Kowal recommended a new building of around 27,000 square feet — or roughly 10,000 square feet smaller than borough hall. All told, it would cost about $6.8 million, he said.

"What the borough has to do is decide whether it's the library's turn," Kowal said. "You have upgraded other municipal structures — the police station and borough hall. It's the library's turn to be brought up to that level."

The library, which has occupied the same space since 1961, last year lent out 70,000 items to the borough's nearly 18,000 residents. Library use since 2001 has increased 63 percent. The library receives well more than 100 visitors each day, and has accommodated up to 400, Rosemarie Tunnicliffe, library director, has said.

The donated house that serves as the library has long since run out of storage space. Its only two Internet-connected computers are so in demand that staff has set a 20-minute time limit per person on each, and its burgeoning children's summer-reading program routinely has to be held outside — weather permitting — under a borough-donated tent for lack of space inside.

"I'm amazed that it accomplishes what it does," Kowal said.

Council members agreed that a new library was a necessity, but balked at the cost.

"There's no question that we need a new library," said Councilman Paul Ford. "But at what cost?"

Linda Zucaro, a member of the library's board of directors, asked that the Library Committee — a group of residents, library users and borough officials — be reconvened to study what cost-saving modifications could be made to the study's recommended building.

Mayor Peter Maclearie agreed with that idea. Zucaro said she hoped recommendations could be made by early 2009.

Keith Brown: (732) 643-4076 or kbrown@app.com