Waihi Beach library is set to open for an extra three hours every Friday.

This follows community feedback and a three-month review by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

The library had previously been open two days a week and Saturday mornings, however this resulted in a decline in membership and no growth in membership for 10 years.

Council then extended the hours to be open every day from 10am-2pm and Saturday mornings.

Council's Customer Service and Governance Manager, Barbara Whitton, says a further review of the new opening hours revealed that some people were keen for the library to remain open after school hours for at least one day of the week.

'Overall most people who responded to our survey were happy with the new extended weekly hours but some also wanted extra time after school. We asked for feedback on which day of the week would be preferred for after school hours and the clear preference was Friday. Council is happy to offer this.”

Since opening daily in September 2020, the library has attracted an additional 45 members, increased 15 per cent in foot traffic and library issues have shown a three percent increase compared to the previous year.

The library will now be open from 10am-5pm on Fridays.

After three months, Council will review the after-school hours to assess whether the community is making the most of the additional opening time.

The new hours will start on Friday, February 12.