Due to poor air quality, Bookmobile has the following cancellations for Friday, July 17:
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Winona (11am-12pm)
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Queen Victoria (3-4pm)
Regular service is expected to return next week. Thank you for your understanding.
Bookmobile Stops Cancelled
Published:
Thursday, July 16, 2026 - 8:00am
Air Quality Warning
An Orange Air Quality Warning has been initiated for the City of Hamilton by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks beginning July 15, 2026. This alert will remain in effect until a cancellation notice is issued.
Stay safe, Hamilton. www.hpl.ca/hours
Published:
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 - 2:00pm
HPL Catalogue and Online Resources Not Available - Sunday, July 19
Due to online maintenance, Members can not access HPL's catalogue, online services and resources on Sunday, July 19 from 5am-10am. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Published:
Monday, July 13, 2026 - 3:00pm
Express Items via OverDrive - Partner Libraries Update
As of July 1st, partner library Members can no longer borrow HPL Express items via Overdrive. More to Borrow partner libraries will be offering Lucky Express (Skip the line) titles to their cardholders only. This will help manage wait times for popular titles. Lucky Express is a collection of in demand titles with a seven-day loan period, available with no wait.
Our partners will still be able to borrow titles from the rest of our collection.
www.hpl.ca/more-to-borrow
Published:
Monday, July 6, 2026 - 10:00am
What's Happening Guide Changes
The What's Happening Guide has been retired and replaced with different communications channels and tactics. You can find the new Summer Reading Flyer here. Watch for future communications updates.
Published:
Monday, June 29, 2026 - 3:00pm
Sunday Hours Return to Central Library
Sunday hours return to Central Library. Beginning July 5, Central is open Noon to 5pm. Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park and Waterdown branches are also open Sundays, 1 to 5pm. hpl.ca/hours
Published:
Monday, June 29, 2026 - 1:00pm
Study Halls Pause for Summer Break
After Hours Study Hall is not available in July and August. Hours will resume Tuesday, September 8. www.hpl.ca/study-halls
Published:
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - 3:00pm
Hamilton Reads 2021 - Blaze Island
Miranda lives on a small island in Newfoundland with her father Milan/Alan, a weather scientist living in hiding. When a stranger washes up on their doorstep during a Category 5 hurricane, her world is forever altered. A compelling retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest, Blaze Island is a timely story about environmentalism and community.
“Riveting and morally complex, Blaze Island is a beautiful, kaleidoscopic work that offers a resounding reply to the question of how literature might wrestle with the deepest threat facing the planet, anthropogenic climate change. In the absence of saviours and easy consolation, what Bush has created is an allegory of hubris and humility and an exhilarating space in which to re-imagine multi-species relationships and stories.”
— Kyo Maclear, author of Birds Art Life
Place a hold on a physical book or an eBook or Audiobook.
Join a book club to discuss Blaze Island or The Tempest.
If you want more reading suggestions with similar themes to those found in our Hamilton Reads 2021 title, Blaze Island by Catherine Bush, watch these Reads We recommend videos in which HPL Staff provide a synopsis of each suggested read. You can also watch Hamilton reads-related events and presentations on the full Hamilton Reads 2021 playlist on YouTube.
Recommendations and read-a-likes
