Please note the following service changes.
Saturdays
Riverdale (150 Violet Drive): 11:15 am-12:15 pm (previously stopped on Tuesdays at 11 am-12 pm)
Discovery Centre (Pier 8, Seasonal): 2:30-4 pm (new time)
Please note the following service changes.
Saturdays
Riverdale (150 Violet Drive): 11:15 am-12:15 pm (previously stopped on Tuesdays at 11 am-12 pm)
Discovery Centre (Pier 8, Seasonal): 2:30-4 pm (new time)
The Branch is open today, Friday, January 9. Our elevator by the parking lot entrance is out of order.
To use our second elevator, enter through the Mohawk Road entrance (which features a ramp) and use the elevator located in the middle of the building. The estimated time of disruption is unknown. Thank you for your understanding.
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.
The accessibility door at Waterdown Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
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.
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.
HAMILTON, ON – August 14, 2025 – Hamilton Public Library (HPL) joins Telling Tales (TT) at its annual children’s literary festival on October 4 and 5 to celebrate the magic of storytelling.
Over two days and on five stages, more than 100 presenters converge at Royal Botanical Gardens' Hendrie Park, including children’s authors, illustrators, dancers, artists and musicians. Main Stage headliners include authors Tanya Tagaq on Saturday at 12:15pm and Matthew Forsyth on Sunday at 12:15pm. The Festival also features a book swap and shop, vendors, interactive walks and creative activities.
Hamilton Public Library staff will also be there each day, with 10-minute storytime presentations for all ages at 10:50, 1:10, 2:25 and 3:40. Featured books include Telling Tales Reading List highlights such as: The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan; The Crayon Stub by Marcus Cutler; Hug by Charlene Chua and When the Air Sang by Laura Bontje.
Make the most of your literary adventure and plan your day using the full Festival schedule. Be sure to register to attend this free weekend event.
While you wait for the Festival, check out Telling Tales’ Reading List, or download the Book Bingo card and borrow the books from HPL. Book Bingo features fresh new Canadian releases and all Book Bingo books will be available for purchase at the Telling Tales Festival. As a bonus, readers can redeem their book bingo card for 10% off at local bookstores Epic Books and A Different Drummer Books. Visit HPL’s 23 branches and Bookmobiles any time of year for storytimes, crafts, science, author events and more. Details at hpl.ca/events.
“With books for babies to teens, our literary programming this year focuses on building foundational literacy skills while including more panels, workshops and activities that help develop critical thinking and dialogue skills,” says Executive Director Heather Kanabe. “This ensures we are with young people throughout their literacy journey.”
“Hamilton Public Library shares Telling Tales’ mission to encourage a love of reading, share the joy of stories and grow literacy skills throughout the year—every year—to reach important milestones,” says Katelyn Granger, Manager of Youth Services at HPL. “The benefits of getting a free library card at a young age are endless.”
To make it easier to get to the Festival, hop on a shuttle bus supported by First Student, in front of Central Library at 55 York Blvd, 10am-4:30pm. A bus departs every 15 minutes.