The South Beloit Public Library, at 630 Blackhawk Blvd., will undergo a major renovation soon. This photo shows how the library currently looks. The library will update its children’s area, restrooms and other areas.
SOUTH BELOIT — The South Beloit Public Library is about to undergo a major renovation totaling more than a half-million dollars.
The South Beloit Public Library, at 630 Blackhawk Blvd., will undergo a major renovation soon. This photo shows how the library currently looks. The library will update its children’s area, restrooms and other areas.
Photo provided
The South Beloit Public Library Board accepted a bid for $526,500 from Scandroli for an interior renovation of the library at its Jan. 12 meeting. The library will get bids for new furniture which will add another $125,000 to $175,000 to the project, said South Beloit Public Library Director Brenda Weinberg.
The last major interior improvements at the library, at 630 Blackhawk Blvd., were completed in 1988 and consisted of the addition of the ramp along the south side of the building, the installation of restrooms, and a new water fountain.
Improvements at the library have been a long time coming. In March 2018, there was a referendum for a new combined City Hall/Library building to be built on the Nature at the Confluence campus, but the referendum failed.
Since the consensus was the public library would be staying at its current location, over the next few years, the Library Board addressed some structural needs at the library, including a more accessible ramp/sidewalk and name wall in 2019, and a roof and HVAC change in 2022. Then, in spring of 2024, the library worked with Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Essentiam to develop a strategic plan that would set and prioritize goals for the library.
Interviews with the school district administration, meetings with community members, a town hall meeting, and a community survey were completed. A common assessment was that the library building needed an interior refresh for aesthetics, energy efficiency, and accessibility compliance. Since then, library board and staff members have been working with architect/engineering firm Angus-Young Associates, Inc to plan for an interior renovation.
The new plans include extending the size of the children’s area, redesigning the lobby, adding new fixtures in the bathrooms, setting up new furniture and bookshelves, creating a cozy sitting area with an electric fireplace, upgrading to an accessible water fountain and circulation desk, installing acoustic ceiling tiles and LED lighting, and a redesign of the library programming room.
Weinberg said the project is planned to be completed in phases to avoid any long-term interruption of library services.
The start date has not been set yet but is expected to begin soon. It is desired to be completed by June 1. The library is planning to maintain services and programs to the fullest extent possible during the process but does anticipate there will be times brief closures may be necessary.
