All Bookmobile stops for Saturday April 11th are cancelled due to unforseen circumstances. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The drop box at Concession Branch is closed. Please use [alternate drop box/return your items at the Info Desk].
Due to filming in the area, there will be production vehicles and various pieces of film equipment located on:
East side of Bay Street between King Street West and York Blvd.
South side King Street East between McNab and Bay Streets
The accessibility door at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
Due to exterior pavement construction, the Study Hall (8pm-Midnight) on Thursday, April 16 is cancelled. Study Hall service resumes on Monday, April 20.
The back parking lot will not be accessible from 10 pm on April 16 to 10 pm on Friday, April 17. Thank you for your understanding.
Please note that there is higher than usual noise levels and odors due to renovations taking place this week. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Due to Staff training, Mount Hope Branch will have a delayed opening of 2 pm on Monday, May 4. You may visit Turner Park Branch as the next nearest location for your library needs. Thank you for your patience.
The Seasonal Affective Disorder therapy lamp on the 2nd floor at Central Library is out of order. The estimated time of disruption is unknown at this time. For more locations, please visit Light Therapy Lamps | HPL.
Starting March 30, renovations for the 2nd floor Central Children's Area will begin. Programs will still be offered as scheduled and there will be 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. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Due to driver availability, Bookmobile is off the road for the following. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Wednesday, April 15
- Swansea 10:00-10:30 am - Cancelled
- Helen Detwiler 11am-Noon - Cancelled
- Warplane Museum 3-4 pm - Cancelled
Thursday, April 16
- Rockton 10:30-11:30 am - Cancelled
- Mohawk Gardens 2:30-3 pm - Cancelled
- Meadowlands 3:30-4 pm - Cancelled
Tuesday, April 21
- Greencedar 5:30pm-6:30pm (instead of 4-5pm)
- Mountview 5:30-6:30 pm - Cancelled
Friday, April 24
- Winona 11 am-Noon - Cancelled
- Maplewood 2:30-4 pm - Cancelled
Tuesday, April 28
- McMaster 3:30-4:30 pm - Cancelled
Wednesday, April 29
- Swansea 10-10:30 am - Cancelled
- Helen Detwiler 11 am-Noon - Cancelled
- Warplane Museum 3-4 pm - Cancelled
Starting Monday, March 16, adults 18+ are required to show their Library card to access Central Library. This is a temporary measure to ensure safety for all. Thank you for your patience in advance.
From March 23 until April 12, Valley Park Community Centre will be closed for renovations, reopening April 13. Pool and changerooms will remain closed until early summer 2026.
Valley Park Branch will remain open during the renovations for your library needs.
As of Monday, March 2, Concession Branch's Living Room and Makerspace areas are closed. (The next nearest Makerspaces are Sherwood and Terryberry Branches.) Seating may be limited at times. Renovations are expected to be completed in late Spring. Thank you for your patience.
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.
The accessible washroom at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to get it fixed quickly.
2018 in Review
Pop-Up Library - Pop-Up Library partnered with City of Hamilton over the summer for Free Family Film nights held at Tim Horton's Field. Families enjoyed the debut of the Scout mascot animated trailer
Country Crawl - HPL hosted the first Hamilton Country Crawl Noon Hour Concert with The Red Hill Valleys. This kicked off the 2018 CMA Ontario Awards as part of the 2018 Country Music Week.
Writer-In-Residence - Kate Cayley, fiction writer, playwright and poet, is the Mabel Pugh Taylor 2018/19 Writer-In-Residence. She will be at HPL from January to April 2019
Hamilton Reads - Hamilton Reads 2018 was the captivating memoir, Beautiful Scars, by local author and musician, Tom Wilson. #HPLreads2018
Open+ - HPL was the first in Canada to launch Open+ library hour services at the Freelton Branch. HPL with Bibliotheca hosted librarians from all over Canada to learn more about the Open+ library hour service pilot project that launched in Fall 2017.
Summer Reading Club 2018 - Families enjoyed visits by the Hamilton Mounted Police, Greyhound Lovers of Hamilton-Wentworth and many others as part of the 2018 TD Summer Reading Club.
Disney on Ice and Monster Jam - Participants of all ages entered for their chance to win a family ticket pack in our Disney on Ice and Monster Jam contest. The contest was generously sponsored by FELD Entertainment.
Art - In March 2018, in partnership with the Art Gallery of Hamilton, exhibitions Water Works and RESERVOIR: Stories of Water exhibit was held at the Central Library. Everyone was encouraged to express their love of water in this city through selfie stations.
Genealogy Fair 2018 - The Ontario Genealogical Society and the Local History & Archives Department of the Hamilton Public Library presented Genealogy Fair 2018. Genealogy Fair is a full day of learning how to research history and preserve the past.
Conversations That Matter - HPL hosted Conversations That Matter: Civic Engagement Speaker Series in Spring 2018. It was a partnership with the City of Hamilton, McMaster University Continuing Education and Our Future Hamilton.
Hamilton Comic Con - HPL joined the fans at the Hamilton Convention Centre for Hamilton Comic 2018. Superhero programs took place within branches leading up to the Comic Con.
Margaret Houghton - In 2018, HPL lost one of its own. Margaret Houghton, Hamilton's most beloved chronicler of local history, passed in October. Thank you for all your contributions to Hamilton's history and to HPL. You will be greatly missed.







