The Humphrey Family Writing Center in the Ryan Library is undergoing a renovation that will change not only its use but also its atmosphere.

A new change to the third floor is the “McNally Room” that will serve as conference room by day and silent study area at night, and similar renovations have taken place in Writing Center across the hall.

Left of the entrance is a new set of glass sliding doors sectioning off a portion of the space, containing a new Harkness table and telecommunication equipment, to be used as a separate classroom.

The west side of the Writing Center, that overlooks the quad, will also be divided with glass doors, creating three separate spaces within the room. Construction on this area is still in progress.

Mark Pearson, the director of the Writing Center and instructor of English and Humanities, says the three separate spaces will allow him to run a class in the eastern area while the Dial or Hill News can do separate work in the west.

Pearson is excited that glass desks will be built into the walls of the western area for computers, and alongside will be new, smaller, and movable leather seating.

“The layout allows the instructor to be in the center of the room while the students are working,” Pearson said. “It was cluttered before with wires everywhere, and it’s (now) a better classroom space too.”

New tables will also be brought in the central area of the room. Pearson says he hopes to

drive more traffic to the Writing Center. He believes these changes will push the writing center towards being a “student oriented space.”

Caroline Lee ‘18, created an online magazine in the Writing Center. Pearson thinks the Writing Center helped by providing a secluded space to work in. He also hopes more programs like Lee’s can grow from the writing center, and sees it as the purpose of the renovations.

However, not everyone using the space sees the renovations as an improvements.

Sophia BenJeddi ’18 says the Writing Center was her favorite place on Hill’s campus.

“I used to visit the Writing Center because of its archaic vibe, but they are trying to modernize it to ‘better’ fit the needs of students,” BenJeddi said. “It’s lost a lot of its magic.”

BenJeddi notes that while she likes the new table and furniture, she believes the separation of the room will take away from the “togetherness” that existed before.

These changes are a gradual process, and the central and eastern additions will progress in pace with the rest of the library. The western area is already complete.