reasons: an incorrect address or phone number, the borrowing limit is reached, material is missing (ex. a disc from a CD set). To discuss why your account is blocked, please contact us. Digital resources continue to be available.
I have a lost or damaged item ‑ will I be billed for it?
The Library collects fees for digital equipment or Interlibrary loans. The Library has waived fees for lost or damaged Collection items. Please return your item to the closest branch and chat with staff.
How can the Library afford go fines free? Who is paying for this?
The amount collected by service fees declines annually and takes a lot of staff time. HPL now offers a pay-it-forward donor fund to support programming, collections and more.
I would like to pay for an item that is damaged or lost, can I do this?
Yes. Please donate or contact HPL to contribute to the Library’s programs and services.
How else can I help the Library?
There are several ways you can help HPL:
- Volunteer opportunities
- Giving opportunities
- You can Pay it Forward and help others
What does HPL do with the donations?
The Pay-It-Forward Fund support materials purchases, programming and quality learning resources.
There are four areas donors can direct their contributions:
- Most Needed Use
- Kids’ Learning Fund
- Fines Forgiveness
- Local History & Archives Collections
Are tax receipts offered?
Tax receipts for donations made in person are issued for all donations of $25 or more, upon request. Donations made online at hpl.ca for $3 or more are issued a tax receipt by Canada Helps.
