Cold Weather Alert for the City of Hamilton January 22, 2026.
The temperature is expected to plummet below minus 15 Celsius. For warm place hours visit hpl.ca/hours.
For a list of shelters and health information visit www.hamilton.ca/cold.
Cold Weather Alert for the City of Hamilton
Published:
Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 5:00pm
Parkdale Branch Accessible Washroom Out of Order
The accessible washroom at Parkdale Branch is not working. We aim to get it fixed quickly.
Published:
Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 3:30pm
Microsoft Service Outage affecting email delivery
Microsoft is currently experiencing an outage in the Office 365 services. This is causing some emails from @hpl.ca addresses to fail to be delivered. We appologize for the inconvenience.
Published:
Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 3:30pm
Locke Branch - Filming Nearby
Filming will take place at 86 Homewood Avenue from January 28-30, 7 am-11 pm. Production vehicles and equipment will be located on the north side of Stanley Avenue between Locke Street South and Kent Street. This will impact the availability of side-street parking. Thank you for your patience.
Published:
Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 3:00pm
Bookmobile Stops Cancelled
The Rockton Bookmobile visit (10:30-11:30am) today, Thursday, January 22 is cancelled. Service is expected to resume next week.
Published:
Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 9:00am
Central Library - Sunday Hours Paused
Effective Sunday, February 1, Sunday service hours at Central Library will be paused.
Sunday Hours will continue at Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park and Waterdown Branches from 1-5pm.
Published:
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 - 11:00am
Central Library - Daily Hours Update
Starting Monday, February 2, Central Library's daily hours will move back to a 9 am opening instead of 8 am, Monday through Saturday. Please make note of this new service change for your next visit. www.hpl.ca/hours
Published:
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 - 11:00am
Central Library – Digital Microfilm Machines
The digital microfilm machines at Central Library are not working. A single analog machine is available in the Local History and Archives Reading Room. This reader does not support printing. We apologize for the inconvenience and aim to have the digital devices repaired as soon as possible.
Published:
Monday, January 19, 2026 - 1:45pm
Online Resources - Update
The following eResources have been recently discontinued in our HPL collections: Novelist, Summa, Summa Kids, and Northstar Digital Literacy. Please visit www.hpl.ca/articles/read-watch-listen for our full listing of online resources for your next read, watch, listen and/or learn.
Published:
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - 11:00am
Printing Updates
Daily print balances for black and white and colour printing change January 2, 2026. The new daily print balance is 40 cents. Members receive four free black and white copies or two free colour copies.
Large format and vinyl printing pricing also change on January 2. Visit https://www.hpl.ca/makerspaces for updates.
Published:
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 2:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees
Bring back your borrowed library items within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items.
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
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.
