The Carlinville Public Library is located at 510 North Broad. The library provides services to all residents living within the Carlinville city boundary and, for a fee, to all others within the Carlinville Community School District #1.

The library is a member of the Illinois Heartland Library System with access to more than 10 million books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, eAudiobooks, and eBooks. The System covers 28,141 square miles and has more than 500 members. Materials may be ordered 24/7 online and through the SHARE Mobile App. In addition to these items, thousands of people enter the library to utilize print and electronic reference resources, access the Internet through the library's fiber-optic connection, enjoy state-of-the-art Wi-Fi service, research family genealogy, view a library exhibit, or attend one of the library's many events. There are five public access computers and copying and faxing services are available.