As the Seattle Public Library trims branch service hours to help cut $1.7 million from its 2010 budget, the Ballard branch will see its hours of operations increase beginning Feb. 3.

Ballard is one of 11 branches that will gaining an additional five hours per week.

Starting Feb. 3, the Ballard Library will open at 10 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. But, it will open at 1 p.m. instead of noon on Sundays.

The change increases Ballard's hours of operation from 55 to 60, while 15 other branches are seeing their hours reduced from 55 to 35.

Jennifer Patterson, assistant director of branches for the Seattle Public Library, said it is unclear if the reduction of surrounding branches' hours will have an impact on traffic to the Ballard Library, already one of the city's busiest.

It is hard to predict how people will react to the hour changes, she said.

Some people will stay loyal to their local branches and adjust to the new hours, while others may find the hour changes at their branches too inconvenient and stop using the library system altogether, she said.

Patterson said Ballard is slightly geographically isolated, so she does not expect a large increase in usage when the hour changes go into effect Feb. 3.

In the Ballard area, the Greenwood branch will also see its hours increase, but the Fremont, Green Lake, Magnolia and Queen Anne branches are among those losing hours.

For a complete list of branches and hours, see the attached file.