Printing and photocopying are not working at Dundas Branch. We're working to get these working again as soon as possible.
Filming will take place near the Locke Branch from August 4 to 8, which will impact traffic flow and parking. We apologize for the inconvenience.
- East and West Side of Locke Street South
- North and South Side of Herkimer Street
- North and South Side of Stanley Avenue
On Monday, August 4, Civic Holiday, due to IT network maintenance, HPL's catalogue will be searchable, but Holds and Library accounts, as well as online resources, will not be available. However, WiFi will remain accessible. We apologize for the inconvenience.
All branches close on Sunday, August 3, 2025 and August 4, 2025 for the Civic Holiday. This includes branches with Extended Access.
The following Bookmobile visits are modified on:
Thursday, July 31
- Bennetto and Kinsmen - Cancelled
Friday, August 1
- Winona Park - Cancelled
Monday, August 4 - All Bookmobile visits cancelled
Thursday, August 7
- Rockton 10:30-11:30 am - Moved to Rockton Elementary School 670 Hwy 8 (this date only)
The parking lot elevator at Terryberry Branch is not working. Members will need to use the accessible ramp at the Mohawk entrance and the inner elevator. We're working to get it fixed quickly.
Please note that the audio volume levels on our public computers are having issues. The estimated time of disruption is unknown at this time. Thank you for your patience.
The accessibility ramp at Mount Hope Branch is damaged. The handrail is not available. The ramp will not be available while being repaired. We aim to fix it quickly.
City Directories
City directories were created for salesmen, merchants, and others interested in contacting residents of an area and are a valuable research tool to trace individuals, families and businesses. Directories were published annually and provide an alphabetical listing of the adult residents, with their occupation and address, as well as an alphabetical listing of streets, with the occupant at each house number. The directories also include listings of businesses, institutions, churches, schools, social organizations, and municipal services.
The Hamilton Public Library’s collection of City Directories cover the City of Hamilton Directory from 1853 to 2013. Suburban directories are also available for Ancaster, Burlington, Dundas, Stoney Creek and Waterdown from 1957 to 2013. Earlier Hamilton directories include suburban areas and smaller townships and villages; please see the guide for townships and villages.
Hamilton Public Library is currently digitizing all of the Hamilton City Directories in its collection. To access fully searchable and downloadable digital copies, visit the Local History & Archives site on Internet Archive.
Copies of the city directories are also available on microfilm in the Local History & Archives Department which is located on the 3rd floor of the Central Library. Please contact Local History & Archives for more information.