Burlington Public Library
🏢 City of Burlington · Burlington, Iowa
Burlington Public Library
Burlington's public library since 1868, the Burlington Public Library serves southeast Iowa from a geothermal-powered 2006 building at 210 Court Street — with a third-floor Create Space makerspace, meeting rooms and late hours until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 210 Court Street, Burlington, IA 52601
Phone: (319) 753-1647
Website: burlington.lib.ia.us
Plus Code: 86GCRV7X+7C (Burlington, IA)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Burlington Public Library
The Burlington Public Library is the public library of Burlington, Iowa, the Des Moines County seat on the Mississippi River. It began in 1868 as a subscription library in two rooms of city hall, seeded by a $5,000 gift from U.S. Senator James W. Grimes; a later $20,000 donation from local businessman Philip M. Crapo, matched by the city, funded a landmark Renaissance Revival building at 501 N. 4th Street (1896–1898), now on the National Register of Historic Places and home to the Des Moines County Historical Society. The library moved to its current building at 210 Court Street on November 13, 2006 — a facility heated and cooled by a geothermal system of 132 wells that won a 2007 Main Street Iowa award. Today it offers a traditional collection alongside a third-floor Create Space makerspace, reservable meeting rooms, and free digital access through Iowa's statewide Bridges and SILO programs.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Create Space makerspace on the third floor with a 3D printer, sewing and embroidery machines, a vinyl/Cricut cutter and a button maker
- Geothermal-powered building opened in 2006, cooled and heated by 132 wells drilled 267 feet underground
- Roots going back to 1868, one of Iowa's oldest public libraries, founded with a gift from U.S. Senator James W. Grimes
- Reservable meeting rooms and study space for community groups
- Open late until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Burlington cardholders can stream, download and research free through Iowa's statewide collections:
📚 Services
- Create Space makerspace (3D printing, sewing & embroidery, vinyl/Cricut cutting, button making)
- Reservable meeting rooms for community groups
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Genealogy and local-history resources
- Live one-on-one online tutoring for all ages
- Interlibrary loan through Iowa's SILO network
- Digital library cards for e-books, audiobooks and magazines
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes
- Summer reading program
- 3D printer training sessions
- Makerspace open studio
- Year-round programming for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in Iowa
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What can I make in the Burlington Public Library Create Space?
The Create Space is a do-it-yourself maker studio on the library's third floor. It includes a 3D printer, sewing and embroidery machines, a vinyl/Cricut cutter for stickers and t-shirt designs, and a button maker. You can book a time slot or drop in when equipment is free, paying only for materials; free 3D-printer training sessions are offered on the events calendar.
How old is the Burlington Public Library, and where was it before Court Street?
The library dates to 1868, when it opened as a subscription library in two rooms of city hall with a $5,000 gift from U.S. Senator James W. Grimes. From the late 1890s it occupied a landmark building at 501 N. 4th Street — now on the National Register of Historic Places and home to the Des Moines County Historical Society — before moving to the current 210 Court Street building on November 13, 2006.
Which nights is the library open late, and is it open on weekends?
Burlington Public Library stays open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday it is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. It is closed on Sunday and on public holidays, so plan research or makerspace visits for a weekday evening or a Saturday.
Can I borrow e-books and audiobooks with a Burlington library card?
Yes. Your Burlington card unlocks Iowa's statewide Bridges eLibrary through the Libby app or bridges.overdrive.com, with e-books, audiobooks and magazines. The library also offers online magazines, live one-on-one tutoring, standardized-test practice and foreign-language lessons, and it shares materials with libraries across the state through the SILO/Iowa Locator interlibrary-loan network.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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