Terryberry Branch Entrance Out of Order

The sliding door at Terryberry Branch is not working properly. Please use accessible ramp entrance.

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Published:
Saturday, October 11, 2025 - 12:00pm
Online Resources and Guest WiFi Access - October 12 -13

Due to network maintenance, online resources and Guest Wi-Fi will not be available from 6 am Sunday, October 12 to 7 am Monday, October 13. Thank you for your patience.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 2:30pm
Delayed Branch Openings 

The following locations have upcoming delayed openings due to Staff training drills. 

Monday, October 20 
Ancaster Branch, 10 am 

Tuesday, October 21 
Central Library, 10 am 
Sherwood Branch, 10 am 

Thursday, October 23
Locke Branch, 10am

You may visit nearby Branches for your library needs. www.hpl.ca/hours

 

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 2:00pm
All Branches Closed for October 12

All branches close on Sunday, October 12, 2025 for Thanksgiving. This includes branches with Extended Access.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Monday, October 6, 2025 - 2:00pm
Branch Closures - Thanksgiving

All HPL Branches are closed on Thanksgiving Monday, October 13. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access and Study Hall services are not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, October 14. Our Virtual Branch is open at hpl.ca.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Monday, October 6, 2025 - 2:00pm
Interlibrary Loan Service on Pause

Interlibrary Loan (ILLO) service will be temporarily paused starting Friday, September 26, due to continued negotiations between CUPW and Canada Post. We apologize for the inconvenience.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Friday, September 26, 2025 - 1:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees

Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items. 

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
Kenilworth Branch - Temporary Closure (Sept 2 - Oct 20)

Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 20. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. Thank you for your patience.

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Published:
Monday, August 11, 2025 - 8:00am

Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway Locomotive #51 “Oberon”
Great Western Railway Locomotive #51 “Oberon”

The Great Western Railway Company of Canada Papers (1862-1879) were presented to the Hamilton Public Library by Mr. Frank Jones in September 1966, along with an interesting story about their being saved from destruction, as recounted below:

"In November 1963, a Canadian National Railway storehouse at the foot of Queen Street North in Hamilton was destroyed with all of its contents by order of the railway management. The storehouse contained all of the papers and records of the Great Western Railway Company of Canada from, probably, about 1854 until its absorption by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1882.

Employees of the Steel Company of Canada at their Ontario Works, which property adjoins the railway yard, picked up a few sheets which had blown onto the Steel Company property and brought them to Mr. Frank Jones of the Industrial Relations General Office. Realizing their value and historical importance, Mr. Jones at once made enquiries about the preservation of the rest of the records, but by that time it was too late.

Thus the early railroad paylists, casualty reports, time sheets, and in fact, most of the papers connected with the beginning of the railroad history in Hamilton were destroyed by persons in authority who lacked all sense of the value of early railroad documents.

The papers were presented to the Hamilton Public Library in September of 1966 by Mr. Frank Jones."

Mary Harrington Farmer

September 1966

 

1. Pay lists

Dec. 21, 1862 - Jan. 3, 1863 Windsor inside loco dept. - 1

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Mechanical dept. - 2

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Windsor inside loco dept. - 3

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Mechanical dept. - 4

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Windsor inside loco dept. - 5

Feb. 1 - 14, 1863 Mechanical dept. - 6

Feb. 1 - 14, 1863 Hamilton inside loco dept. - 7 to 12

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Hamilton inside loco dept. - 13 to 18

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Hamilton inside loco dept. - 19 to 24

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Niagara Toronto inside loco dept. - 25

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 London inside loco dept. - 26

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Niagara toronto inside loco dept. - 27

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 London inside loco dept. - 28

 

2. a. Time Sheets

Pages 29 to 75

August 1875

October 1875

December 1875

February 1876

April 1876

June 1876

August 1876

 

For:

E. Burk

W. Pouley

W. Steers

J. Lister

C. Farr

M. Mullin

A. Collins

 

 

2. b. Time Sheets

Pages 76 to 103

May 1878

July 1878

September 1878

November 1878

January 1879

March 1879

May 1879

 

For:

W. McLean

J. Sullavan

E. Richardson

H.F. Kivell

J. McGrory

E.L. Richardson

A. McDonald

J. Males

G. Bunn

J. Brierley

M. McCardall 

 

3. Engine drivers' returns

Aug. 6, 1881 Engine no. 116 - 104

Aug. 6, 1881 Engine no. 344 - 105

Aug. 7, 1881 Engine no. 344 - 106

Aug. 8, 1881 Engine no. 344 - 107

Aug. 8, 1881 Engine no. 116 - 108

 

4. Casualty reports

July 11, 1874 Hamilton station - 109 to 110

Feb. 25, 1876 St. Thomas station - 111 to 112

 

5. Telegraphic train order

Dec. 24, 18-- Order to train no. 12 at Galt - 113

-------- Printed instructions to train

operators, by C. Stiff,

superintendent - 114