Valley Park Large Format Printer Out of Service

Valley Park's Large Format Printer is currently out of service. Large Format Printing is still available at the Saltfleet and Turner Park locations. 

Published:
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - 4:15pm
Online Resources - Update

The following eResources have been recently discontinued in our HPL collections: Novelist, Summa, Summa Kids, and Northstar Digital Literacy. Please visit www.hpl.ca/articles/read-watch-listen for our full listing of online resources for your next read, watch, listen and/or learn.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - 11:00am
Waterdown Branch Accessible Door Out of Order

The accessibility door at Waterdown Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.

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Published:
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 - 12:00pm
Barton Branch Closure - January 7

Due to maintenance, the Barton Branch will be closed on Wednesday, January, 7. Please visit Central Library or Kenilworth Branch for your library needs. www.hpl.ca/hours

Published:
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 - 11:45am
Printing Updates

Daily print balances for black and white and colour printing change January 2, 2026. The new daily print balance is 40 cents. Members receive four free black and white copies or two free colour copies. 

Large format and vinyl printing pricing also change on January 2. Visit https://www.hpl.ca/makerspaces for updates.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 2:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees

Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items. 

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm

Power of the Pen Creative Writing Contest

Power of the Pen Creative Writing Contest logo with girl writing in a small notebook

The 31st Power of the Pen writing competition invites writers ages 12-18 (age as of December 31, 2025) to submit original poetry and short stories in English, French or both languages. Prizes are for 1st- and 2nd-place in seven age groups (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18) in poetry and short story categories. Digital submissions are encouraged.

Categories:  

Participants can enter poems and short stories in English and French:  

  • English - Please submit one poem, short story or both per person in the English category.
  • French - Please submit one poem, short story or both in the French category.

Prizes:  

A published writer, teacher or reviewer judges entries in each category for originality, style, general presentation, spelling and grammar. There are 1st and 2nd-place winners in the seven age categories (12-18) for poetry and short stories in English and French.

First and second-place entries qualify for the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art Maitland Banting Silver Quill and Young Poet awards. The winner in each category receives $250.

*French entries are not included in the HAALSA prize selection.

First-prize winners in each age category receive $100 and 2nd prize winners receive $25. All award winners receive a certificate and a copy of the Power of the Pen publication.

How to Enter:  

This year's competition opens May 5, 2025, and closes September 30, 2025. Submit your work via the official entry form. Notification goes out to winners in January 2026.

For more information, please email mnichols@hpl.ca.

Note to Teachers:  

If you are submitting a short story or poem on behalf of a student, please ensure a completed official entry form accompanies each written submission.