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.
Central Library: SAD Therapy Lamp Out of Order
Published:
Monday, March 23, 2026 - 10:00am
Central Library: Children's Area Renovation on 2nd Floor, March 30-April 27
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.
Published:
Monday, March 23, 2026 - 9:00am
Bookmobile Service Modifications
Due to driver availability, Bookmobile is off the road for the following. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Tuesday, March 24
McMaster 3:30-4:30pm - Cancelled
Greencedar 4:30-5pm (instead of 4-5pm)
Wednesday, March 26
Rockton 10:30-11:30am - Cancelled
Meadowlands 3:30-4pm - Cancelled
Bennetto 5-5:30pm (instead of 4-5:30pm)
Published:
Monday, March 16, 2026 - 10:15am
Central Library - New Library Card Check-in Process
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.
Published:
Friday, March 13, 2026 - 5:45pm
Concession Branch Children's Area Reduced Service
A Children's area activity table, including the children's computers at Concession Branch are unavailable due to a facility issue. We aim to fix them as soon as possible.
Published:
Monday, March 9, 2026 - 11:30am
HPL Telephone Main Line Roll Back
HPL's original phone number is back in service. Please call 905-546-3200. The 289-779-7588 number, created due to the 2024 cybersecurity incident, is also working.
Published:
Friday, March 6, 2026 - 9:15am
Valley Park Community Centre Closure
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.
Published:
Friday, February 27, 2026 - 11:00am
Concession Branch: Renovations
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.
Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Sherwood Branch: Renovations
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.
Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Carlisle Branch Accessible Washroom Out of Order
The accessible washroom at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to get it fixed quickly.
Published:
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - 12:30pm
Canadiana Collection
D’Anville map of Canada, 1755
Since the formation of the Hamilton Public Library in 1889, one of its mandates has been to emphasize and make available material regarding Canadian history. From the earliest days, books, pamphlets, and other materials have been actively collected. With the 1905 donation of a sizable collection of early Canadian books by Emerson Bristol Biggar, a well known author and journalist, this collection was finally united, later being placed in the Canadiana Room in 1914. In 1974, this collection became part of the Special Collections Department. In February of 2008, the name of the department was changed to Local History & Archives.
The Canadiana collection is a collection of books about Canada, written by Canadians, published by Canadians, or having something to do with the history of Canada.
Within this collection are many fine examples of early printing, including de Charlevoix' Histoire de la Nouvelle France, published in 1744, and John Oldmixon's The British Empire in America, published in 1708. Major collecting strengths in this collection include sections of early exploration in Canada, featuring such well known books as Travels in Canada and the United States in 1816 and 1817 by Francis Hall, Five Years Residence in the Canadas by Edward Allen Talbot, published in 1824, A Theatrical Trip for a Wager! by Horton Rhys, published in 1861, Travels Through the Canadas by George Heriot, published in 1813, and Anbury's Travels Through the Interior Parts of America, published in 1791. Some of these books contain early descriptions of the Hamilton area and are excerpted in the Heritage Day Speech entitled Greetings from Hamilton.
Other collections include Arctic exploration, with an emphasis on the mid 19th century search for the remains of the Sir John Franklin expedition. This search and the reward offered are of particular interest to Hamiltonians because the ultimate winner of the reward was, for a time, a resident of Hamilton: John Rae.
Other books in the Canadiana Collection include a large amount of early Canadian fiction, township and county histories, military lists, year books, Parliamentary companions, biographies, autobiographies, and books of so many other types that it is not possible to list them here. These fascinating examples of Canadiana span from 1708 to the present. Visit Local History & Archives today to explore this vast collection.
