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Welcome to the Library

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     The Bethalto Public Library District serves an area covering portions of Bethalto, Meadowbrook, Moro, Cottage Hills, Dorsey and Midway. The Library is a member of the Illinois Heartland Library System and the SHARE automation consortium which provide our patrons easy access to the library materials of over 400 libraries in the central and southern parts of Illinois. The Library is open 7 days a week, and our staff are ready to help you find the book (or movie or website!) you want to check out. Library cards are free to residents of the Library District.

Please call or visit us to find out more.

  

History of the Library

 

     Bethalto Public Library was founded in 1946-47. In the beginning, the Library was housed in a tiny building on Mill Street called the "chicken coop." It was operated by volunteer help and open only a short time during the afternoons and early evenings to serve the school children.

     After seeing growth, the Library moved into the upstairs floor of the old city hall and police station (currently the Bethalto Museum building). Later it was moved once again into a room in the "new" City Hall building.

     In 1980-1981 the old Bell Telephone building on Prairie Street was purchased to house the Library. Many Bethalto citizens used grocery carts from a local store to help move the books three blocks down to their new home. This is where the Library is still located today.

     The Library became a Library District in 1988, allowing it to begin serving patrons beyond the Village of Bethalto limits. In 1996 a $250,000 Live and Learn Construction Grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library for the renovation of the existing building and the construction of a large addition. The "new" building reopened in June 1998 and remains our beautiful Library today

     In 2001 the property to the north of the Library was purchased and a parking lot was built. In 2005 the property to the south of the Library was purchased and the "Little House on Prairie Street" is still used for Storytimes, programming events and Board of Trustee meetings.

 

Location & Hours

LOCATION
321 S. Prairie St.
Bethalto, IL 62010
618-377-8141

Go to Google Map

HOURS
Mon-Thu: 9am-8pm
Fri: 9am-7pm
Sat: 10am-5pm
Sun: 1pm-5pm

Holiday Closings:

January 1, 2015
April 5, 2015
May 24-25, 2015
July 4-5, 2015
September 6-7, 2015
November 26-27, 2015
December 24-25, 2015
 
"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you."

—Mortimer Adler (b. 1902) American philosopher, educator, How to Read a Book

 
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