I too was concerned when I heard the library would be a leaving the downtown area, but knowing now that the college will be using the space I am very satisfied with the move.

and the list goes on....like I said...there are problems here, but there are MANY good things happening.

What links? All I am saying is that every city has good things happening in it...otherwise people would move out! IMO, for many years, Janesville has been denying that they have "problems". (Like no gangs, no drug problems, etc.) So who has their head in the sand? I think that still goes on by some people in your fair city. Yes, Beloit has it's problems...but don't make it sound like everything is terrible...because it is not! (New library, gateway park attracting businesses...before the economy tanked...Beloit College and all it has to offer the community, Beloit Snappers, the riverfront project, Riverfest, ABC Supply...just to name a few)

Bellagio_Bound & Beloitalum: I am sure both of you are sincere in your beliefs. Please post some verifiable facts/links to back up your statements.

Thank you.

Bellagio I wouldn't call you racist based on your comments, but you are an idiot - you bring up something that has nothing to do with the article, just to take a "jab" at Beloit. There are many good things happening in Beloit...have you been to Beloit recently or do you just believe what you read about it in the gazette? I don't think anyone on here said things are great in Beloit. But they are not terrible like many in Janesville and other areas think. It just seems like you are a bitter person and you need to bring "someone" else down to help make you feel better. Right now,Janesville seems to be experiencing some of the same problems that Beloit has. But if you believe what you read on this site, many in Janesville "has their head in the sand".

Michellemt, my understanding is that the library will have to shut down for a few weeks to make the move, get set up,etc. Also, the library is encouraging their users to check out as many books as they would like before the big move. Thus, there would be less books to move to the new building.

NewResident: Right on! Thanks for your thoughtful comments, I couldn't agree more.

My family and I moved into the area from a major metro area a couple years ago because of a job offer. It's been shocking to me to see the level of animosity towards Beloit. I don't fully know the back story. Not sure I really care. But to take something positive as an opportunity to make ignorant comments is surprising to me. Those unable to do something positive can often been observed trying to tear something or someone else down.

I've read these boards from time to time and the expressions of ignorance really do a disservice to an outsider's perception of Janesville. It's to the point that I've come to expect it. Just the views of one newcomer.

Good for you Beloit.

Someone clear this up for me please.
The new library opens in 5 weeks, but the old one closes in 2 weeks.
So there will be no library for 3 weeks?

Call me, "Old school", if you want to, but don't ever underestimate the wealth of information that exists in a library. READ. JMO

Sandman,
Businesses and institutions like the library are what that are needs. The downtown will be better without the library! The college is developing it into their music and dance department building, which will better the town/gown relations. Downtown has made great strides in the past year, from the development of the Woolworth's building to the many small businesses that are now staying open late on Friday nights.

Bellagio_Bound, your comment is doubly ignorant because it appears that Beloit has more going for it than Janesville at times, and this is one of them. Maybe you should get yourself to Vegas ... and stay there. Your cheap bigotry has no place here.

Beloit lucked out, changing their location instead of their name. In my 2008/09 Yellow Book someone looking under Janesville in the white pages would not find a library listed. In the yellow pages it lists the Hedberg Public Library - along with the Beloit, Clinton, Eager, Edgerton, Milton, Orfordville, South Beloit, and Talcott libraries. A visitor to the area would have to read the street addresses or they might think Janesville doesn't have a public library.

Bellagio--It sounds as if you are completely ignorant as to what's going on in Beloit. The city is well aware of what problems it needs to address, and little by little strides are being made. At the very least a solid foundation has been established. While not originally from the area, I've been working in Beloit for some time and finally decided to buy a home here 5 years ago. It was a tossup at the time between Janesville and Beloit. I'm so glad I made the decision I did.......

But your still an idiot...that comment had nothing to do about this story. Janesville is known for covering things up, not Beloit.

Bellagio, in response to your latest post-huh???? I have no idea what you are talking about. I call it like it is unlike many people in Janesville. How is Beloit looking the other way and burying their head in the sand?? Janesville should follow their example and take more control of their riverfront, downtown, and work on redevelopment of abandoned buildings. Also, look to develop an industrial park to attract business and jobs.

Sandman--There's no doubt that developing and improving the mall property will benefit the surrounding community. This is the proverbial "shot in the arm" which that area needs. As far as motives for the move are concerned, if the Hendricks Development Group had influence, we should be thankful. Every project they get involved with seems to benefit our community. I hesitate to think what the Beloit Corp facility would look like had they not gotten involved with that.......

Eclipse Boulevard is a new East-West street that runs on the South side of the old mall property (Eclipse Center) between Park Ave and Riverside Dr.

BillyClydePuckett & TheJoker: Thanks for piling on. I hope my previous comment set the record straight. I am a lot of things, but "racist" ain't one of 'em. Cheers, and again - go Beloit!

JozeMozes: "overt racist comments"?!? Wow, I guess I must be naive, I never even considered any racist overtones or implications. That explains SarahB1's reaction to some extent. Again, wow! Hmmmm, Beloit + library + birth control = racism. As Johnny Carson used to say, "I did not know that"!

SarahB1: You misconstrued what I said. And you didn't castigate Beloitalum for calling Bellagio_Bound "an idiot"? Yes, I considered commenting on the financing, but I wasn't sure that there wasn't some tax money involved not mentioned in the article. Which of course all the big government people would have jumped all over - ha! Well, let me spell it out for you. First, my comment ("Me too") was a good-natured jab at Bellagio_Bound, implying that I hoped his attempts at birth control were successful.
Second, if there was/is no tax money involved, then yay!! Congrats to Beloit!!! WooHOO!!!!

Where is the new library going to be? I grew up in Beloit, but am not familiar with Eclipse Boulevard.

The Gazette has been historically so weak on reporting anything from the Beloit area that you'd swear that Beloit was not a city located in the same county as Janesville. As I note that this is a "WCLO Newsroom" posting, I expect that trend has not changed substantially. I do appreciate the fact that some Beloit info is included on the website, and should the paper ever actually start really reporting on Beloit issues (if readers think an occasional drive-by is a big deal here, check out Beloit's statistics, and the attendant batting averages of the assailants!), I might even re-subscribe -- this issue was a major reason for my not continuing the subscription in the past).
I will miss the old Beloit library, a beautiful turn-of-the-century post office building, and I believe that its loss from the "downtown area" of Beloit is one more nail in the coffin of that neighborhood's business activities. I am completely unconvinced that this move was anything but a nod to the financial influence of Hendricks' development activities in the community. Luckly, when the Hedbergs contributed to the Janesville Public Library, they did not do so on the condition that it be oved into a vacant building they already owned, and thankfully the Janesville library remains a solid feature of the still-struggling downtown Janesville area. Perhaps Beloit should have considered similarly renaming their library after Hendricks, on the condition that the renovation and expansion occurred at its present downtown location!
Sadly, however, and while I hope it does not prove to be the case, because of the reality of continuing long-term drug, gang and violence/crime issues that have regularly occurred in the area of and adjacent to the old Beloit Mall (as a Beloiter, I'm well aware of this history -- does the name Ray Lee Stewart ring a bell?), now the new library location, I fear that many regular patrons will not venture to the library after dark, and it will be only a matter of time before we are reading of patrons who have been adversely effected by those activities.
As Chris Rock once quipped in regards to his own derogatory comment regarding then-dethroned crack-smoking DC mayor Marion Barry's participation in the Million Man March, "Boo if you like, you know it's the truth!" (Bring the Pain, 1992 HBO special)

The new library is needed in a big way. Bellagio_Bound and Super Dave have already colored in all the books they are capable of understanding at the old one.

New library , awesome!!!

Glad to see the racists are out bright and early this week. Good for Beloit. They needed it and I look forward to seeing it. I am sure Janesville will now want a new library or will want to expand the current facility. They hate when Beloit does something good.

Yeay for Beloit!

Boo! To the close minded Rock County residents who make overt racist comments and have to post.

Intelligence is obviously not a prerequisite for posting here. I look forward to the new library.

Bellagio_Bound: Me too.

What an idiot.