Photocopying and Scanning Unavailable at Westdale Branch

Photocopying and Scanning is not working at Westdale Branch. We aim to fix it as soon as possible.

1

Affected Branch: Westdale Branch

Nearest Branches:

Central Library

Locke Branch

Terryberry Branch

Published:

Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 3:30pm

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

Bookmobile Service - Holiday Schedule

Bookmobile is off the road from December 25-27, December 31, and January 1st. Visit www.hpl.ca/bookmobile for our Holiday Schedule.

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Affected Branch: Bookmobile

Nearest Branches:

Bookmobile

Published:

Monday, December 22, 2025 - 9:00am

Central Library, Fourth Floor Closure: Friday, January 2

Due to the setup for the Noon Hour Concert, the Fourth Floor at Central Library will be closed on Friday, January 2. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 1-3 have spaces to work and study.

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Affected Branch: Central Library

Nearest Branches:

Barton Branch

Concession Branch

Locke Branch

Published:

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 5:00pm

December 24, Christmas Eve - Early Closure

All HPL Branches close early on Wednesday, December 24 at 1pm. All locations are also closed on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, and Boxing Day, Friday, December 26. Visit www.hpl.ca/hours for our Holiday Schedule.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 11:00am

December 31, New Year's Eve - Early Closure

All HPL Branches close early on Wednesday, December 31 at 1pm. All locations are also closed on New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1st. Regular service hours resume on Friday, January 2. www.hpl.ca/hours

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 11:00am

All Branches Closed for Christmas

All branches close on Thursday, December 25, for Christmas. This includes branches with Extended Access.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 11:00am

All Branches Closed Sunday December 28

All branches close on Sunday, December 28, 2025. This includes branches with Extended Access.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 11:00am

All Branches Closed for New Years Day

All branches close on Thursday January 1 for New Years Day. This includes branches with Extended Access.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 11:00am

All Branches Closed for Boxing Day

All branches close on Friday, December 26, 2025 for Boxing Day . This includes branches with Extended Access.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 11:00am

Study Halls - Holiday Break

Branch Study Halls are paused Friday, December 19, 2025 through Monday, January 5, 2026. Central Library Study Hall hours resume Spring 2026.

www.hpl.ca/study-halls

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops

Published:

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 9:15am

Replacement and Damage Fees

Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) 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

Local History and Archives Policy

Loans

Materials from the Local History and Archives collection may be loaned to other institutions or organizations only under the following circumstances:

Authorization is obtained from the Manager, Local History and Archives (or designate).

Documentation is provided for the loan.

The borrower ensures adequate insurance, display, care and handling of the material on loan. If at any time Local History and Archives determines that the material on loan is not being cared for adequately, the Manager, Local History and Archives (or designate) may cancel the loan and request the immediate return of the material.

Digital Preservation

A responsive and relevant archive requires ongoing adaptation to technological change to ensure present-day records are safe and accessible for the people of Hamilton in the future. Digital information is important to our collective culture, knowledge base and history. Recognizing that analog and digital media both have different long-term preservation needs, Local History and Archives supports the active digital preservation systems and practices required to ensure a duty of care is extended to born digital and digitized material.

Collections Representation

Hamilton Public Library's Local History and Archives collections do not yet fully represent the many people and voices that make up Hamilton. The Archives is committed to a concerted effort to recognize, reflect, and amplify diverse voices and perspectives.

Records and descriptions of material held by Local History and Archives contain language or depictions of people which includes problematic wording, cultural references and stereotypes that are no longer used or appropriate today. The presence of materials in the Local History and Archives collection does not constitute an endorsement of their content or viewpoints.

Local History and Archives will actively update archival descriptions, contextualize records and develop a collection that illustrates the history of all Hamilton’s peoples.

Reappraisal and Deaccession

Material added to the Local History and Archives collection shall be held until such time as it is deemed to no longer fit the approved acquisitions policy and is deaccessioned. All information pertaining to the deaccessioning and disposition of material will be retained in the Archives' records.

Guiding Principles for Reappraisal and Deaccession

Archivists must use professional judgment when reappraising collections. Exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Although it is an important collection management tool, reappraisal does not always lead to deaccessioning.
To ensure consistency, the process should be systematic and both procedure and outcomes thoroughly documented.
Reappraisal and deaccession is a responsible archival practice for better management of collections.

Considerations for Reappraisal and Deaccession

Legal issues of ownership of collections.
Ethical issues regarding the disposition of collections in a transparent manner.
Donor relations.
Resource allocation.

Conflict of Interest

As per the Library Board’s Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy, Local History and Archives library employees will not formally, through trade or purchase for their own personal use, enjoyment, or profit, collect for their personal benefit archival materials which fall within the broad acquisition mandate of Local History and Archives.