SOUTH DEERFIELD — It was business as usual at Tilton Library on Wednesday morning — just in a slightly different location.

The library reopened Wednesday in its temporary space at the South Deerfield Congregational Church, 71 North Main St., just a few dozen yards from its home on North Main Street, and will remain there throughout its $12.3 million expansion project that will nearly triple its size. The project is expected to take about a year to complete.

The former church’s function hall has been transformed into a temporary library with what Director Candace Bradbury-Carlin called a “front row seat” to the nearby construction project. Repair work at the church to prepare it to temporarily house the library was done by D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc., with funding donated by Eaglebrook School. D.A. Sullivan & Sons refinished the main floor, and Selectboard member Tim Hilchey put together the vinyl floors in the kitchen and entryway.

“We’re really grateful for the work and craftsmanship from Eaglebrook and the town, especially Tim Hilchey,” Bradbury-Carlin said, adding that the renovations will “live on” if the South County Senior Center is later moved to the church as is being considered. “It’s been such a journey, but it’s so satisfying. … From the beginning to now, it’s been such a great team of people.”

Moments after doors opened, folks went in with their children to participate in morning programs, and several residents stopped by to visit the new space and talk to staff. Resident Joanne Provost said she was impressed with how the transformation of the function hall turned out.

“It’s a very cool place for a temporary library,” Provost said. “I love it.”

In the temporary space, Tilton Library’s hours will remain the same. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, it is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays it is open from 1 to 7 p.m. When visiting, folks are asked to park in the church’s parking lot and use the ramp to enter at the back of the building.

Operations will remain largely the same as well, with Bradbury-Carlin noting it will just be at a smaller scale. The adult and young adult sections will contain the most recent six months of inventory, while the children’s section will contain more books. There are still three computers for the public to use and programs will be held in the library, with summer programs planned for the gazebo at Deerfield Elementary School and Town Hall. Items that can’t be stored at the library are with Sitterly Movers, which moved the library into the temporary space.

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“It’s not that different,” Bradbury-Carlin said, joking that the smaller space isn’t always like a typical library atmosphere as it sometimes “sounds like a party.”

As Tilton Library settles into its new space, it is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for its expansion project on Friday, May 10, at 11 a.m.

Tilton Library’s expansion project will nearly triple the building’s square footage from 4,366 square feet to 12,784 square feet. Key improvements include expanded teen and children’s rooms, meeting and co-working spaces on the second floor, and a “nighttime suite” that will be accessible after normal library hours and feature meeting spaces, a small kitchen and bathrooms. Northampton-based D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc. is handling construction, having submitted a bid for $10.99 million.

For more information about the library, its temporary space and the expansion project, visit its website at tiltonlibrary.org.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.

An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the work Deerfield Selectboard member Tim Hilchey had done in the South Deerfield Congregational Church. Repair work at the church to prepare it to temporarily house the library was done by D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc., with funding donated by Eaglebrook School. D.A. Sullivan & Sons refinished the main floor, and Hilchey put together the vinyl floors in the kitchen and entryway.