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Belle Glade Branch (Belle Glade)

Adult Programs * Children's Programs * Computer Training

530 South Main Street
Belle Glade, FL 33430
(561) 996-3453
Branch Manager: Phyllis J. Lilley

Hours: Mon-Wed 10-8 / Thurs-Sat 10-5


Directions

By Bus: Palm Tran Route #47

By Car: From the East - Take Southern Blvd./State Road 80 west. This will take you many miles through an agricultural area after you have passed by Royal Palm Beach and Wellington.  You will come to a State and County Complex on your left - HRS, Jail, Courthouse and County Offices.

Just past this complex is a traffic light. Take a left at the light. This is still State Road 80. Follow this road several miles and you will be in the center of Belle Glade. Just past the intersection, Main Street (State Road 80) and Ave. E, is the library on your right.  Take the driveway just past the library and this will bring you around to the entrance of the building. If you get to Burger King, you have gone 1/4 mile too far.

From the West: Take State Road 80 east past South Bay.  State Road 80 turns north.  After you have passed the Burger King, look for the library on the left side of the road.  Take the driveway just past the library and this will bring you around to the entrance of the building.  If you reach Avenue E you have gone too far.

Map of Belle Glade Branch and Vicinity


Description

The Glades Branches, Belle Glade, Pahokee (Loula V. York Branch), South Bay (Clarence E. Anthony Branch), serve the 38,000 residents of rural, agricultural Western Palm Beach County.

The largest of the three branches is the Belle Glade Branch. It is the only branch of the Palm Beach County Library System that has a Museum. The museum is the Lawrence E. Will Museum. The mission is to conserve, display, and organize, for educational and research goals, the artifacts, memorabilia, photographs and written records pertinent to this unique region adjacent to Lake Okeechobee and the upper Everglades.

The Belle Glade Branch has a large collection of African American fiction as well as large Florida and Mystery collections. The branch has a growing Spanish collection to serve the large number of Hispanics in the Glades. The Children's staff provides about 650 programs a year for about 13,000 children. The Branch provides Ethnic Newswatch, an online service that provides over 100 newspapers from the United States and around the world that are geared to different ethnic groups, including: African American, Spanish and Arabian. Patrons have full access to the Internet through FloriNet.

In 1998, the Gates Foundation gave the branch four computers for a Children's Learning Center.  Children have access to games as well as to Encarta Encyclopedia and Encarta Africana Encyclopedia.  In addition, the branch provides computers for word processing.  The branch now has a computer to help adults learn to read.  Tutors and students, and some students on their own, may use the programs to reach their reading goals.  If you are interested in helping teach someone to read or know some one who needs help learning to read, call the branch.

History of the Branch

  • Size: 9,100 sq. ft.
  • Opened in 1967 as a municipal library, in October 1986 became a County facility.
  • Special Feature: Lawrence E. Will Museum is a part of the branch facility. It houses local history displays.
  • Leased: $1.00 a year for thirty years. (1986-2016)

Public Computers

Adult Department

  • 2 Online Public Catalog computers

  • 4 Public Internet computers

  • 2 Electronic Database computers

Children's Department

  • 4 Gates Computers with Internet Access
    (1 with Word Processing)

Meeting Room Information

Our meeting room is available for bookings for up to 25 people.  To book the room, please fill out a request form and fax or bring it back to us before the date you have requested.

For information and bookings call: 561-996-3453.

Displays

The branch has display space available to the public.  Please call the reference desk at 561-996-3453 for more information.

Service Area

Although the main service area is the city of Belle Glade, library service is provided to all other areas of the glades. Belle Glade Branch serves as the geographical hub for western Palm Beach County.

Nearest County Libraries


Related Pages: Special Services - County Library Map - This Month at Belle Glade Branch

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