Often, people don&8217;t realize how much they rely on something until they don&8217;t have access to it.

Such was the case with the Albert Lea Public Library when it was closed for final renovations.

But as of Monday, it opened again for business and is bigger and better than ever.

We appreciate how the city made good use of existing space to accommodate the ever-increasing need for technology today. It&8217;s well organized, with spaces for fiction, DVDs, CDs and new books in one area, a teen area, an expanded children&8217;s library, and an information center with nonfiction books, magazines and 10 patron computers.

There&8217;s also a new computer lab, which makes use of a federal Library Services Technological Act grant. This will be available for instructional uses upon appointment as well as for those researching genealogy.

The space is tastefully done without being overdone, with its walls serving as a showcase for the work of local artists.

This is all thanks to all those community members who worked hard to raise funds to make the renovations and technology upgrades a reality, as well as the dedicated staff who work there. It goes to show that people have a true ownership in their local public library.

So we encourage everyone to go, check out a book or two, sit down at a computer and just spend some time in the newly renovated Albert Lea Public Library.

It is, after all, your library.