STATE COLLEGE —On Tuesday, Jan. 17, Schlow Centre Region Library will celebrate 60 years as a public library serving the State College community. Residents are invited to stop in to celebrate its legacy.
During the past 60 years, the Schlow Library has grown from a collection of 3,000 books in two rooms on West College Avenue to a state-of-the-art institution with more than 160,000 items in its collection and a landmark building in the center of downtown State College, the library said in a release.
At the turn of the 20th century, the residents of State College sought a public library. Many incarnations of community libraries were formed — from the basement of the Fraser School with a $1 per year membership fee, to a single room that opened only one day a week at the High School. All of these projects ultimately collapsed as they sought long-term public funding.
In 1957, the dream of a true public library came true when Charles Schlow, a local businessman, stepped up to renovate a space for the library in one of his properties. Schlow donated this space rent- and utility-free and named it for his late wife, Bells S. Schlow. That act of generosity prompted an outpouring of support, from donations to volunteer hours.
Ruth Zipser and Judy Lang, Charles Schlow’s granddaughters, said they know their grandfather would be proud of what “astounding” transformations the library has gone through in the past 60 years. “It’s a true testament to the amazing community he loved and the driving force behind why honoring the memory of his wife, our grandmother, with this library was so important to him.”
Within a couple years, the people of State College passed a tax referendum and the library gained the public funding support it needed to continue. Today, Schlow Centre Region Library is an agency of the Centre Region Council of Governments, supported by revenue from the Borough of State College and the townships of Ferguson, Patton, Harris, College and Halfmoon. All residents of Centre County, including Penn State University students, are eligible for library cards.
The library will host a special Community Open House on Saturday, June 10, to mark Charles Schlow’s June 14 birthday. Additional events will be announced throughout the year at www.schlowlibrary.org.
