INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The first floor of the Indiana State Library is being transformed into a Statehouse visitor education center as part of a $2.5 million upgrade.

The (Munster) Times (http://bit.ly/1MBCnCR) reports that the new education center is intended to remedy space limitations inside the Statehouse by having groups that are visiting the building meet inside of the nearby library and then enter the Statehouse through an improved tunnel. The project also will add visitor restrooms and create a 1,800-square-foot hall featuring educational displays, exhibits and library collections to teach students about the state.

The center is included in the $53.5 million approved earlier this year by state lawmakers for new buildings and renovations to celebrate the state's bicentennial next year.