Monday, April 28 is the National Day of Mourning to remember and honour those who have died, been injured or suffered illness in the workplace. All HPL Branches will observe a minute of silence at 11am to honour their memories.
Monday, April 28 is Election Day in Canada. Westdale Branch is open 9:30am-9:30pm as a polling station. Please bring one piece of ID to vote. Please note there will be a minute of silence at 11am in honour of the National Day of Mourning.
Due to City IT maintenance, HPL's catalogue and digital resources will not be available on Sunday, April 27 between midnight and 1am. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Extended Access at Freelton Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly. Apologies for the inconvenience.
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.
Due to the ongoing roof repair project, noise and parking disruptions will continue until April 25. Thank you for your patience.
The first phase of renovations will begin at the Sherwood Branch from April 10 to May 2. During this time, noise disruptions may occur throughout the branch due to a basement renovation. Parking, access to the building, and collections will not be affected. Thank you for your patience. www.hpl.ca/sherwood
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.
Top 10 Borrows at HPL in 2024 Inspiration for 2025
HAMILTON, ON – Jan 9, 2025 – Hamilton, if you need inspiration for your 2025 read, watch, listen lists, check out the top borrows from 2024.
Classics such as Anne of Green Gables were as popular among HPL cardholders last year as superstar Taylor Swift’s music and books by Jeff Kinney and Sarah J. Maas.
For proof that Hamilton supports its local talent, look no further than Hamilton Reads 2024 author Anuja Varghese’s Chrysalis. The collection of short stories was the second most popular book borrowed, next to international heavyweight Lee Child’s The Secret, and third among eBooks The Women by Kristin Hannah and It Starts with Us author Colleen Hoover.
Swifties borrowed their beloved icon’s CDs so much in 2024 that her albums held six Top 10 spots.
Like Swift, fantasy author Sarah J. Maas dominated the Top 10 Young Adult Fiction eBook list, holding first, third, fourth, fifth and tenth most circulated spots.
Prolific writer Jeff Kinney held five of the 10 top spots in the Juvenile Fiction eBook category, and curiously, Kinney captured first and second in the Juvenile Non-Fiction list, too.
It’s been more than 115 years since Canadian treasure LM Montgomery published Anne of Green Gables, and it still ranks among the Top 10 eBooks read by young readers.
Young Adults were also drawn to Anne Frank’s Second World War memoir Diary of a Young Girl in 2024, which captured the top spot in the eBook category. Memoirs by Britney Spears (The Woman in Me) and Matthew Perry (Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing) were the first and second most circulated books last year as were summer blockbuster movies Oppenheimer and Barbie respectively.
With more than 183,000 active library card holders in 2024—the highest in 12 years—borrowers are tapping into HPL's myriad genres and platforms. This year, get a library card, borrow the 2024 top titles and check out the new additions to our collections to read (fiction and non-fiction), watch and listen.