There’s something different at the Albert Lea Public Library.

&uot;There are a lot more romance books,&uot; said Tom Ganrude, a twice-weekly patron. There seem to be more western and sci-fi books too. And he said added rows of swiveling bookshelves holding the paperbacks have taken the space of recently moved tables.

Now it looks cluttered.

They are changes he and other patrons have noticed in the last few months. Changes that some believe aren’t meant to increase the library’s offerings, but rather to build public approval for a new library.

In late May, the city council voted against a feasibility study for building a new library. Some patrons allege that changes in the current library began soon after the decision, which put up a barrier to those seeking a new library.

Since that time, a study looking at various sites across the city was voted on again and approved by the council.

City Councilman Jeff Fjelstad said he has received ten calls and responses since the council last voted on the library. Six of them have noted that more rotating book racks and microfiche machines seem to have been moved into the library since the first vote.

&uot;Some people have said they think the library has purposely moved things in there to make it overcrowded,&uot; he said. &uot;They thought it became more cluttered after the votes.&uot;

Dick Reyerson of Albert Lea said he goes to the library four to five times a month. He said he’s noticed more clutter.

&uot;It seems as though they made it look as if the space is unusable,&uot; Reyerson said. &uot;It definitely could cause the perception that they are trying to make it look more crowded to get public support.&uot;

Head Librarian Lori Barkema would not comment on whether she ordered the addition of the spinning book shelves and referred all questions to members of the library board.

Asked whether, as head of the library, she would approve decisions to rearrange the space, she didn’t answer the question, then turned and walked away.

Kenwood Bertelson, a member of the library board, said the board wouldn’t know about the bookshelves.

&uot;We really don’t discuss day-to-day operations at all,&uot; he said.

The 10-member board meets four times a year.

Bertlesen said the clutter in the library has grown visibly during the last five years. He said he wasn’t aware of any changes in the last few months.

City and library officials have long pointed to space shortages as the main reason a new library is needed. The library was built in the 1960s and circulation has increases several times over since then.

Bill Schmidt, assistant city manager, said he’s noticed a recent increase in library clutter, but said the library staff didn’t intend to change public attitude.

&uot;We just don’t do that,&uot; Schmidt said. &uot;We just don’t move furniture to make it look more crowded. It’s already crowded enough.&uot;

(Contact Peter Cox at peter.cox @albertleatribune.com or 379-3439.)