Hamilton Public Library plans to expand all branch hours starting in February 2022

Thestar.com
Jan. 24, 2022

The Hamilton Library will be keeping all of its branches open longer in 2022, officials revealed to council’s budget committee.

Chief Librarian Paul Takala said during the library board’s 2022 budget presentation to councillors Jan. 20, that it will increase the number of hours by 324 from the current 1,014 hours.

“Our plan is a gradual one,” said Takala. “There will be more library service in February, more service in March. We are not going zero to 100. We are more concerned about getting it right.”

All branches will see increased hours, but several will be open longer than others. For instance, the recently opened Parkdale branch will see 57 new hours, while the Greensville branch will go from 17 hours to 66 hours. Other branches with large hour increases include Carlisle from 32 hours to 66; Valley Park from 47 to 65 hours; Barton and Concession Street branches will both have an additional 14 hours; and Terryberry and Waterdown will see an extra 10 hours each.

Regional branches will be open Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Community branches will be open Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but closed on Sundays. Rural branches will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

In addition, the popular after-hours study hall program introduced in 2015 at the Terryberry Library, and later extended to Red Hill branch, will eventually be available to most branches. Study hall hours will be introduced at the Central library branch from 9 p.m. to midnight and at regional branches from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Expanding branch hours will depend upon how quickly officials will be able to address staff shortages and absences and the current trend of the pandemic. Takala said, currently, about 20 library staff are assisting other city officials at vaccine clinics.

Library hours had been limited since the 1990s because of a lack of funding, said board officials.

“It’s a historical weakness that has existed,” said outgoing library board chair Nick van Velzen.

Takala said the library is trying to encourage those families who don’t usually take advantage of the facilities to become acquainted to what their branch has to offer.

“If they come to a facility and it is closed, that is a disincentive,” said Takala. “They won’t come back. You go to a place that is welcoming. We want to make it easy to access. It’s less work for us and less frustration for people.”

Hamilton Public Library, which presented a two per cent budget increase for 2022, adhering to council’s target, is scheduled to reopen the Valley Park branch in Stoney Creek this spring once its expansion has been completed, and open a new Carlisle branch in a former TD Bank building in the summer of 2022. The library already welcomed the new Parkdale library branch that opened in July 2021, and a new Greensville branch at Greensville Elementary School in September 2021.

Meanwhile, Takala indicated the library will be launching on Family Day a program that will see children aged five to 12 with a library card receive a free Presto bus card. He said the library is ensuring the program is in place prior to the rollout of the program in February. Takala said the public can also use their library card to gain free admission to the city’s civic museums, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario Parks, and Hamilton Conservation Authority sites.

“We are trying to make the library card as an access point,” said Takala.