The Hamilton Public Library (HPL) Board is preparing for a large crowd next week when it will debate how the HPL should respond to illicit drug use and social disorder at the downtown Central library branch.
Next Thursday, June 18, 2026, the Board will hold a special meeting to receive a staff report on the recent temporary access policy pilot, and to hear from the public on the issue.
In advance of that meeting, the HPL Board held its regular monthly meeting in the Hamilton Room auditorium at the Central branch on Wednesday, June 11. This is the first time the HPL Board has met in the auditorium. The Board’s meetings are usually held in a fifth-floor boardroom at the Central Library.
HPL Board meetings are open to the public; however, it has been rare for anyone to attend.
That changed on March 11, 2026, when dozens of protesters attended in opposition to the access policy requiring a valid library card to enter Central Library.
The temporary access policy was in effect from March 16 to May 16, 2026. During the final weeks of the pilot, the HPL conducted an online survey seeking public feedback.
Next week’s special meeting will hear a staff report from Chief Librarian Paul Takala and senior management, and HPL will release the survey results.
In February, Takala stated indoor drug use and disruptive behaviour had reached a “crisis-level.” The situation became severe enough that the HPL ended Sunday hours at the downtown branch, and seriously considered a temporary closure of the entire Central branch.
HPL senior management cited repeated “adult disruptions” as a significant reason that families were avoiding the library, resulting in a 62 per cent decrease in circulation of children’s materials. In response, the HPL moved the children’s area from the first-floor space it had occupied for decades to an interim space on the second floor.
The HPL is expecting to hear from many delegates next Thursday. Anyone can register to speak by emailing hplceo@hpl.ca. Delegate registration closes Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Holding the meeting in the Hamilton Room will enable the HPL to accommodate approximately 140 people in-person. The meeting will be livestreamed.
The June 18 special meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.
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Published: June 10, 2026
Last updated: June 10, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
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