Freelton Branch - Heating Issues

The heat is not working properly at the Freelton Branch. We aim to have it fixed quickly. In the meantime, please visit the nearby branches, Carlisle and Dundas. Thank you for your patience.

Affected Branch(es):

Freelton Branch

Nearest Branches:

Carlisle Branch

Dundas Branch

Publish Date:

Monday, January 13, 2025 - 1:00pm

Notices

4

Terryberry Accessible Washroom on the 1st Floor - Out of Order

The accessible washroom on the 1st floor of Terryberry library is unavailable.

Affected Branch:

Terryberry Branch

Nearest Branches:

Concession Branch

Turner Park Branch

Publish Date:

Friday, January 17, 2025 - 12:30pm

All Branches - HPL Guest WiFi Not Available

IT maintenance is scheduled from 8 am to 10:30 am on Sunday, January 19. This will impact access to HPL's Guest WiFi. Thank you for your patience.

Publish Date:

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 1:00pm

Phishing Scheme

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.

Publish Date:

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 - 5:30pm

Library Services Update

JAWS (Job Access With Speech) computers are not available.
Photocopying and scanning services are available at all branches except at the Westdale Branch. Print on the Go is currently not available.

Contact Library Staff at 289-779-7588, hpl.ca or askus@hpl.ca. Check hpl.ca/events for programs and hpl.ca/hours for open hours.

Frequently Asked Questions | HPL

Publish Date:

Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 8:00am

Research Your House

New House in Westdale

Various sources can be used to document the history of a building. Except for well-known Hamilton-area homes, most do not have a ready-made history to consult. Therefore, the researcher must construct a history from scratch using available sources. This process can take time, and unfortunately, some properties may have very few, if any, historical records.

Local History and Archives contains various potentially useful resources to research houses. These records include:

Telephone Directories

These directories show names, addresses and telephone numbers for the Hamilton-Wentworth region.

City Directories

Researchers and genealogists use city directories to trace individuals, families and businesses. They usually include an alphabetical listing of adult residents, with their occupations and addresses.

Assessment Records

Tax assessment records help accurately date a building's construction and disclose its original owner and list of occupants.

Land Registry Records

These records detail the chain of ownership of a property using plan and lot number.

Maps

Local History and Archives has several large scale maps that show the shape, size and exact location of individual buildings.

Historical Photographs

If your building was known by a name in addition to its address, you can search under that heading in our card catalogue. In the Local History and Archives reading room, check the Where-to-Look card catalogue under Hamilton – Street Address and Number or Hamilton – Name of house for a citation to the Image Collection. You can also check photographs of the street the house is located on to see if your building is shown.

There are also specialized finding aids for other collections available in Local History and Archives.

To obtain more information about the people associated with the building, you may wish to check family papers, clipping files, census returns, genealogical indexes, funeral home indexes, cemetery indexes, promotional booklets, photographs, local publications and other sources within Local History and Archives.

Check in the Where-to-Look under the surname or ask for assistance at the Local History and Archives Information Desk.

There are also invaluable records that can be requested through the City of Hamilton's Property Record Search and through the Ontario Land Registry (OnLand).