Please note the following service changes.
Saturdays
Riverdale (150 Violet Drive): 11:15 am-12:15 pm (previously stopped on Tuesdays at 11 am-12 pm)
Discovery Centre (Pier 8, Seasonal): 2:30-4 pm (new time)
Bookmobile Service Modifications
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Bookmobile Stop:
Published:
Friday, January 9, 2026 - 10:00am
Terryberry Branch - Elevator Out of Order
The Branch is open today, Friday, January 9. Our elevator by the parking lot entrance is out of order.
To use our second elevator, enter through the Mohawk Road entrance (which features a ramp) and use the elevator located in the middle of the building. The estimated time of disruption is unknown. Thank you for your understanding.
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Published:
Friday, January 9, 2026 - 12:00am
Online Resources - Update
The following eResources have been recently discontinued in our HPL collections: Novelist, Summa, Summa Kids, and Northstar Digital Literacy. Please visit www.hpl.ca/articles/read-watch-listen for our full listing of online resources for your next read, watch, listen and/or learn.
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - 11:00am
Waterdown Branch Accessible Door Out of Order
The accessibility door at Waterdown Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
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Published:
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 - 12:00pm
Printing Updates
Daily print balances for black and white and colour printing change January 2, 2026. The new daily print balance is 40 cents. Members receive four free black and white copies or two free colour copies.
Large format and vinyl printing pricing also change on January 2. Visit https://www.hpl.ca/makerspaces for updates.
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 2:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees
Bring back your borrowed library items within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items.
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
April 9, 2025 is National Library Outreach Day.
April 9, 2025 is National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day).
National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day) celebrates library outreach and the dedicated Library professionals who are meeting their Members where they are.
Whether it's a bookmobile visit at the local elementary school, services provided to community homes, or library pop-ups at community gatherings, library services are essential to the Hamilton community. Each year, National Library Outreach Day is celebrated on the Wednesday of National Library Week.
Our Library on wheels is a very special and unique part of HPL’s public services, allowing Staff to go beyond the brick and mortar and connect with our many surrounding communities in the city of Hamilton.
The first time there was a mention of having a travelling branch for the Hamilton Public Library was in an article in The Globe & Mail dated November 16, 1949.
Then Chief Librarian Freda Waldon mentioned the idea of having a travelling Branch whose chief function was to serve outlying areas beyond a one-mile radius from existing Library branches. It wasn’t until May 7, 1954, that talks of a possible bookmobile were discussed in the city council.
Two years later, on December 20, 1956, the first Bookmobile rolled onto the streets of Hamilton. In a Hamilton Spectator article dated January 5, 1957, they talked about how the five (5) stops of the Bookmobile were so popular among the children, citing the example of one boy who went back five times, each time bringing someone with him and encouraging them to register for a Library card. Another proof of the Bookmobile’s popularity was its February 1957 circulation exceeding that of the Main Library’s circulation.
Today, Hamilton Public Library visits many communities throughout the week, as well as festivals and events throughout the year. Check the Bookmobile at one of its many visits in your local neighbourhood.
To celebrate Hamilton's Library on wheels, download, print, decorate, fold and glue the HPL Bookmobile Paper Craft.
