Keeping history alive in Beloit is the mission of the Beloit Historical Society. So it makes sense for Beloit College, the state’s oldest continuous college, to want to help.

Beloit College Col. Robert M. Morse Library donated a microfilm reader to the Beloit Historical Society in May so society archivists can project and magnify images.

With the Beloit College Library undergoing a $9 million grant-funded renovation, Chief Information Officer and Library Director Ted Wilder suggested giving the extra microfilm equipment to the society when he found out theirs stopped working a while ago.

“The Beloit Historical Society is an important part of the community, and we are happy to do what we can to support it,” Wilder said.

The society’s extensive collections of archives and records are a treasure for local people, businesses, and organizations to find out more about the history of the City of Beloit and the Rock County area.

“This will make a big difference to the Beloit Historical Society (BHS) because we haven’t had a way to read microfilm for several years,” said BHS Assistant Director Jesse Herscher.

The campus and community visitors can also access the college’s microfilm collection and reader in the library’s temporary location in the Powerhouse’s Riverside Lounge.

The college is also donating a voice recording booth to the Beloit Public Library and Wilder says other items not needed could find new homes in the community.

The newly renovated library and Impact Beloit community hub will open in the fall of 2024.