The accessible washroom at Parkdale Branch is not working. We aim to get it fixed quickly.
Due to the Touch-A-Truck event being cancelled, Bookmobile will be visiting its regularly scheduled Saturday sites instead (Stoney Creek Arena, Riverdale, and Discovery Centre). www.hpl.ca/bookmobile
Please note that the fax machine is currently out of order. The estimated time of repair is unknown. Thank you for your patience.
Study Hall on Thursday, May 21, is cancelled due to plumbing maintenance. Study Hall will resume on Monday, May 25. Thank you for your patience.
All HPL Branches are closed on Friday May 29, for Staff Professional Development. Bookmobile is off the road and Extended Access service is not available. Regular service hours resume on Saturday May 30.
Visit our Virtual Branch at hpl.ca for our online resources and collections.
Renovations are currently underway for the 2nd Floor Central Children's Area. Programs are still being offered as scheduled and there is a temporary pop-up Children’s Area on the northeast side of the 2nd Floor (near the Piano Room), including access to collections and train tables. Construction is expected to be completed by late Spring. Thank you for your patience.
As of Monday, March 2, Sherwood Branch's 2nd Floor is closed due to renovations. Makerspace, Children and Teen's collection are temporarily available on the 1st Floor. All programs will be held in the basement program room. Renovations are expected to be completed in late Spring. Thank you for your patience.
Call for Judges: Power of the Pen
The 32nd Annual Power of the Pen is Hamilton Public Library's long-standing competition for teens.
Volunteer Judges can expect to receive an electronic package of entries in November 2026 and have six weeks to review, provide brief feedback, choose a 1st- and 2nd- place winner and any (optional) Honourable Mentions.
As adults, past winners have used their writing skills to inform, inspire, entertain and persuade in careers as journalists, authors, artists, lawyers, politicians and teachers.
This year, we have the following Volunteer Judge opportunities available:
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Poetry and Short Story categories for ages 12-15: local English teachers and Children and Young Adult authors Canada-wide.
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Poetry and Short Story categories for ages 16-18: Children and Young Adult authors Canada-wide and local English teachers.
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French Poetry and Short Story categories for ages 12-18: Francophone writers and educators Canada-wide.
Volunteer Judges can expect to receive an electronic package of entries in November 2026 and have six weeks to review, provide brief feedback, choose a 1st- and 2nd- place winner and any (optional) Honourable Mentions.
In recruiting for this Volunteer team, HPL welcomes the unique contributions one brings in: education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran's status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs. Hamilton Public Library is an equal opportunity employer and strives to build balanced teams.
Learn more information about the annual writing competition:
https://teens.hpl.ca/articles/power-pen-creative-writing-contest
If you have any questions or are interested in a Volunteer Judge role or providing feedback, support, and encouragement to teen writers, please email mnichols@hpl.ca.






