Study Halls at Central Library and Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park, and Waterdown branches resume on Tuesday, September 2. They will be open after-hours Mondays-Thursdays from 8 pm to Midnight. www.hpl.ca/study-halls
Study Halls Return September 2
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - 2:15pm
Bookmobile Stop Modified
Due to campus events, McMaster University's Bookmobile Visits for Tuesdays, August 26 and September 2 (3:30-4:30 pm) have been cancelled. Service is expected to resume on Tuesday, September 9. Thank you for your understanding.
Published:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 12:00pm
Carlisle Branch Accessible Door Out of Order
The accessibility door at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
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Published:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 10:15am
Turner Park - Rymal Road Entrance Unavailable
The Rymal Road entrance to the facility will be unavailable today due to an event at the YMCA. Access to the parking lot, accessible parking spaces, back entrance, and external drop box remains available. Thank you for your patience.
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Published:
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - 2:30pm
Labour Day Closure
All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, August 31, and Labour Day, Monday, September 1st. Bookmobile is off the road, and Extended Access is not available. Regular service hours resume Tuesday, September 2. www.hpl.ca/hours
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - 8:00am
Turner Park - Mid-Day Fire Drill, September 3
Due to a mid-day fire drill, Turner Park Branch and Les Chater Family YMCA are closed for a fire drill from noon-1 pm. Thank you for your patience.
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Published:
Thursday, August 14, 2025 - 1:00pm
Kenilworth Branch - Temporary Closure (Sept 2 - Oct 10)
Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 10. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. On August 28-29, there may be some noise disruptions and limited parking spots while the roof repair set-up begins. Thank you for your patience.
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Published:
Monday, August 11, 2025 - 8:00am
War of 1812
Battlefield Monument
The largest single subject collection in the Local History & Archives Department is the section concerning the War of 1812.
Our collection chronicles the war that was fought from 1812 to 1815 between the United States and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island and Bermuda.
The Library's collection includes well over 1000 items, including books, pamphlets, maps and line drawings, and also includes the announcement of the Declaration of War.
Selection of Books
- “The Pride of Britannia Humbled” by William Cobbett, published in 1815
- “A Complete List of the American Navy...for 1813”
- “The Adventures of Uncle Sam in Search After His Lost Honor”, by Frederick Augustus Fidfaddy, published in 1816 (this work marks the first time that the United States was symbolized as Uncle Sam in print)
- “The Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812” by Benson Lossing, published in 1869
- “The History of the War” by John Russell Jr., published in 1815
- “History of the Late War between Great Britain and the United States of America” by David Thompson. This book was printed in Niagara, Upper Canada, in 1832, making it one of the earliest imprints from the province.
Pamphlets
There are also many pamphlets dealing with the causes and results of the war. Of particular interest to the Hamilton area, is a copy of James Fenimore Cooper's “Ned Myers; or, a Life Before the Mast”, which is the story of one of the sailors who survived the sinking of the Hamilton and the Scourge, during the storm on Lake Ontario, in 1813. These two vessels were rediscovered in 1975, and ownership deeded over to the City of Hamilton, which has plans to create a maritime museum.
Maps and Line Drawings
There are also maps of battles and line drawings in many of the books, outlining major campaigns and battle sites, including the Battle of Stoney Creek. This is one of the finest collections of its kind in Southern Ontario, and is a superb resource for the study of this fascinating war.
Collection Bibliography
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