All branches close early on Tuesday, December 30 at 6:00 PM (*with the exception of Carlisle, Freelton, Greensville, and Mount Hope) for holiday-adjusted hours. This includes branches with Extended Access.
*Carlisle- 10am - 3pm
Freelton- 9am - 2pm
Greensville- 9am - 2pm
Mount Hope- 10am - 3pm
All branches close early on Monday, December 29 at 6:00 PM (with the exception of Freelton closing at 2PM) for holiday-adjusted hours. This includes branches with Extended Access.
The Makerspace at Central Library is currently out of white vinyl for printing. Members needing white vinyl can visit the Dundas or Valley Park branch Makerspaces, which are the closest locations with white vinyl currently available.
Due to maintenance, the Barton Branch will be closed on Wednesday, January, 7. Please visit Central Library or Kenilworth Branch for your library needs. www.hpl.ca/hours
Photocopying and Scanning is not working at Westdale Branch. We aim to fix it as soon as possible.
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.
Bookmobile is off the road December 31, and January 1st. Visit www.hpl.ca/bookmobile for our Holiday Schedule.
Due to the setup for the Noon Hour Concert, the Fourth Floor at Central Library will be closed on Friday, January 2. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 1-3 have spaces to work and study.
All branches close on Thursday January 1 for New Years Day. This includes branches with Extended Access.
All branches close on Friday, December 26, 2025 for Boxing Day . This includes branches with Extended Access.
All HPL Branches close early on Wednesday, December 31 at 1pm. This includes branches with Extended Access.
Branch Study Halls are paused Friday, December 19, 2025 through Monday, January 5, 2026. Central Library Study Hall hours resume Spring 2026.
www.hpl.ca/study-halls
Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items.
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.
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.
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.
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 Mabel Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence Program: english.humanities.mcmaster.ca/mabel-pugh-taylor-writer-in-residence
