HPL is interested in learning how both the Library Card Access Pilot and the toxic drug crisis in general affect non-partner community organizations and gain their insights. Take the survey at www.hpl.ca/non-partner-survey until Monday, May 4. (It is not anonymous.) #HamOnt

Service Alerts Due to Staff training, Mount Hope Branch will have a delayed opening of 2pm on Monday, May 4 while Central Library will close from 11am-Noon on Tuesday, May 5. Please visit nearby locations for your library needs. hpl.ca/hours #HamOnt

#HamOnt, don't miss your chance to hear wonderful (FREE!) #jazz #music over the next few days as #NationalJazzMonth wraps up. hpl.ca/jazz-month April 25, 1 pm, Westdale - Scott Nielson Quartet April 29, Noon, Red Hill - Dave Thierry Jazz April 30, Noon, Binbrook - Carolyn Credico Quartet

#LibraryLove from Samahir, who attended Monday's Volunteer Appreciation Gala at Central as part of #NationalVolunteerWeek2026. Samahir gave a sweet speech praising Jean, with whom she has been practicing English in HPL's Newcomer Learning Centre. www.hpl.ca/nlc #HamOnt #GivingBack #Volunteering

It's #NationalVolunteerWeek and it was fitting to host this Human Library session last night at Central. You could feel the excitement as Newcomers roamed the room learning about Canadian culture and the life journeys of fellow Hamiltonians. www.hpl.ca/nlc #HamOnt #GivingBack #Volunteering

National Volunteer Week 2026 runs until Saturday, April 25 and celebrates the ways people in Canada have ignited #volunteerism in their communities, deepening a collective impact. Thank you to all the HPL #volunteers who generously give back! www.hpl.ca/volunteer-opportunities #HamOnt

#TeamHPL's Nadratan got her 5-week-old son, Adam, his first HPL library card and the cute onesie was so fitting for the occasion! 📚 It's never too early to sign up your littles for their very own library card. Full details and application can be found at hpl.ca/librarycard #HamOnt

Members were dazzled by the recent jazz performances by Patti Payne Trio, Strat Andriotis and Joel Haynes Quartet! Take a break from your day and enjoy upcoming performances at your local branch. www.hpl.ca/jazz-month #HamOnt #LiveMusic #Libraries

Do you have a newborn? It's never too early to #read to your little one! Visit a HPL Branch or Bookmobile and register your child for our new 1000 Books to Read Before Kindergarten and pick up a tracker. Colour in a 🌟 for every #book you read together! www.hpl.ca/articles/1000-books-kindergarten

Hey #HamOnt, #taxclinics continue at HPL branches, every Saturday until May 2. Tax clinics are first-come, first-served, so arrive early to get your spot in line! hpl.ca/free-tax-ser...

Let's Dream Together. On this National Canadian Film Day, pop some popcorn and snuggle in to watch films made by Canadians and with Canadian actors. Watch using your HPL library card at #Kanopy or #Hoopla or choose from canfilmday.ca/films/canadi... #HamOnt #CanFilmDay2026

Two best-selling #authors. One engaging evening. Join Genevieve Graham and Kate Hilton for a live reading and conversation at Central Library. Includes audience Q&A and onsite book sales. Borrow the books from HPL before you attend. 📅 Thursday, April 30 🕡 6:30–7:30 pm www.hpl.ca/events #HamOnt

Sweet Zarin and others had a great time meeting their local HPS_Paramedics last week at Binbrook Branch! Families got a behind-the-scenes peek at all the neat equipment they use to help save people's lives and learned more about emergency services. www.hpl.ca/events #HamOnt

Celebrate International Dance Day at Central on Saturday April 25! Professional dancers from Ballet Jörgen will provide an Introduction to Ballet for children (10:45-11:45am) and will do an interactive performance (12:15pm-1:15pm). #HamOnt events.hpl.ca/event/16210626 events.hpl.ca/event/16208848

Read it? Swap it out! Bring your new and gently used Children's books to trade with others. For every book you bring, you can pick a free one. Plan to attend this Friday, April 17, from 10-11am at Locke Branch for the Kids' Book Swap. events.hpl.ca/event/15630813 #HamOnt #BookSwap #EarlyLiteracy

Picture yourself standing before a giant colouring story book, coloured in by over 2,000 people! Visit The Wind Whispers, the inaugural project of StoryPop. Stop by Central Library's 4th Floor to learn more about this living artifact installation of shared creativity. #HamOnt www.hpl.ca/central

Learn about the dangers of bear spray from the Hamilton Police Service's Community Engagement Team in this upcoming public education session. 📍 Central Library (55 York Blvd) - Hamilton Room 🗓️ Tuesday, April 14 - 5:30-7:30pm 🎟️ hpl.libnet.info/event/16011332 #HamOnt

Due to Driver availability, Bookmobile service has schedule modifications during April 10-30. Please visit hpl.ca/bookmobile for the affected dates, times and locations. #HamOnt

Looking for a part-time role? Apply for the Library Page position based at Sherwood and Concession Branches. Submissions can be sent directly to [email protected] by Thursday, April 16. Review full details of the job posting at www.hpl.ca/jobs. #HamOnt #Libraries #JobSearch #Hiring #Careers

🌈 Come to the Kenilworth Branch's Queer Parent Meet-Up and #craft with the All Out Collective team! 🌈 It’s an HPL × All Out Collective mash‑up on THIS Saturday, April 11! Join us for a daring session of dragon egg making with other queer parents from 2-3pm. www.hpl.ca/events #HamOnt #Libraries

Go on a nature walk and count. How many birds, rocks, flowers, and trees do you see? Make a dot painting with cotton swabs and paint to help develop fine motor skills. Download and print April's Literacy Calendar for daily literacy-building activities together. www.hpl.ca/storytime #HamOnt

Learn about Ontario Genealogical Society's Hamilton branch collection at HPL, including cemetery indexes, transcriptions of church records and self-published family histories. Drop in next Wednesday, April 15, 2 pm at Central's LH&A to explore resources. events.hpl.ca/event/15682856 #HamOnt

April is #EarthMonth and we're celebrating with Plant a Seed Storytimes! www.hpl.ca/events Do you know that we also have Seed Libraries at Central and Ancaster, Barton, Dundas, Freelton, Stoney Creek, Terryberry, Valley Park and Westdale. Select or donate seed packets in time for gardening. #HamOnt

Tomorrow! Learn how community care and peer support unfold in public spaces like public libraries in this free public lecture. 📍 Central Library (55 York Blvd.) - Hamilton Room 📅 Wednesday, April 8 - 6-8pm (talk starts 6:30pm) 🎟️ FREE EVENT - events.hpl.ca/event/15696746 #HamOnt #Libraries

Mara's #LibraryLove for HPL: "My Mum brought me here when I was in kindergarten (1983!) to sign me up for my first library card. It's a core memory for me, standing at the circulation desk on the first floor on my tip toes so I could watch the card be made out in my own name!" www.hpl.ca/hours

Makerspace Crafts are a thing, and you too can make and take home in upcoming programming! Register at the links below. Cricut Crafts April 8 & 22, 1 pm, Parkdale events.hpl.ca/event/15686155 events.hpl.ca/event/15686156 Embroider a Bookmark: April 13, 6 pm, Central events.hpl.ca/event/15682717

April is International Autism Acceptance Month. Today on #WorldAutismAwarenessDay, Celebrate the Spectrum. It is an opportunity for positive action to provide spaces of support and advocacy for our diverse communities. For resources, search at tinyurl.com/bd7v59md #HamOnt

Join us as we celebrate 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence, Saumiya Balasubramaniam. This event is free to attend. Food and light refreshments will be served. 📍 Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. - 65 Hatt St., Dundas, ON 🗓️ Tuesday, April 14, 7-9 pm (doors open 6:30 pm) 🎟️ hpl.libnet.info/event/15657337 #HamOnt

'What I Know About You' by Éric Chacour is this year’s One eRead / Un Livrel Canada title choice. It was originally published in French as 'Ce que je sais de toi' and translated by Pablo Strauss. Read before April 30 and be part of this national book club's conversation. www.hpl.ca/One-eRead

Level up your #cooking and #baking skills in HPL's Cookbook Clubs this month! Farm to Chef by Lynn Crawford Thursday, April 2, 3pm, Terryberry Earth to Table Every Day by Jeff Crump April 16, 3pm, Red Hill Dishes for Two by Good Housekeeping April 30, 10am, Waterdown hpl.ca/events #HamOnt

Today is International #TransDayOfVisibility, a moment to celebrate and recognize 2STNBGD lives. Two Spirit, Trans, Nonbinary and Gender Diverse People deserve to be visible everywhere. Workplaces. Schools. Healthcare. Communities. Public life. Visibility matters every day, everywhere. #HamOnt

Congrats to #HamOnt music teacher Raquel McIntosh, who won MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award at Sunday's #JUNOS ceremony! Teacher and students from #HWDSB's Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School recently visited Central Library and posed in front of the giant Juno guitar. 🎶 www.hpl.ca/central

HPL invites you to share your feedback about the new temporary Library Card Access Check-in pilot currently underway at Central Library. We’d like to hear about your thoughts and experience by taking a short survey. Your feedback will help guide next steps. www.hpl.ca/card-access-survey #HamOnt

Our Easter Closure Schedule: Good Friday, April 3 - Closed Saturday, April 4 - Open Easter Sunday, April 5 - Closed Easter Monday, April 6 - Closed On Closed days, Bookmobile is off the road, and Extended Access and Study Hall services are not available. Virtual Branch is open at hpl.ca #HamOnt

The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse is the intricate exploration of a searching mind. By returning to the past, @cousinvinnhy.bsky.social sheds light on psyche of a grieving person who chases certainty and seeks resolution. #HamOnt, this is the Hamilton Reads title. www.hpl.ca/hamilton-reads-2026

Due to Driver availability, Bookmobile has service modifications between March 31st and April 11. Please visit hpl.ca/bookmobile for the cancellations. #HamOnt

Mohawk College's Applied Music program's final cohort perform in this Friday's (March 27) Noon Hour Concert. HPL has been lucky to showcase young talented musicians over the years. Come show your support for students' and faculty's classical performances one last time. events.hpl.ca/event/15626183

Starting Monday, March 30, renovations for the new 2nd floor Central Library's Children's Area will begin. You can find a temporary pop-up on the northeast side of the 2nd floor (near the Piano Room) where programs, collections and train tables will be offered. www.hpl.ca/central #HamOnt

✨ March Break Magic at Concession Branch! ✨ We had an unforgettable visit from mime performer Trevor Copp, who brought a whole world to life without saying a single word. Music was absolutely enchanting, and kids had endless fun from start to finish last week.🌟📚 www.hpl.ca/events #HamOnt

Service Alerts: The 4th Floor at Central Library will be closed for these two March Break programs. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. #HamOnt Wednesday, March 18, 11:30am-2:30pm - Magic Show with Owen Anderson Saturday, March 21, 9am-4pm - SciFUN Day

Are kiddos bored already? Borrow from our NEW Board Game collection! 🃏♟️ Enjoy for 7 days and return them back to Staff at the Info Desks to avoid damage in dropboxes. This will help prolong the shelf life of the games for all of #HamOnt to try and play. www.hpl.ca/lendporium #MarchBreak2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day from HPL! ☘️ From parades to wearing green or sporting a shamrock ☘️ (Irish national plant) to eating traditional foods of corned beef and cabbage, everyone can be Irish today! Search HPL collections to learn more about the history that makes this day fun.

Due to driver availability, there are Bookmobile Service Modifications on March 18, 20, 24 and 26. Please visit hpl.ca/bookmobile to review. We apologize for the inconvenience. #HamOnt

Look at that proud smile! Waterdown Branch recently handed out 1000 Books Before Kindergarten certificate to Arya for reading 250 books! She loves #reading and has almost reached 400 books! Find out more about this important #earlyliteracy program: www.hpl.ca/articles/100... #HamOnt #Libraries

Central Library serves thousands of people every day. A temporary HPL library card check-in access pilot starts this Monday, March 16 at 9am. Adults 18+ must show their library card to enter. Kids and teens are exempt. Learn more: hpl.ca/central-upda... hpl.ca/librarycard #HamOnt

Well-loved local #musician The LONE Rhubarbarian returns next week for a small, intimate #sensory-friendly concert setting for children under 12. Register your seats to attend Wednesday, March 18, 10:30-11:30am at Red Hill Branch. events.hpl.ca/event/15689675 #HamOnt #MarchBreak2026

Where are all the Very Hungry Caterpillar fans at? We want to craft with you next week to ring in Spring on March 20 for the official Very Hungry Caterpillar Day! March 16, 3-4pm, Lynden March 20, 10am-4pm, Ancaster March 20, 10:30-11:30am, Red Hill www.hpl.ca/events #HamOnt #MarchBreak2026

Puppet puns? #TeamHPL has all their hands on deck for #MarchBreak2026! Puppet shows are always a hit so arrive early for your seats at the following: Terryberry, March 17, 10am Waterdown, March 18, 10am Kenilworth, March 19, 10am Westdale, March 19, 10am hpl.ca/events #HamOnt #LibraryFun

Members recently decoupaged these lovely planters at Terryberry Branch, who will be filling them with their flowers of choice. #HamOnt, you can also #DIY at home by following along with #TeamHPL's Linda's Terra Cotta Decoupage Planter at HPL's YouTube channel. tinyurl.com/mrvp9z32

HPL is hiring for a Digital Experience Developer. The role designs and delivers innovative digital solutions to enhance Library services. Application submissions are due Thursday, March 26 and can be sent directly to [email protected]. Full details are available at www.hpl.ca/jobs #HamOnt #Libraries