FERRIDAY — The Concordia Parish Library is working on a plan to expand its Clayton branch to nearly triple its current size.

The Concordia Parish Police Jury voted last week to accept on behalf of the library board — which operates independently but under the umbrella of the jury — an acre of land from the Village of Clayton, which has pledged to donate the property. The land is near the post office on U.S. 425.

Head Librarian Amanda Taylor said the library has planned to expand the branch for some time, but had pulled back after developing initial plans in order to save more money.

The new construction will replace the current Clayton branch, which is in a portable building. Taylor said she met with architects two weeks ago and has some preliminary drawings already.

The expanded branch will be approximately 4,200-square feet, Taylor said, and will also house the bookmobile service.

“It won’t be huge, but where I am right now, I don’t have 1,400 (square feet), so this will be a big improvement,” she said. “We really needed a proper facility to serve the people.”

The expanded facility will have more public access computers, a larger area for story time — the library serves the Concordia Head Start program — and summer camps, Taylor said.

“We will be developing a new young adult collection there,” she said. “(Currently), we don’t really have a section for young adults and teens.”

While some plans have been developed, Taylor said she wasn’t sure about what the final cost would be.

If the land transaction can be completed in a timely manner, the library will seek bids for the construction in December, she said.