With the Steel Town Love special event taking place on Saturday, July 11, the Fourth Floor at Central Library will be closed for set-up all day on Friday, July 10. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open.
The Fourth Floor will reopen its study spaces on Sunday, July 12, Noon-5 pm.
As of July 1st, partner library Members can no longer borrow HPL Express items via Overdrive. More to Borrow partner libraries will be offering Lucky Express (Skip the line) titles to their cardholders only. This will help manage wait times for popular titles. Lucky Express is a collection of in demand titles with a seven-day loan period, available with no wait.
Our partners will still be able to borrow titles from the rest of our collection.
www.hpl.ca/more-to-borrow
The What's Happening Guide has been retired and replaced with different communications channels and tactics. You can find the new Summer Reading Flyer here. Watch for future communications updates.
Sunday hours return to Central Library. Beginning July 5, Central is open Noon to 5pm. Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park and Waterdown branches are also open Sundays, 1 to 5pm. hpl.ca/hours
The accessibility door at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
After Hours Study Hall is not available in July and August. Hours will resume Tuesday, September 8. www.hpl.ca/study-halls
The entrance to the Barton Branch's parking lot off Milton Street is currently inaccessible due to construction. Please use the alley entrance off Fullerton Street.
Please be aware of online phishing attempts impersonating Hamilton Public Library and Library Staff. HPL does not solicit paid freelance opportunities through social media or other messaging applications. HPL does not request personal or banking information through social media or require financial compensation when reviewing job applications. Please report phishing schemes to communications@hpl.ca. If you think you are a victim of fraud, please call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Bookmobile Service Modifications
Wed, July 8:
Helen Detwiler Cancelled
Thurs, July 9:
Rockton Cancelled
Millgrove Cancelled
Bennetto Cancelled
Kinsmen Cancelled
Upon the completion of the demolition, the question of the cornerstone-laying, an important occasion for speech-making and politicking, was raised. Invitations were confined to the more important civic officials and citizens who occupied or had occupied positions of public trust and responsibility (35). After a delay, the cornerstone was finally laid on July 19, 1888. The Spectator reported that "[i]n front of the scene of the ceremony, on James Street, a great crowd had gathered, leaving room for only the street cars to pass. Every window commanding a view of the scene was crowded. A lot of boys had climbed on top of Peanut Charley's stand near by, and just before the ceremony commenced the frail roof crashed under them, and the boys went down head first into the peanuts, fruit and candies. Charley was inconsolable" (36). When the city council convened on September 24, 1888 the petition "asking that the Peanut Stand...be allowed to remain in front of the New City Hall" was denied (37).
The contents of the cornerstone included a scroll, the financial statement for 1887, the voters' list for 1888, a city directory for 1888, Canadian silver & copper coins, the county directory for 1888, the Canadian almanac for 1888, copies of the Canada Gazette, the Ontario Gazette, the Dominion Illustrated, the Spectator and the Times, minutes of the Board of Education for 1887, a copy of the invitation list, photographs of the old and new city halls, City Messenger Charley Smith's photograph, and Mr. Neill's group photograph of the city hall officials. At the last minute a bill-of-fare of the lunch was thrust into the box " (37). When the cornerstone was moved in the next century to the new city hall, everything remained intact. However, the coins placed in the box were missing (38). After the cornerstone block was lowered the speeches began. Mayor Doran spoke, followed by Alexander McKay, M.P., Adam Brown, M.P., John M. Gibson, M.P.P., Warden Flatt, Alderman Moore, Sheriff McKellar and Alderman Stevenson. "By this time the crowd had thinned considerably, and though the list of speakers was not half exhausted, it was thought wise to stop the speaking right there" (37). They moved into the new city hall in January of 1890.
