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, Thursday November 21. 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

Free PRESTO Card Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a free PRESTO card?
Children ages 6-12 with a valid library card can get a free PRESTO card at any Branch or Bookmobile to travel free on HSR, GO and Burlington Transit. Only one PRESTO card permitted per child’s library card. While quantities last.

What steps are involved to activate a card?

Show your child’s library card to Staff at any Branch or Bookmobile or register for library card if you don’t have one.
Activate your new PRESTO card within 30 days. Bring proof of your child’s age (ex. birth certificate/passport) to one of the following locations:
HSR Customer Service Centre, 36 Hunter St. East (GO Station)
City Hall or Municipal Service Centres in Dundas, Ancaster, or Stoney Creek
Any Shopper’s Drug Mart or Fortinos location in Hamilton.
When your child’s PRESTO card is activated, they can travel free on the HSR, GO or Burlington Transit until age 13.

Do I need to load money on my child’s PRESTO card?
No. The card is FREE and travel is FREE for children ages 6-12.

What about kids under 5?
Children ages 0-5 always travel free on the HSR, GO and Burlington Transit.

How do I use the PRESTO card to travel?
When boarding the bus, tap the child’s PRESTO card on the PRESTO Fare Payment device.

What if my child loses the free PRESTO card?
This partnership provides one free PRESTO card to each child library card holder (until supplies last). Lost cards can’t be replaced with another free card. Additional card(s) must be purchased from a PRESTO vendor.

Can I laminate or hole-punch my card?
Please do not laminate your PRESTO card. It may cause it to melt or become damaged. Also, please do not puncture it or put a hole in it. It may disrupt the wiring inside the card, resulting in a damaged card that cannot be used. Ask Staff for special wallets that you can put your card in and attach it to a zipper pull or handle of a bag.

What happens when a child turns 13?
When your child turns 13, contact the HSR Customer Service Centre/City Hall or Municipal Centres to update the PRESTO card to a youth card. Youth fare must be loaded onto the card. Otherwise, the PRESTO card reverts to an adult card.

Can adults use these cards?
No. This program is limited to children ages 6-12. If adults don’t yet have a PRESTO card, they can pay the fare with the free PRESTO E-Tickets mobile app or pay with exact cash.

What if a child loses their free Hamilton Public Library card?
Parents/guardians can visit any HPL branch to replace the lost library card.

About PRESTO
PRESTO is an easy and safe fare payment system. It’s the cheapest way to travel on transit in Hamilton and across the region. Visit prestocard.ca or call 1-877-378-6123 to learn about PRESTO and to register for a child’s card.

Learn more about travelling on HSR with PRESTO
Call: 905-546-CITY (2489)
Email: hsrserve@hamilton.ca
Visit: hamilton.ca/prest