A group of Albert Lea residents submitted a petition Monday night to the Albert Lea City Council requesting to expand the hours of the Albert Lea Public Library.

The petition was signed by 350 people.

Cindy Fjermestad, president of the Friends of the Albert Lea Public Library, said she and others have heard many concerns about the library hours from the patrons of the Fountain Lake Bookstore, which is in the lower level of City Hall.

She wanted to make sure the Albert Lea City Council knew of the concerns, so she and others started the petition.

When the petition first began in April, they said they hoped the council would agree to reopening the library on Fridays.

The cost of having the library open one day a week — for about five hours — was estimated at about $25,000, Fjermestad said at that time.

The library has been opened for five days a week — Sundays through Thursdays — since 2010 because of budget cuts.

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