City-Wide Outage, Library Service Impacted

HPL is recovering from the City of Hamilton's cybersecurity-related outage, which began Sunday February 25 and continues today, Wednesday November 20. Learn more.

Public computers are available at all branches.
Printing is available at all branches. Photocopying is available at all branches except for the Concession, Dundas, and Terryberry branches. Scanning is not yet available.
Public Wi-Fi is available at most branches except the Ancaster Branch.
Automatic check-ins are operating.
Makerspace services are available at select locations.

Contact Library Staff: call 289-779-7588, chat at hpl.ca, and email askus@hpl.ca. Branches are open. Check hpl.ca/events for program updates. Thank you for your patience.

Frequently Asked Questions | HPL

Publish Date:

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 - 8:00am

Notices

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Magazine and ILLO Delay

Magazine and ILLO deliveries are delayed due to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) strike. Thank you for your understanding.

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 8:30am

City IT Planned Maintenance

A City IT systems update is scheduled for early Saturday morning. This will impact access to HPL's network and some applications. This update will improve overall network capacity, performance, resiliency, reliability and is the foundation for future network updates. Thank you for your patience.

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 8:00am

3D Printing Not Available On Sundays

Please note that 3D printing services are unavailable on Sundays. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Publish Date:

Thursday, November 14, 2024 - 2:00pm

Early Closure - All HPL Branches, Friday, November 22

Due to a special event, all HPL branches will close at 4 pm on Friday, November 22.

Central Library's 4th Floor will be closed all day except for the Newcomer Learning Centre and Makerspace which will be open until 4 pm.

Regular service hours resume on Saturday, November 23.

Thank you for your understanding.

Affected Branch:

Central Library

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 2:00pm

Delayed Branch Openings

Due to Staff training, the following branches have delayed openings of 10 am on:

Tuesday, November 19: Concession

Wednesday, November 20: Ancaster (2 pm opening)

Thursday, November 21: Valley Park

Please visit nearby branches for your library needs. www.hpl.ca/hours

Publish Date:

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 12:00pm

Kenilworth Branch - Roof Repairs

From November 11 to 29, the parking lot may not be available at certain times of the day due to repair maintenance. There may also be some noise disruptions in the branch. Thank you for your understanding.

Affected Branch:

Kenilworth Branch

Publish Date:

Thursday, November 7, 2024 - 3:00pm

PreVIEW

The City of Hamilton's cybersecurity-related outage has affected some of the services offered by HPL. Our online image database PreView is unavailable, and we are unable to provide a timeline for its return. Some images, such as postcards, can be found online on Flickr. You are also welcome to visit the archives where photographs are available by request. Kindly note that such requests require specific subjects or people of interest, which can be researched in our Where-to-Look Index.

1. What is included in PreVIEW?

2. How can I access the original photograph, print, etc.?

3. Can I download a higher quality image?

4. What can I do with the image once I have saved it?

5. Who owns the copyright?

6. I can’t find an image I’m looking for, who can I ask?

7. Why did the Hamilton Public Library create PreVIEW?

1. What is included in PreVIEW?

Local History & Archives has a description of each collection. Many of these descriptions are available online. HPL's photograph collections are divided alphabetically, from A-C to D-Z.

2. How can I access the original photograph, print, etc.?

All of the original photographs, prints and negatives are in the collections of the Local History & Archives Department of the Hamilton Public Library. They are only available in the department. Visit the Local History & Archives Department during our hours of service.

3. Can I download a higher quality image?

The images on the PreVIEW website are low resolution files in jpg format. High resolution images are now available for purchase.

4. What can I do with the image once I have saved it?

Please see LH&A's photograph Terms of Use for more information, including how to properly credit your use of an image.

5. Who owns the copyright?

Please see LH&A's photograph Terms of Use for more information on copyright for the original and digital images.

6. I can’t find an image I’m looking for, who can I ask?

If you cannot find the image you are looking for, call the information desk at the Local History & Archives Department. (905-546-3408). Staff there will be able to check our other photographic resources to see if that image exists.

7. Why did the Hamilton Public Library create PreVIEW?

Digitization enables the preservation and conservation of the Local History & Archives Department’s image collections, and affirms a responsibility to protect rare materials, yet at the same time make them publicly accessible. The Hamilton Public Library recognizes its role as guardian of the historical legacy of Hamilton and its surrounding areas and steward of these important resources so that they are publicly accessible.