Judges will soon begin choosing poems to be set in concrete outside the Evanston Public Library at 1703 Orrington Ave.

The sidewalk ramp outside the library’s entrance is scheduled for renovations, and officials decided to add public art, Administrative Services Manager Paul Gottschalk said. The library organized a poetry competition last month to generate poems to be set in concrete during the renovations. The poems were not to exceed 300 characters.

Today marks the deadline for submissions. The city will now choose five to six judges to select five poems from the submissions. The panel of judges will include a poet, a library board member, a former library director and a high school student. Then, the judges will recommend the five poems to the Public Art Committee for approval.

“We’re hoping to have the process completed by the end of the month,” Evanston Cultural Arts Director Jeff Cory said.

According to Joshua Barney, chairman of the committee, the judges’ selections are likely to get the nod.

“In my three-year tenure on the Public Art Committee, the selection committee’s choices have always been supported,” Barney said.

After the committee OKs the selected poems, a contractor is expected to imprint the poems in June or July.

– ALAN YU