Hamilton (Ontario) Public Library Central Branch

We stayed in Hamilton, Ontario on our recent journey north.  I'll write more about that beautiful city tomorrow - but today, I wanted to highlight the library!  (Of course.)  The public library was located across the street from our hotel, and on a very rainy Wednesday, we journeyed across the street to go have a look around.  I've been in several Central Libraries in large cities, and Hamilton's library did not disappoint.  The architecture was very modern, but large windows and balconies gave the entire space a warm, open feel. On the right is a picture from the first floor, looking up the stairs from the A/V collection.

Do I really want to admit this was my favorite part of the library?  It's the automated book return!  Slide your books into the slot, the RFID tag checks them in, and down the conveyor belt they go to the circulation workroom.

The children's section.  Like I said, very modern design.  To me, it looks almost industrial, but I know very little about architecture, so I might be calling the design wrong.

THIS was the neatest, most amazing thing EVER!!!  The farmer's market is indoors!  This view was taken from the large windows in the children's section, looking down into the farmer's market.

The view UP from the first floor to the roof. Look at the stairs, the balconies!  Just a beautiful use of space to allow light into the building!

Of course there are lots of shelves full of books....

Lovely view of one of the study areas.

A view outside to the plaza between buildings.

Card catalogs DO still exist!  Okay, mostly in historical societies!  The Hamilton Historical Society is located within the central branch.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of the card catalog!

A view from one of the top balconies down to the first floor.  I would not want to have to water those plants.  Yes, they're real plants.  The person who waters them would have to be someone who doesn't get woozy when looking down.  (Like me.)

  Lots of collaborative spaces on the top floor!  A Maker Space, a collaborative learning area, and a computer lab.  We also saw a couple of ESOL classes going in full swing in an open classroom area.  What a fantastic community asset this library is!

A view out onto the patio.  Hey, do you see that water out in the distance by the two high rise buildings?  That's Lake Ontario.  One of THE Great Lakes!  Hamilton is nestled around the southern end of the lake.

With my fear of heights, I'm still astonished that I managed to stop and take this picture - perched on the VERY top floor of the library, looking down the stairs.  As you can see, I was right next to the handrail on the top stair, but I had to use both hands to take the picture.  Unless if you have a fear of heights, you just don't understand what a feat taking this picture actually was.  (I'm proud of me!)

What more can I say?  Stained glass artwork suspended in those beautiful windows!


Sadly, I realized once I got home that I neglected to take a picture of the outside of the building.  But, you can find a beautiful picture of the building on their homepage!  You can see their website, and discover more about their library here:  http://www.hpl.ca/branches/central-library