The Albert Lea Public Library will re-open on Fridays on Jan. 9, the city manager announced Wednesday.

A celebratory event for the public is in the planning stages and will be announced at a later date.

“We’re just excited to bring this service back as the residents have been requesting,” said City Manager Chad Adams.

The library will be open on Fridays throughout the year from 1 to 6 p.m., he said. It is presently open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The announcement came after the Albert Lea City Council voted earlier this month to add back the additional hours. The library has been opened for five days a week since 2010 because of budget cuts.

Since then, the state Legislature has bolstered funding for local government aid, a form a property tax relief.

Adams said last week the cost for the additional hours is almost $27,000. Of that amount,  the city will pay almost $19,000 and Freeborn County will pay about $8,000.

More than 300 people submitted a petition in July requesting the council expand the hours at the library.

The library is primarily for Albert Lea residents but is open to all residents within the Freeborn County boundaries.