Bookmobile Service Update

Due to the Touch-A-Truck event being cancelled, Bookmobile will be visiting its regularly scheduled Saturday sites instead (Stoney Creek Arena, Riverdale, and Discovery Centre). www.hpl.ca/bookmobile

Published:
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - 2:30pm
Central Library - Fax Machine Out of Order

Please note that the fax machine is currently out of order. The estimated time of repair is unknown. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - 12:00pm
Turner Park - Study Hall Cancellation

Study Hall on Thursday, May 21, is cancelled due to plumbing maintenance. Study Hall will resume on Monday, May 25. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - 12:00pm
Staff Professional Development Day - All Branches Closed

All HPL Branches are closed on Friday May 29, for Staff Professional Development. Bookmobile is off the road and Extended Access service is not available. Regular service hours resume on Saturday May 30.

Visit our Virtual Branch at hpl.ca for our online resources and collections.

Published:
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - 12:00pm
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.

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

Digital Reproduction Requests

Local History and Archives has a unique collection of over three million images chronicling the history of Hamilton and surrounding areas dating from the mid-1800s. High-resolution copies are available for purchase for personal and commercial use.  

To order reproductions, please download and complete a Digital Request form. Save and attach the completed form and submit it via email to askus@hpl.ca. You can also print this document and submit it in person at the Local History and Archives Information desk. 

For assistance in selecting images or completing the form, contact staff at askus@hpl.ca

Below is an overview of the process.

Requesting Digital Reproductions at Local History and Archives

All prices are subject to applicable taxes. 

Type

Cost

Non Commercial Use
- Use applies to images intended for artistic, educational, and/or personal projects that will not be marketed, promoted, or sold for monetary compensation.
- Examples include personal research, websites (personal, civic and/or non-profit), home decor, gift.

$25 per item

Commercial Use
- Applies to images that are intended for resale or reproduction in advertising, items for resale or other revenue generating enterprises.
- Examples include books for sale (including textbooks and academic publications), journals with paid subscriptions, commercial websites.

$45 per item

 

Details: 

  • For image reproduction requests, up to 600 dpi JPEG files are normally provided. Up to 1200 dpi TIFF is available upon request.
  • Images can be delivered by email or on USB, to be picked up in person at Central Library. 
  • Print reproductions are not available. You can print large format images at our Makerspaces. 
  • Orders typically take 7-14 days to complete. Large orders, or images that are not already digitized may take longer, subject to Staff capacity. 

Copyright: 

It is the recipient’s obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions (such as donor restrictions, privacy rights, publicity rights, licensing and trademarks) when using, publishing or otherwise distributing materials received from Hamilton Public Library. Additional fees, set by the copyright or intellectual property owner, may apply and would be negotiated directly with them.

Payment: 

All image orders must be paid in full before digital image files are released. 

Payments can be made by Visa / Mastercard / debit card at Central Library or over the phone after an invoice is issued. 

Signed order forms can be submitted by email to askus@hpl.ca (preferred) or in person at Local History and Archives, at Central Library.