Q: Do my photos still backup in my iCloud if I don't have my iCloud library beta on?

They are included in an iCloud backup if you don't have iCloud Photo Library turned on. See the following quote from the section of what is included in an iCloud backup from iCloud: iCloud storage and backup overview

• Photos and videos on your iOS devices, unless you turn on iCloud Photo Library beta on your iOS 8.1 device. If you turn on iCloud Photo Library beta, your photos and videos are already stored in iCloud, so they aren’t included in your iCloud Backup.

Be aware that the contents of an iCloud backup are not viewable at iCloud.com and are only usable when doing a full restore to an iOS device or when transferring to a new iOS device. Because of that I also import my photos to a computer for safekeeping. Import photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac or Windows PC - Apple Support