City commissioners on Tuesday sent another sign that they may consider moving the Lawrence Public Library to a new location while its current facility at Seventh and Vermont streets undergoes a $19 million expansion.

Commissioners unanimously directed staff to begin the process of hiring a construction manager for the library expansion project. Commissioners were told a construction manager could help the city decide whether it would be feasible to keep the library operations in place while construction work happens at the site.

City Manager David Corliss said maintaining library operations at the site during the expansion will be difficult. The city, however, has committed to making library services available somewhere during the construction project.

A construction management company will take the place of a general contractor for the project. That means instead of the city receiving one overall bid for the project, the city will break the project into smaller bid packages.

The construction management firm will be paid a fee that is negotiated up front. The city will issue a request for proposals in the next several weeks.