Hamilton Public Library

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Hamilton Public Library, view from top of Stelco Tower
Hamilton Public Library, view from top of Stelco Tower

The Hamilton Public Library (HPL) is a modern public library system that serves a population of more than 490,000 people in Hamilton, Ontario.[1]

Once restricted to the city of Hamilton, the HPL service area was expanded when the outlying townships were amalgamated into the City in 2001. The now-amalgamated City of Dundas had had its own library in operation since 1822.[2] The outlying rural towns had previously been served by the Wentworth Libraries system. In 2001, the Wentworth and Dundas libraries amalgamated with the HPL into a single system with 24 branches, 34 bookmobile stops, a virtual online branch and a Visiting Library Service for the homebound.[2]

Other HPL services include the Local History and Archives department (formerly called Special Collections), which houses an extensive collection of local history resources, and the Learning Centre, which provides access to language materials for new Canadians. In recent years, the HPL’s collection of online resources has expanded rapidly, and now features more than 30 databases covering a great variety of topic areas.[3]

Public libraries have operated in Hamilton since the 1830s, although the first branches were privately operated and tended to be ephemeral in nature. Hamilton city council voted to publicly fund the construction and operation of a library in 1889. This new branch opened in February 1890. Hamilton was the first city in Canada to erect a new building for the express purpose of housing a library. The first HPL branch opened on Hamilton’s Barton Street in 1908.[2]

[edit] List of branches

Branch Name Address Location within City
Ancaster 300 Wilson St. E. Ancaster
Barton 571 Barton St. E. East
Binbrook 2641 Highway 56 Binbrook
Carlisle 1496 Center Rd Carlisle
Central Library 55 York Blvd. Downtown
Concession 565 Concession St. East Mountain
Dundas 18 Ogilvie St. Dundas
Freelton 1803 Brock Rd. Freelton
Greensville 59 Kirby Ave. Dundas
Kenilworth 103 Kenilworth Ave. N. East
Locke 285 Locke St. S. Downtown
Lynden 79 Lynden Rd. Lynden
Millgrove 857 Millgrove Sdrd. Millgrove
Mount Hope 3027 Homestead Drive Mount Hope
Picton 502 James St N. Downtown
Red Hill 695 Queenston Rd. East
Rockton 795 Old Highway 8 Rockton
Saltfleet 131 Grays Rd. Stoney Creek
Sherwood 467 Upper Ottawa St. East Mountain
Stoney Creek 777 Highway 8 Stoney Creek
Terryberry 100 Mohawk Rd. W. West Mountain
Valley Park 970 Paramount Dr. East Mountain
Waterdown 25 Mill St N. Waterdown
Westdale 955 King St W. West

[edit] References

  1. ^ Community Highlights for Hamilton (City) (html). 2001 Canadian Census. Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
  2. ^ a b c History of the Hamilton Public Library. Hamilton Public Library website. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  3. ^ Hamilton Public Library Home. Hamilton Public Library website. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.

[edit] External links