Beloit Public Library

Last updated
Beloit Public Library
Beloit Public Library logo.jpg
Beloit Public Library
42°31′10″N89°01′53″W / 42.5195°N 89.0313°W / 42.5195; -89.0313
Location605 Eclipse Boulevard
Beloit, Wisconsin, United States
TypePublic
Branch ofThe Arrowhead Library System
Access and use
Population served48,000 [1]
Other information
DirectorNick Dimassis
Public transit accessAiga bus trans.svg Beloit Transit
Website www.beloitlibrary.org

The Beloit Public Library is a public library located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The library is a member of the Arrowhead Library System, a consortium of seven libraries serving Rock County, Wisconsin.

Contents

History

The Beloit Public Library has been operating for 125 years. Beginning in the late 1850s, local volunteer fire companies began to offer library services. It wasn't until 1859 that the first library in Beloit was established. [2]

At the turn of the 20th century, industrialist Andrew Carnegie began donating millions of dollars for the construction of public libraries in the United States. In 1901, J.B. Dow, the president of the Beloit public library board petitioned Carnegie for funds to construct a new library building. In return, the Beloit library board was granted $25,000 to construct the building on the condition that the city appropriate $2,500 each year for its maintenance. [3] [4]

By 1961, the Carnegie library building was deemed to be outmoded and a $400,000 plan was drafted for a new space. [5] In 1966, the new library received an additional $206,000 in federal funds in order to further increase the size of the building. [6]

In 1969, the Beloit Public Library won the Wisconsin Library of the Year Award by the Wisconsin Library Association. [7] This award was given in conjunction to both the Beloit and Janesville public libraries. [8]

A third move took place in 1972 when the Beloit and East Side libraries merged and moved to downtown Beloit following a $900,000 renovation of what was the former post office. [9] [10] A fourth move took it, in April 2009, from Pleasant St. to Eclipse Blvd in Beloit

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beloit, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people. Beloit is a principal city of the Janesville–Beloit metropolitan statistical area and is included in the Madison–Janesville–Beloit combined statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janesville, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Janesville is a city in and the county seat of Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 65,615, making it the tenth-most populous city in Wisconsin. It is a principal municipality of the Janesville–Beloit metropolitan statistical area, which consists of all of Rock County and is included in the greater Madison–Janesville–Beloit combined statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Janesville</span> Shopping mall in Wisconsin, United States

Uptown Janesville is an enclosed shopping mall located in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. Opened in 1973, the mall has nearly 30 tenants. The anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, and Kohl's. There are 3 vacant anchor stores that were once Sears, Boston Store, and JCPenney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse Center</span> Shopping mall in Wisconsin, United States

Eclipse Center, formerly known as Beloit Plaza or Beloit Mall, is a mixed-use development and former shopping mall in Beloit, Wisconsin. It is undergoing a renovation with the aim of making it a pivotal point in the city. It formerly housed the department store Elder-Beerman, and still houses several Rock County government offices, a convention center and bar, and two School District of Beloit charter schools. There are also an automotive shop and a culinary program run by students from Beloit Memorial High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBEL (AM)</span> Radio station in Illinois, United States

WBEL is a 1990s hits AM radio station in South Beloit, Illinois, with studios in Janesville, Wisconsin. Established in 1948, the station is owned by Big Radio. Its programming is simulcast on translator stations W222AU in Beloit, Wisconsin, and W255CZ in Janesville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marathon County Public Library</span> Public library in Wisconsin

The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) is a consolidated county library with nine locations in Marathon County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Its headquarters are in Wausau. The library has its origins in the Wausau Free Public Library, which was founded in April 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn E. Stalbaum</span> American politician

Lynn Ellsworth Stalbaum was an American farmer, businessman, and Democratic politician from Racine County, Wisconsin. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in the 89th Congress from 1965 to 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 90 in Wisconsin</span> Highway in Wisconsin

Interstate 90 (I-90) runs east–west through the western, central and southern portions of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. About 187 miles (301 km) of I-90 lie in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel D. Burchard (politician)</span> 19th century American congressman

Samuel Dickinson Burchard was an American farmer, businessman, and Democratic politician. He represented Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in the 44th U.S. Congress, and served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate.

Timothy Francis Cullen is a retired American Democratic politician from Janesville, Wisconsin. He was the majority leader of the Wisconsin Senate from 1982 to 1987; he served a total of 16 years in the state Senate, representing Wisconsin's 15th Senate district from 1975 to 1987, then again from 2011 to 2015. He also served two years as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services (1987–1988) in the administration of Republican governor Tommy Thompson. After leaving public office, Cullen was chair of Common Cause Wisconsin, a nonpartisan good government advocacy organization, from 2016 to 2022. Earlier in his career, he served on the Janesville City Council and the board of the Janesville Public School District.

Squire Park Coon was an American lawyer, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 2nd Attorney General of Wisconsin and served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War.

Patton & Fisher was an architectural firm in Chicago, Illinois. It operated under that name from 1885 to 1899 and later operated under the names Patton, Fisher & Miller (1899–1901) and Patton & Miller (1901–1915). Several of its works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Noggle</span> 19th century American judge and politician

David Noggle was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist. He was chief justice of the Supreme Courtof the Idaho Territory from 1869 to 1874, appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant. Earlier, he served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and a Wisconsin circuit court judge.

The Gateway Conference was an intercollegiate athletic conference that existed from 1962 and 1975. Its membership included schools located in on the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. The formation of the Gateway Conference was announced in December 1961 with eight member schools: Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, George Williams College in Chicago, Lakeland College—now known as Lakeland University—in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Milton College in Milton, Wisconsin, Northwestern College—which later merged into Martin Luther College—in Watertown, Wisconsin, Shimer College in Mount Carroll, Illinois, Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, and the University of Illinois—Navy Pier—now known as the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Fred A. Dennett was an American businessman and Republican politician from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He was the 30th mayor of Sheboygan (1901–1903), and represented Sheboygan County for four years in the Wisconsin Senate (1897–1901). Earlier in his career, he served one term as chief clerk of the Wisconsin Senate (1875) and worked as a clerk in the state Assembly for several years before that.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Boggs</span> American muralist

Mary Boggs, also known as Mary Ross Boggs and in her later career as a writer as Mary Ross Townley, was an American muralist and textbook author. She participated in the art projects for the New Deal's Section of Painting and Sculpture creating the post office mural for Newton, Mississippi, and a collection of her watercolors was held at the Carville Marine Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Nessler Hayden</span> American artist

Martha Nessler Hayden is an American artist, known for Modernist landscape painting and artist books. Hayden lives and works in Sharon, Wisconsin, in a historic Victorian home.

The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) was an American semi-professional basketball league that operated from 1969 to 1974.

The Chicago Circle Chikas football team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (UICC) from the 1965 through 1973 season. Between 1950 through 1964, UICC was known as University of Illinois Chicago Undergraduate Division located at Navy Pier, and competed as a junior college. Known as the Chicago Illini during their years competing at Navy Pier, with the move to their new campus, the athletic teams were inspired by the Chickasaw and renamed Chikas. UICC played its home games at multiple stadiums throughout their history with the most recent being Soldier Field. The Chikas program was dropped by the University at the conclusion of their 1973 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beloit Transit</span>

Beloit Transit is the public transportation system in Beloit, Wisconsin. It is owned and operated by the city of Beloit.

References

  1. "About the Library | Beloit Public Library" . Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  2. Tollefson, Alan M. History of the Beloit Public Library. n.d.
  3. "Gifts from Carnegie". The Daily Review. Decatur, Illinois. 1 September 1901. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  4. "Beloit Carnegie Library" (Image). The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  5. "Propose New Beloit Library". Janesville Daily Gazette. 15 December 1961. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  6. "Federal Funds Set for Library". Janesville Daily Gazette. 29 September 1966. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  7. "City's Public Library is One Year Old". Janesville Daily Gazette. 30 December 1969. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  8. "Local Libraries Jointly Honored". Janesville Daily Gazette. 7 October 1969. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  9. "Old Beloit Library to Close Saturday". Wisconsin State Journal. 11 February 1972. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. "Beloit Library to Close for Move". Wisconsin State Journal. 29 January 1972. Retrieved 14 September 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg