FORSYTH - Planning for a renovation and expansion of the Forsyth Public Library continues as the village evaluates its future needs.

Head Librarian Jean Campbell would like to see several new features in the library if it were to expand.

"We're kind of changing our orientation to library services a little bit," Campbell said. "We've had tremendous growth in the village. We have a very nice library, and we want to keep it that way."

Possible changes could include a room that embodies the area of Forsyth past, present and future, Campbell said. Other additions could include more quiet-study rooms, social areas and public computers.

The library has the traffic to justify future construction, Campbell said.

The village has hired consultant Fred Schlipf to provide his services as it moves ahead in evaluating its library needs. Schlipf has urged the board of trustees not to delay plans until overcrowding becomes an issue.

They should be looking 20 years down the road, he said.

"The library is a great asset to the community," Schlipf said. "It gets a lot of use."

The possible addition could cost up to $2 million, with the money not yet in the budget, Mayor Harold "Hap" Gilbert has said. The addition could still be five years down the road.

Planning, however, is moving forward as the village is looking to hire an architect to prepare the design for a future project.

Looking two decades into the future to know what the needs will be isn't necessarily an easy thing; Campbell said use of the library can change quickly. The first library was built in 1985, and it soon became apparent traffic was more than it could handle.

In 1997, the former library was turned into a community room, and the current library was added north of that. Once again, Campbell said they're looking to expand.

"I don't think anybody knows what's next," Campbell said.

Although the library's DVD collection, for example, has become popular since being added in 2002, it could some day become obsolete, Campbell said.

"We're not sure what that point is yet," Campbell said. She wants to make sure there's room to expand the library's collections.

Campbell seemed pretty sure of one thing that likely won't change.

"In our library and all libraries," she said, "books will always be the centerpiece."

clusvardi@herald-reivew.com|421-7972