The library was named after local businessman Charles Schlow, who in 1957 donated space in a West College Avenue house for the original library.

The library quickly grew and moved to a new location on South Allen Street.

The new two-story 38,577-square-foot (3,583.9 m2) building cost $10 million to construct.

[2] According to the 2005 Annual Report, Schlow had more than 291,000 visitors and 592,000 books in circulation.

Schlow Centre Region Library is part of the Central PA Library District, allowing patrons to use interlibrary loan to check out material from other public libraries in Centre, Clearfield, Juniata, and Mifflin Counties.