Beloit Public Library
🏢 Prairie Lakes Library System · Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit Public Library
Beloit's public library fills a repurposed 62,300-square-foot former JCPenney store at 605 Eclipse Boulevard, open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with its own Blender Café on site and a new Discovery PLAYce early-learning lab opening in 2026.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9:30am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9:30am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9:30am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9:30am–9pm |
| Friday | 9:30am–5:30pm |
| Saturday | 9:30am–5:30pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 605 Eclipse Boulevard, Beloit, WI 53511
Phone: (608) 364-2905
Website: beloitlibrary.org
Plus Code: 86JGGX99+RJ (Beloit, WI)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Beloit Public Library
The Beloit Public Library serves the City of Beloit and surrounding Rock County communities from a distinctive home at 605 Eclipse Boulevard — a 62,300-square-foot former JCPenney anchor store at the old Beloit Mall that the library renovated and moved into in 2009. Library service in Beloit dates back to the 1850s and grew through a Carnegie building funded by a $25,000 grant secured in 1901; the collection later moved into a converted downtown post office before reaching its current spacious location. The library is part of the Prairie Lakes Library System (formed in 2023 by the merger of the Arrowhead and Lakeshores systems) and the SHARE consortium, so a Beloit card borrows across dozens of member libraries in Rock, Walworth and Racine counties on one shared catalog. A two-phase, state-grant-funded renovation begun in 2025 is adding upgraded workforce, healthcare and broadband spaces plus Discovery PLAYce, a 6,000-square-foot interactive learning lab for children ages 0–6 opening in fall 2026.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Housed in a repurposed 62,300 sq ft former JCPenney store — one of Wisconsin's largest single-floor public library spaces
- On-site Blender Café (open weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) for coffee and a bite while you read or work
- Part of the SHARE consortium via the Prairie Lakes Library System — one card borrows across dozens of area libraries
- New Discovery PLAYce: a 6,000 sq ft interactive early-childhood learning lab for ages 0–6, opening fall 2026
- Open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Beloit cardholders can stream, download and research free through Wisconsin's shared collections:
📚 Services
- Blender Café serving coffee and light fare on site
- Meeting rooms available for community reservations
- Notary public service
- Public computers, printing (25¢/page B&W), copying & fax
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
- Job-search and workforce-development resources
- Item holds, purchase suggestions and account management online
🎸 Programs
- Civics Academy community discussion series
- Saturday Morning Chess Club
- Sewing Machine 101 workshops
- Early-literacy programs and children's storytimes
- 100 Extraordinary Women exhibition series
📍 Nearby Libraries in Rock County & the Prairie Lakes System
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Beloit Public Library in an old department store?
In 2009 the library moved into a 62,300-square-foot former JCPenney anchor store at the old Beloit Mall on Eclipse Boulevard. The single-floor retail footprint gave Beloit far more room for collections, meeting spaces, computers and a café than its earlier downtown building — a converted former post office — could offer.
What is Discovery PLAYce, and when does it open?
Discovery PLAYce is a 6,000-square-foot interactive early-childhood learning lab for children ages 0–6 and their caregivers, being built inside the library as part of a state-grant-funded renovation. It is scheduled to open in fall 2026; the surrounding building upgrades (workforce, healthcare and broadband spaces) are part of the same two-phase project begun in 2025.
When is the Beloit Public Library open, and is there a café?
The library is open 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; it is closed on Sunday. The on-site Blender Café serves coffee and light fare weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on weekends.
What can I borrow with a Beloit Public Library card?
Beloit belongs to the SHARE consortium through the Prairie Lakes Library System (created in 2023 by merging the Arrowhead and Lakeshores systems). One Beloit card borrows and places holds across dozens of member libraries in Rock, Walworth and Racine counties, plus free eBooks and audiobooks through Wisconsin's Digital Library.
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