The State College Borough Council agreed Monday night to create terms for the transfer of land from the borough to Schlow Memorial Library for its expansion.

Plans for increasing the library's size have been in the making for the last eight years. As the beginning for its construction approaches, council members and library staffers are working to cement final plans for the project.

Once the agreement is ratified with the borough, the library can negotiate with the land owner, said Jeffery Kline, president of the Board of Trustees for the library.

The library has already selected an architect to begin drafting plans for the library, he said.

While there are no concrete plans for the construction, there is a possibility that the old building could be integrated into the expanded version.

"Some of the existing library may be part of the new building, but it is also possible that it will be torn down," Kline said.

The library also needs to be reconstructed because of ventilation problems and an inefficient use of space, he said.

"Our library is 15,000 square feet and other communities the size of ours have public libraries that average 40,000 square feet," Kline said. He added that the library is undersized for the area it serves and is currently unable to add books to its collection because of space constraints.

"We literally have no space," Kline said.

Amy Neil, the public relations and development officer for the library, agreed the new library could only have a positive effect on the community.

"Our variety will expand, and we will have an enlarged collection of books and CDs," Neil said.

The new library will also have more computers and study areas.

"It will be a great place for study and socializing," Neil said.

Borough Council quickly approved the transfer of land.

"We wanted to keep that library downtown," council member Jean McManis said.

Many Penn State students and community members who live in the surrounding area use the library, she said.

"The Schlow Library is not just books," McManis said. "It has an extensive children's department. You can rent a painting there as well as films and tapes."

Under the agreement, the borough will purchase and donate the land for the library.

"We are very grateful to the State College Borough, who will not only contribute funds to the construction of the new building, but has offered to donate land for the new library and give the library free use of the current municipal building during the construction of our new facility," Neil said.

The funding for the library will come from private and public funds, Neil said.

The library will appoint a fund-raising committee tomorrow night. The committee will conduct a study to determine how much money is needed for the expansion.

"Hopefully we won't have a lack of funds and have to go back to the drawing board," Neil said.

The new library will stay on the existing lot but will expand into the alley behind it. During the construction of the new building, the library will make its home in the municipal building at 118 Fraser St.

No disruptions in library services are predicted, Neil said.

The library Board of Trustees will vote on whether to accept the agreement the council passed Monday night and will select a fund-raising firm at a meeting at the library at 7:30 p.m. today.

The board is expected to approve the agreement, Neil said.