Charlotte's Main Library in uptown and ImaginOn will be closed for nearly a week during the Democratic National Convention in September.

Library officials plan to redeploy staff from the two sites to other library branches around uptown, in anticipation of patrons visiting other branches for service.

On average, about 7,000 people a week visit the Main Library and over 6,000 visit ImaginOn.

The two facilities will close Sept. 2 through Sept. 7, and possibly Saturday Sept. 8. Labor Day falls within that period, when the library would be closed anyway, officials said.

The decision to close the two sites was made out of concerns over public access, security and safety during the DNC, officials said.

Library officials have also seen a spike in requests to rent parts of the uptown facilities.

Chief among those requests is "an interested party" that is negotiating to rent a large part of ImaginOn for 12 days. That group, which remains unnamed due to a confidentiality agreement, is specifically interested in the theater portions of the ImaginOn, which have a combined 800 seats, officials said.

That group may have its own press conference to announce the event, should an agreement be reached in coming weeks, library officials said.

Library trustees agreed Thursday on a price of $126,900 to allow use of the building, but also gave library CEO Vick Phillips the leeway to negotiate, should more or less space be needed by the group. If a deal is reached, ImaginOn would be open to patrons during at least part of the allotted rental time.

Meanwhile, Phillips said the library continues to get calls and visits from others interested in renting space, which is within a short walk of DNC events at Time Warner Cable Arena.

"We've had interest ranging from board rooms for planning session, to four-hour cocktail parties," said Phillips. "Interest is not waning."