Library spaces are beginning to change. What was once known as a pristine, quiet place to study or to read a book is now transforming more into a social environment.

In 2012, the University of Hartford with Sasaki Associates completed the Libraries Master Planning Process that overviewed the changes that would be happening to the Mortensen and Allen libraries and the reasoning for doing them.

Mortensen Library was originally built in 1969 and was expanded as part of the then new Harry Jack Gray Center in 1989.

“It was about 25 or 26 years ago and that’s about what you see on college campuses,” said associate vice president of facilities planning Norm Young. “You really want to start to think about renewing things after 25 years.”

Phase One of the renovation process will roughly utilize about a $7.5 million budget.

The plans for Phase One includes small renovations inside to improve the look of the library, removing several book stacks, creating new seating and adding a new addition to the back of the building.

The size of the new addition has not been finalized yet, but it will be a two-story open-glass space that will extend out toward the river.

“One of the main benefits that’s going to occur out of this is to create better flow in and around the building,” Young said. “The reference area will be a little more upfront than it is now and a lot more open space for collaborative work. Bathrooms will be upgraded and the elevator will be more accessible for everybody in the building.”

Another big aspect of the project is to bring Allen Library to the first floor of Mortensen Library.

Many of the book stacks that are out now would be placed in storage to be brought out whenever someone would need them. This would clear up more space for seating, as well as being able to bring Allen Library into Mortensen.

Once that’s all completed, the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies would then be moved into where Allen Library is located now. Currently, they are tucked away on the lower level of Auerbach Hall and have been fundraising for years for a space that they can call home.

A time capsule was buried today under @Mortensen_Lib which included trinkets from everyday library work life #UHart pic.twitter.com/fIxdFjXmUQ

— The Informer (@UHartInformer) July 24, 2015

Pending winter weather, construction is expected to begin spring of 2016 and will most likely continue for an entire year until spring 2017.

The library will remain open throughout construction and will require sectioning off parts of the building along with soundproofing as construction goes on.

It is still at a fairly early stage in the project process and while a lot of things are just about finalized, nothing is guaranteed.

Throughout the planning process, there was a lot of feedback from staff, faculty, the community and students from a few years ago.

Phase Two of the project is still largely unknown and will not be happening until a little ways down the road. Some possibilities that may come would be a further expansion of Starbucks at The Goodwin Café that extends out toward the front of the library.

An official announcement with more details can be expected from the University at around late October or during November.