Welcome to the Library

The Bethalto Public Library District serves an area covering portions of Bethalto, Meadowbrook, Moro, Cottage Hills, Dorsey and Midway.

As of February 2009 the Bethalto Public Library held 54,390 items within its walls, including...
44,625 Books
  4,527 Movies on DVD and VHS
     955 Audiobooks on Cassette and CD
     186 Magazine Subscriptions
         6 Public Computers for free Internet Access and Wi-Fi availability

The Bethalto Public Library is also a member of the Lewis & Clark Library System, providing our patrons access to the library materials in 147 school and public libraries in the surrounding area.

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.

Next the Library moved into the upstairs floor of the old city hall and police station - now the Bethalto Museum building. And later it was moved again into a room in the "new" City Hall building.

In 1980-1981 the Library purchased the old Bell Telephone building on Prairie Street. Many Bethalto citizens helped to move the Library's collections 3 blocks down into their new home using grocery carts from a local store. This is where the Library still is today.

The Library became a Library District in 1988, allowing it to serve patrons over a greater territory. A $250,000 Live and Learn Construction Grant from the Illinois State Library allowed a large addition and also the renovation of the existing building. The "new" Library reopened in June 1998.

In 2001 the property to the north of the Library was purchased and turned into a parking lot. Then in 2005 the property to the south of the Library was purchased. This is now our "Little House on Prairie Street" where meetings, Storytimes, and events are held.