Everyone hates good-byes, and the Schlow Memorial Library staff is no exception.

Schlow Memorial Library, 100 E. Beaver Ave., will close Feb. 2 to move to its temporary location at the former State College Municipal Building, 118 S. Fraser St.

The move is expected to take three weeks, and reopening for the temporary site is scheduled for Feb 23.

"The library is going to be torn down, so the new library will be a new building completely. This will take more than a year, so we had to move someplace and continue service to the public," said Betsy Allen, the library's director.

Allen said the temporary site isn't the most functional, and walls had to be removed to make space for various departments.

"The space is fairly big, about 20,000 square feet. It's about the size we have now. It's just not configured in a way that's easy to use," Allen said.

A major difference that will occur with the move is a change in the immediate availability of books.

"The adult collection is not going to sit where everyone can get to the books themselves. The stacks will be closed, and the public will have to ask staff for books," Allen said.

A moving company will assist the staff in moving during the three-week period.

Allen said the company will move the furniture, book stacks and all of the books while the staff works to organize the space and get the computers working.

Allen added that she looks forward to the completion of the new library and all that it will have to offer.

"The additional space will be great. Also, everything will be new, and the building will have been designed as a library from the beginning, which we've never had before. And of course, the parking will be easier for the public," Allen said.

Marge Knapp, a volunteer at the library for over 20 years, said she most looks forward to having more room.

"Moving and being over there for a year will be different, but it will be worth it," Knapp said.

Andrea Kirsch (senior-psychology) said she uses the current library occasionally to do school-related work.

"I go to Schlow to study, and I would probably still go to the temporary site to use the facility," Kirsch said.

Knapp said she sees students while she is working in the children's section.

"I see quite a few students. A lot of elementary education students come in to look at children's books for projects," Knapp said.

Allen said the public will be given a chance to say good-bye to the library the week before it closes. During the week of Jan. 26, people can come and get their picture taken in their favorite part of the library.