Branch Closures

Barton, Binbrook, Carlisle, Concession, Freelton, Greensville, Locke, Lynden, Mount Hope, Parkdale, Stoney Creek, Waterdown and Valley Park Branches are closed All Day on Thursday, January 15, 2026 due to poor weather. Study Halls are open tonight with the exception of Waterdown and Valley Park Branches.

Published:
Thursday, January 15, 2026 - 12:00pm
Delayed Branch Openings

The following Branches open at 1pm: Ancaster, Dundas, Kenilworth, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Saltfleet, Westdale and Sherwood. 
Extended Access is not available.

Published:
Thursday, January 15, 2026 - 11:00am
Central Library - Delayed Opening

Central Library opens at Noon today, Thursday, January 15. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Thursday, January 15, 2026 - 7:00am
Cold Weather Alert for the City of Hamilton

Cold Weather Alert for the City of Hamilton January 14, 2025.

The temperature is expected to plummet below minus 15 Celsius. For warm place hours visit hpl.ca/hours

For a list of shelters and health information visit www.hamilton.ca/cold

Published:
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - 4:00pm
Online Resources - Update

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.

Published:
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - 11:00am
Waterdown Branch Accessible Door Out of Order

The accessibility door at Waterdown Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.

Published:
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 - 12:00pm
Printing Updates

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.

Published:
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 2:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees

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. 

Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm

Steel Town Love - A Festival for Romance Readers and Writers

Steeltown Love

Saturday July 12 
11am-4pm
Central Library  

Hamilton's first festival dedicated to romance novels and the people who love them. 

Join other romance book enthusiasts at Hamilton Public Library for a day of swoon-worthy events, including author talks, signings, workshops, a vendor market and more.  

Register for your all-day pass.

Festival Activities

Reader's Lounge at the Hamilton Farmer's Market
11am - 2pm
Farmer’s Market

Take a break between author panels, browsing and our Meet Cute Market to chill out in our reader's lounge. Head to the Hamilton Farmers' Market to relax, read romance stories, colour, make buttons and chat.

 

The Meet-Cute Market
11am – 3pm
1st Floor Living Room
A curated market for romance readers to shop to their heart's delight.

 

Green Screen Fun - Star in Your Own Romance Book Cover
11am – 3pm
4th Floor Makerspace

Be the star in your own romance book cover using our green screen technology.

 

Cricut Design Space
11am – 3pm
4th Floor Makerspace

Create romance-themed crafts using the Cricut.

 

Epic Books will be selling books at the event on the fourth floor.

Workshops and Author Talks  

Writing Workshop: Farah Heron, Tropes and Vibes to Story and Plot  
11am – Noon  
1st Floor Wentworth Room 

A short-fiction workshop by Farah Heron, author of romance novels Accidentally Engaged, Just Playing House and The Chai Factor. 
Registration Required   

Author Talk: Uzma Jalaluddin in conversation with Farah Heron  
1pm – 2pm 
4th Floor 

The romance authors take readers behind the curtain of the genre they love, to discuss tropes, identities, book boyfriends and cross-genre writing. 

Author Panel: Jackie Lau, Kate Robb and Ellie K. Wilde 
2pm – 3pm  
4th Floor 

A discussion about the rise of the romance genre, favourite tropes to write about and how living in the GTA influences their books. Moderated by Jenn Houser aka @burlingtonbiblio.  

Author Signings
3pm – 4pm 
4th Floor 

Mix and mingle with local romance authors, purchase a copy of their book, and get it autographed.

Warmup Events 

Whet your appetite with meetups and book clubs leading up to the big event.  

Explore Our Romance Novel Collection 

Find your next literary crush with HPL’s romance booklist.