Evanston’s Main Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., will be closed Monday through Friday next week while movers relocate collections and furniture in preparation for a remodeling project.

The closure doesn’t affect due dates on library books. Staff will continue to collect books from drop-off bins at the library. The branch libraries – at 2026 Central Street and 949 Chicago Ave. – also will remain open next week, Library Director Neal Ney said. And the library will offer telephone reference service during the normal service hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Movers will empty rooms on the first floor, which currently houses the children’s room, and move the collections to the second floor.

The entire first floor will then be transformed into a children’s room during remodeling, which is expected to begin by Feb. 1, Ney said.

The library is working with architecture firms to design an interactive area for children, Ney said. One of the firms is Architecture is Fun, a Chicago firm specializing in children’s facilities.

The new children’s center will mimic a garden in which students can read and play, according to the firm’s Web site.

The third floor will be made into a 2,000-square-foot room for young adults, which will include study sections and small performance areas. These changes are based on recent theories that highlight the importance of interactive learning, Ney said.

“There are a lot of young people using (the library) now,” he said. “We’re hoping to make the space more appealing to young people.”

– Ketul Patel