Study Halls Return September 2

Study Halls at Central Library and Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park, and Waterdown branches resume on Tuesday, September 2. They will be open after-hours Mondays-Thursdays from 8 pm to Midnight. www.hpl.ca/study-halls 

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - 2:15pm
Bookmobile Stop Modified

Due to campus events, McMaster University's Bookmobile Visits for Tuesdays, August 26 and September 2 (3:30-4:30 pm) have been cancelled. Service is expected to resume on Tuesday, September 9. Thank you for your understanding.

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Affected Branch: Bookmobile
Nearest Branches: 
Bookmobile Stop: 
Published:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 12:00pm
Carlisle Branch Accessible Door Out of Order

The accessibility door at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.

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Affected Branch: Carlisle Branch
Published:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 10:15am
Turner Park - Rymal Road Entrance Unavailable

The Rymal Road entrance to the facility will be unavailable today due to an event at the YMCA. Access to the parking lot, accessible parking spaces, back entrance, and external drop box remains available. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - 2:30pm
Labour Day Closure

All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, August 31, and Labour Day, Monday, September 1st. Bookmobile is off the road, and Extended Access is not available. Regular service hours resume Tuesday, September 2. www.hpl.ca/hours

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - 8:00am
Turner Park - Mid-Day Fire Drill, September 3

Due to a mid-day fire drill, Turner Park Branch and Les Chater Family YMCA are closed for a fire drill from noon-1 pm. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Thursday, August 14, 2025 - 1:00pm
Kenilworth Branch - Temporary Closure (Sept 2 - Oct 10)

Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 10. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. On August 28-29, there may be some noise disruptions and limited parking spots while the roof repair set-up begins. Thank you for your patience.

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Published:
Monday, August 11, 2025 - 8:00am

2025-26 Writer in Residence

Wir 2026

Meet Saumiya Balasubramaniam

Saumiya Balasubramaniam is the 2025-26 Writer in Residence. During her eight-month stint, September 2025-April 2026, she will mentor creative writers in the Hamilton community, providing feedback on submissions in one-on-one meetings.

She writes poetry, essays, features and award-nominated picture books for children, such as When I Found Grandma, Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White and When I Visited Grandma.

Her debut picture book, When I Found Grandma, which was published in 2019, was listed in the Globe and Mail’s seven books to help kids make sense of the world list in 2019. It was nominated for the 2020 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and won the 2019 Spirituality and Practice Award.

Balasubramaniam’s books have been featured in CBC’s best Canadian picture books, top books to look out for, and the Toronto Public Library’s top five picks of the year.

Her works have been translated into French and Swedish.

Welcome Reception

Thursday September 11
6:30 to 8:00 pm
Central Library, Hamilton Room
55 York Blvd., Hamilton

Meet Saumiya at Central Library and learn more about the Writer-in-Residence program.

Register Now

Schedule an Appointment

Creative writers in Hamilton are invited to book a free 45-minute one-on-one consultation (in-person or virtual) with Saumiya. Schedule an Appointment.

Writing Workshop - Picture Book Master Class

Saturday October 4 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Central Library; Hamilton Room

Join Saumiya for a workshop on writing picture books, part of the 2025–26 Writer-in-Residence program. Register Now

More about Saumiya: saumiyabooks.com

About the Mable Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence Program: english.humanities.mcmaster.ca/mabel-pugh-taylor-writer-in-residence