On Wednesday, February 18, the Jackson Square Entrance's sliding doors are scheduled for repairs. Please use York Boulevard as an alternate entrance. Thank you for your patience.
Central Library - Jackson Square Entrance
Published:
Friday, February 13, 2026 - 12:00pm
Central Library - Fourth Floor Closure
The 4th Floor will be closed from 9 am-2 pm tomorrow, Friday, February 13, for a special event. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 2 and 3 are available for study and work. www.hpl.ca/central
Published:
Thursday, February 12, 2026 - 12:00pm
Concession Branch - Upcoming Renovations
Starting the week of February 9, renovation preparations are underway in anticipation of the March 2 start. Computer availability may be limited, and the Living Room space is closed. Renovations are expected to wrap up by late Spring. Thank you for your patience.
Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Sherwood Branch - Upcoming Renovations
Renovation preparations are underway in anticipation of the March 2 start. Starting the week of February 23, the 2nd Floor will be closed. The Children's collection will be temporarily available on the 1st Floor. Renovations are expected to wrap up by late Spring. Thank you for your patience.
Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Family Day Closure
All HPL Branches are closed on Family Day, Monday, February 16. Bookmobile is off the Road. Extended Access and Study Hall is not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, February 17.
Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm
Central Library - Living Room Renovation Preparation
Starting Tuesday, February 10, the First Floor Living Room will be unavailable due to renovation preparations. Study and work spaces are available on Floors 2-3.
Please note the Noon Hour Concert on Friday, February 13, will be held at Terryberry Branch instead.
Thank you for your patience.
Published:
Friday, February 6, 2026 - 9:00am
Bookmobile Service Modification
Please note the following Bookmobile visit updates.
Friday, February 13
Winona (11am-Noon) - Cancelled
Queen Victoria (3-4pm) - Cancelled
Family Day, Monday, February 16
Bookmobile is off the road.
Tuesday, February 17
McMaster University (3:30-4:30pm) - Cancelled
Thursday, February 19
Rockton (10:30am-11:30am) - Cancelled
Bennetto 5-5:30pm (instead of 4-5:30pm)
Published:
Monday, February 2, 2026 - 3:15pm
Carlisle Branch Accessible Washroom Out of Order
The accessible washroom at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to get it fixed quickly.
Published:
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - 12:30pm
Central Library - Sunday Hours Paused
Effective Sunday, February 1, Sunday service hours at Central Library will be paused.
Sunday Hours will continue at Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park and Waterdown Branches from 1-5pm.
Published:
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 - 11:00am
The Land Papers
Hamilton in the mid-1800s
The Land Papers were presented to the Hamilton Public Library by the daughters of John H. Land in September of 1956. Robert Land, 1772-1867, was the third son of Robert, 1736-1818, and Phoebe Scott Land, Loyalists from the Delaware Valley, New York, who fled to Canada during the American Revolutionary War. Robert the elder was one of the first settlers at the Head of the Lake, now the City of Hamilton, Ontario.
Robert Land the younger married Hannah Horning of Barton Township. He served in the 5th Lincoln Militia during the War of 1812. In 1830 he was gazetted lieutenant-colonel, and during the Rebellion of 1837-38 was in command of the 3rd Gore Regiment stationed at Hamilton. Most of these papers deal with the activities of the 3rd Gore Regiment in and around Hamilton. The papers are as follows:
1. Land Family
a. Correspondence, 1835-1867; 1
b. Miscellaneous personal papers, 1810-1851; 26
c. Bond of Ephraim Land, 1803; 44
d. Account book of Peter Horning's estate
e. Indenture of R. Land articled to R. O. Duggan, 1839; 69
f. "The Old Red House" by Jessie Skinner; 74
2. Deeds of Land
a. Deeds, surveys, etc. 1800-1869; 77
b. Specifications for a house in Hamilton, 1847; 117
3. Military Letters and Dispatches
a. Undated; 122
b. 1813-1823; 129
c. 1837; 136
d. 1838; 220
e. Receipts for dispatches: Ancaster, 580; Stoney Creek, 605; Wellington Square, 627
f. Four letter-books kept by Robert Land, 1837-38; 669
g. 1839; 964
h. Letters and judgment rolls in the case of William Scott Burn; 990
i. 1847-1863; 1096
4. Muster Rolls and Returns
a. Undated; 1106
b. 5th Lincoln Militia, 1812-1818; 1113
c. 3rd Gore Militia, Undated; 1163
d. 3rd Gore Militia, 1837; 1170
e. 3rd Gore Militia, 1838; 1220
f. 3rd Gore Militia, by companies; 1245
g. Reserve Militia, by township; 1330
h. Reserve Militia, miscellaneous papers, 1847-1879; 1564-b
5. Paylists
3rd Gore Militia
a. Schedule of pay; 1589
b. Pay of staff and regimental officers; 1592
c. Pay of sergeants and privates; 1602
d. Paylists by companies; 1608
e. Returns of sums due 1638
f. Miscellaneous estimates and returns; 1648
g. Receipts for company pay; 1655
3rd Gore Cavalry
h. Regimental officers' pay; 1668
6. Families of Militiamen
a. Letters, 1837-1838; 1670
b. Returns for rations; 1688
c. Certificates of families entitled to draw rations; 1734
d. Requisition slips for provisions for wives and children. Not sorted; 1777
7. Returns of Sick
a. Medical certificates; 1778
b. Sick returns, March-July 1838; 1785
8. Guard Reports and Accounts; 1878
9. Commissariat
a. Six day-books kept by Quarter-master's office; 2015
b. Provisions and supplies; 2348
c. Requisitions and returns; 2639
d. Prisoners' rations; requisitions and returns; 2674
e. Proceedings of a Board of Inquiry; 2676
10. Military Supplies
a. Arms and ammunition; 2680
b. Office supplies; 2750
c. Clothing, bedding, etc.; 2752
d. Horses, forage, etc.; 2778
e. Barracks' accounts; 2820
f. Barracks and stables, rent and repairs; 2855
g. Miscellaneous accounts, 1841, 1848; 2874
11. Teamsters
a. Returns; 2876
b. Day-book, December 31, 1837-February 21, 1838; 2898
c. Claims; 2916
d. Paylists; 2922
e. Accounts; 2946
f. Certificates; 2961
g. Requisitions for teams; 3056
12. State Prisoners
a. Letters and Reports; 3061
b. Miscellaneous accounts; 3080
c. Requisitions; 3098
c. Returns for provisions; 3159
13. Miscellaneous Military Papers, 1812-1863
a. Claims; 3169
b. Barracks regulations and accounts, 1827-1838; 3182
c. Commissions: 1823; 1830; 1839; 1869; 1870; 3315
d. Courts martial: 1812; 1820; 1838; 3346
e. Rules of the Rifle Association, 7th Military District, Upper Canada, organized July 1863; 3354
f. Torn and incomplete papers ----
14. Printed Acts, Reports, etc., 1813-1863; 3358
15. Books in the possession of Mrs. C. M. Clinton, 68 Water Street, Burlington
a. Letter book, November 26, 1838 - February 16, 1839, containing general orders of Lt. Col. Land.
b. Register and return of troops under Lt. Col. Land, May 1838
Index
