The following Bookmobile visits are cancelled this month. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Wednesday, May 14: Swansea and Helen Detwiler
Thursday, May 15: Rockton and Meadowlands
Mohawk Gardens, 2-2:30 pm instead
Bennetto, 4:30-5:30 pm instead
Friday, May 16: Huntington Park
Friday, May 30: Huntington Park, Winona, and Maplewood
In preparation for the 1st Floor renovations, the Sherwood Branch will be closed on Wednesday, May 14. It is expected to reopen on Thursday, May 15 with the completion of the basement renovation. Thank you for your understanding.
All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, May 18, and Victoria Day, Monday, May 19. Bookmobile is off the road. Extended Access and Study Hall services are not available. Our Virtual Branch is open at hpl.ca.
On Tuesday, May 13, a fire drill will be held at 11 am at Central Library. You may visit the Barton or Locke Branches as alternate locations for your library needs. Thank you for your understanding.
Due to the ongoing roof repair project, noise and parking disruptions are expected to continue until the end of June. Thank you for your patience.
From Monday, May 5 to Saturday, May 31, the Ancaster Branch will be temporarily closed due to a roof and HVAC replacement. During this time, service hours will be available at the Ancaster Rotary Centre, 385 Jerseyville Road West, Ancaster. The last day to pick up your Holds is Thursday, May 1st. Thank you for your understanding.
The digital microfilm machines at Central Library are not working. A single analog machine is available, but it doesn't print. We aim to have the digital devices repaired as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Please be aware of online phishing attempts impersonating Hamilton Public Library and Library Staff. HPL does not solicit paid freelance opportunities through social media or other messaging applications. HPL does not request personal or banking information through social media or require financial compensation when reviewing job applications. Please report phishing schemes to communications@hpl.ca. If you think you are a victim of fraud, please call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Research your house with our wealth of resources useful in historical building research.
Local History & Archives has many resources to help you research your family history.
A brief history of the LH&A Department of Hamilton Public Library
These plans are valuable maps for building research. They are large scale maps that show shape, size and exact location of individual buildings. They provide detail about the construction materials, outbuildings and neighbourhoods.
Access more than 70,000 free Canadian Government publications, digitized by Internet Archive Canada.
Tax assessment records can help in accurate dating of the construction of the building as well as disclosing the original owner and a list of occupants.
Historical records for the City of Hamilton
City Directories show an alphabetical listing of street addresses which can be cross-referenced with an alphabetical listing of surnames.
Historypin is an image-mapping project using archival photographs
There are many rare and wonderful treasures in Local History and Archives.
This amazing resource is an up-to-date source for finding information about Hamilton in Local History and Archives
Local History and Archives Rules of Use: an outline of member's responsibilities in partnering with staff to preserve the Local History and Archives collection
Visit Local History and Archives at Central Branch, 3rd floor.
In the early 1940's, vandalism and other occurrences began to increase in frequency in the parks. Fred Marshal, one of Hamilton's parks superintendents, worked to reverse this trend.
Gore Park has been a meeting place for Hamiltonians since the early 1800s.
