Modified Bookmobile Service - September 15-18

Bookmobile has the following schedule modifications. Thank you for your patience. 

Monday, September 15

  • Mohawk College, 12-1pm - Cancelled

Tuesday, September 16

  • Greencedar, 4-5pm - Cancelled

Wednesday, September 17

  • Helen Detwiler - Changed to 11-11:30am

Thursday, September 18

  • Meadowlands - Changed to 3:30-4pm
  • Bennetto - Changed to 4:45-5:30pm
 
 
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Affected Branch: Bookmobile
Nearest Branches: 
Published:
Friday, September 12, 2025 - 3:00pm
Access World News Is Currently Unavailable

The Access World News is not working. We aim to restore the service soon. Thank you for your patience.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Friday, September 12, 2025 - 1:30pm
Replacement and Damage Fees Resume October 1st

To avoid a replacement or lost fee, please return library materials due October 1st or later within 28 days. Replacement fees are intended to encourage Members to return items on a timely basis so everyone in the community can enjoy them. 

https://www.hpl.ca/news/frequently-asked-questions

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
SuperCrawl - Road Closures near Central Library

From Thursday, September 11, until 5 am on Monday, September 15, road closures for SuperCrawl will be in effect in and around James Street North from King to Wilson/York to Cannon to Barton Street. Additional closures will take place on King William, Rebecca, Vine, Mulberry, Colbourne and Murray Streets. If you are planning to visit Central Library over the next few days, we suggest taking HSR for a convenient route to downtown Hamilton. www.hpl.ca/central

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Affected Branch: Central Library
Published:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 10:30am
Central Library - Fourth Floor Temporary Closure

Central Library's Fourth Floor is closed on Tuesday, September 16, from Noon to 6 pm due to a special event. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 1-3 are available as study and work spaces. www.hpl.ca/central

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Affected Branch: Central Library
Published:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 10:00am
Kenilworth Branch - Temporary Closure (Sept 2 - Oct 10)

Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 10. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. On August 28-29, there may be some noise disruptions and limited parking spots while the roof repair set-up begins. Thank you for your patience.

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

History of City Hall

With the site fixed and design chosen, the next subject arose: Cherokee white marble versus Queenston limestone. The architects recommended the marble, which led to a weekend trip to New York City for the city hall committee to view some samples of buildings covered with this material. This visit was called "a preposterous waste of taxpayer's money" by Alderman John Munro. "It is absurd, as far as I am concerned...to appoint professional men, to hear their advice, to discuss that advice, and then to spend taxpayer's money in a wasteful journey to view the very stone that these same professional men say we should use in our new city hall," said Munro (62). Shortly after, it was proposed that they should be using Queenston limestone instead. "This is a city hall for Canadians, to be paid for by Canadians, and we can have stone mined by Canadians, and cut by Canadians, and then put in place by Canadians," said Controller McCoy. "My mind is made up - it's too bad about the colour" (63). Board of Control then voted 3-2 for limestone (63) and took their recommendation to City Council, which voted 13-6 for marble (64). 

Some councillors thought affairs were getting out of hand. Alderman Ramsey Evans stated that "[t]he whole thing is a squalid nuisance" (65), and Alderman Cline reminded them of another potential area of controversy: "[d]espite the abundance of trees in this country ... we have been told that the hardwood required for interior panelling can only come from the United States" (63). Other recommendations were somewhat less controversial. It was suggested that the pictures of past mayors be hung in the main lobby, that there should be a shower provided in the mayor's bathroom and that there should be a separate room near the City Clerk’s department for the issuing of marriage licenses. "Marriage is a personal thing," murmured Mrs. Pritchard. Alderman Morison agreed that it was disturbing to be handed a dog license by mistake (63). Hopes were high for the new building: "[o]h, the new city hall is going to be gorgeous - there is no doubt about that! It's probably going to be the finest municipal edifice in the British Commonwealth of Nations" (66).