The sliding door at Terryberry Branch is not working properly. Please use accessible ramp entrance.
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.
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 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 close on Sunday, October 12, 2025 for Thanksgiving. This includes branches with Extended Access.
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.
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.
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.
Borrowing Policy
Borrowing Limits for Materials
Discovery cards and Non-Resident cards have limits on the number of items customers can borrow:
- A maximum of 50 items can be checked out at any time.
- A limit of two (2) DVD Express and two (2) Bestseller Express items can be checked out at any one time.
- A maximum of 50 holds can be placed.
- Access to digital collections and resources
Inspire card users can borrow materials and are subject to the same responsibilities as a Discovery card but with reduced borrowing limits:
- A maximum of five (5) items can be checked out at any time.
- A maximum of one (1) Express item.
- A maximum of five (5) holds can be placed at any time.
- Access to digital collections and resources.
Community cards have extended borrowing and loan periods.
- A maximum of 200 items can be checked out at any one time.
- Ninety (90) day loan period for 28-day items.
- Games and periodicals are excluded from borrowing with this card.
- A maximum of ninety-nine (99) holds can be placed.
Reciprocal card holders must have a valid library card from a participating library system.
- Card holders may borrow up to eight (8) items and place two (2) holds.
- These customers have the same loan periods as a Discovery card.
- They do not have access to all digital collections and resources.
Renewals
Most items may be renewed up to three (3) times following initial checkout. Items that are eligible for renewal will be automatically renewed on the due date. Customers with email notification will receive an email informing them of which items have been renewed and which items will be due. There are no renewals permitted on the following items:
- Magazines
- Items requested by another Library member
Renewal of Interlibrary loan materials is subject to the guidelines of the lending library.
Reserves/ Holds
Customers with a valid Hamilton Public Library card may reserve an item that someone else is currently borrowing. This is referred to as placing an item on “hold.” The following circulating items cannot be reserved:
- Magazines
Upon notification that a reserve is available, customers have 7 open days to pick up the item. eBook users have three (3) days (72 hours) to download their hold. Customers can choose to turn on an automatic borrowing feature that checks out the eBook copy as soon as it becomes available.
Returns
Borrowed items from the Hamilton Public Library need to be returned to one of its locations. Drop boxes are available for the return of items when the location is closed. If a Hamilton Public Library item is returned to another library system in error, the card holder is responsible for all fines and associated charges. Certain items may need to be returned during open hours.
Suspension of Borrowing Privileges
Borrowing privileges are suspended when customers have overdue materials over the limit threshold. Suspensions only apply to physical borrowing; digital collections and resources remain accessible. See Service Fees Policy [2].
Publish Date
July 2021