All Branches Closed - Sunday, May 17

All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, May 17. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access service is not available.

Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, May 19. Visit hpl.ca for our Virtual Branch.

Published:
Monday, May 11, 2026 - 10:15am
All Branches Closed - Victoria Day, Monday, May 18

All HPL Branches are closed on Monday, May 18. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access and Study Hall services are not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, May 19. 

Published:
Monday, May 11, 2026 - 10:15am
Bookmobile Service Modification

Due to Driver availability, Bookmobile has the following schedule modifications for the month of May. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Tuesday, May 12:               

  • Greencedar - Cancelled
  • Mountview - Cancelled

Wednesday, May 13:               

  • Swansea - Cancelled
  • Helen Detwiler - Cancelled
  • Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - Cancelled

Thursday, May 14:                

  • Rockton - Cancelled
  • Mohawk Gardens - Cancelled
  • Meadowlands - Cancelled

Monday, May 18: All Bookmobile sites closed

Published:
Monday, May 4, 2026 - 12:00pm
Software Maintenance - Victoria Day, Monday, May 18

Due to software maintenance, HPL library's catalogue, online services and library accounts will not be available between 9am and 7pm on Monday, May 18. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Friday, April 24, 2026 - 9:00am
Central Library: Children's Area Renovation on 2nd Floor

Renovations are currently underway for the 2nd floor Central Children's Area. Programs are still being offered as scheduled and there is 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. Construction is expected to be completed by late Spring. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Published:
Monday, March 23, 2026 - 9:00am
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

The Hamilton Public Library Board

The Library board with the CEO sitting in front of a small garden in front of a blue HPL wall.

Pictured Left to Right: HPL CEO Paul Takala, Kojo Damptey, Brie Berry, Councillor Ted McMeekin, Carly Whitmore, Nicolas van Velzen, Jennifer Horwath, Gagan Batra, Lynne Serviss
Absent: Councillor Cameron Kroetsch, Dayna Firth, Alison Griggs

The Hamilton Public Library Board is made up of nine citizens and two City Councillors. The Library Board establishes library services for our community based on public input, market research and by monitoring satisfaction with services.

Members of the Hamilton Public Library Board 2023-2026:

  • Gagan Batra
  • Brie Berry
  • Kojo Damptey
  • Dayna Firth
  • Alison Griggs
  • Jennifer Horwath
  • Lynne Serviss
  • Nicolas van Velzen
  • Carly Whitmore
  • Councillor Cameron Kroetsch
  • Councillor Ted McMeekin
     

Library Board By-Laws

The Hamilton Public Library Board is duly constituted as a corporation and governed by the provisions of the Public Libraries Act, Statutes of Ontario, 1990, Chapter P. 44 and is established by the provisions of City of Hamilton By-Law 04-019.  

How can I contact the Board?:

Contact with the Board may be made through the Chief Librarian's office. The Chief Librarian serves as Secretary of the Board and is responsible for Library operations. Members of the public wishing to make a verbal or written delegation to the Library Board should contact the Board Secretary in writing seven (7) days in advance of the meeting using the contact information below. Meeting attendees must follow HPL's Member and Service Commitment Policy

55 York Boulevard, Box 2700
Hamilton, ON  L8N 4E4
905.546.3214
hplceo@hpl.ca

Meetings:

Board meetings are typically held at 6pm on the third Wednesday of each month:

2026 Meeting dates: 

  • December 10, 2025
  • February 18, 2026 
  • March 11, 2026 
  • April 8, 2026  
  • May 20, 2026 
  • June 10, 2026 
  • September 16, 2026 
  • October 21, 2026 
  • November 18, 2026 
  • December 16, 2026  

How can I apply to become a Library Board member?:

Library Board members are appointed by Hamilton City Council for a four-year term and serve without remuneration. A notice to citizens will be placed in The Hamilton Spectator and Hamilton community newspapers announcing the recruitment period. Application forms are available at all Municipal Service Centres, Hamilton City Hall and on the City's website during the recruitment period. The next term for recruitment is in 2026. 

2023-2026 Board Orientation Materials

Board Orientation Governance Overview 

HPL Planning Framework

Board Orientation HPL & The Role of the Library