All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, October 12, and 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.
Due to the ongoing Mohawk College Support Staff strike, the Bookmobile visit on Monday, October 6, is cancelled. You may select Terryberry Branch as an alternative location to pick up your Holds. On Wednesday, October 8, the Helen Detwiler visit is changed to 11-11:30 am this week.
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 14. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. Thank you for your patience.
The Public Library Research Symposium
Expanding Horizons: Shaping Public Library Knowledge and Practice Through Partnered Research
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 9am-4:30pm (Doors Open at 8am)
Central Library, 4th Floor
The Public Library Research Symposium brings together researchers, library science graduate program students and public library professionals for a one-day event at Hamilton Public Library’s Central Library, in partnership with McMaster’s Community Research Platform and Burlington Public Library.
Learn more about the Speaker Bios and the library-linked research sessions which will make for an engaging day of networking and learning.
Dr. Paulette Rothbauer - Keynote Guest Speaker
Topic: Public Libraries and Social Cohesion: What the Research Tells Us
Dr. Paulette Rothbauer holds a PhD in Library and Information Science from The University of Western Ontario where she is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Information & Media Studies. She is an expert on the role that libraries play in supporting an active reading culture in their communities. She is a passionate advocate for public libraries, has been studying and teaching about reading and libraries for over 25 years.
8:30am-9:00am Welcome breakfast and networking
9:00am-9:30am Formal welcome and introductions
9:30am-10:30am Keynote address: Dr. Paulette Rothbauer
10:45am-12:30pm Horizons in Focus: Community Research Platform Lightning Round
12:30pm-2:00pm Lunch and student poster showcase
2:00pm-3:15pm Topics on the Horizon: Transformative Challenges in Librarianship Panel
3:15pm-4:00pm Future Horizons: Community of Practice Development
4:00pm-4:30pm Closing conversations
Call for Student Abstracts! Submissions due October 10, 2025. Learn more details.
Questions? Please contact Sarah Gauthier, Central Information Services, at sgauthie@hpl.ca
REGISTRATION FORM: