Library History
The Story of the Albert Lea Public Library
In November 2022, Library Director Annice Sevett gave a presentation on the fascinating story of the library’s establishment and other anecdotes from its rich history.
View the recording of this presentation in the video on the left.
Click here to view the slides from the presentation.
A brief summary of the presentation can be read below.
Early History
The first library association was formed in 1873. The Albert Lea Library Association used the rooms above the Post Office and its President was Frank Hall. In 1883 the association turned over its books to the school library.
The Albert Lea Library Association was reformed by a group of women in 1897. With an annual membership fee of $1.00, the funds were focused on buying books. The ultimate goal was to establish and maintain a permanent free city library. During this time, it was located on the Eaton Property.
As interest in the library grew, the association brought the issue of a city funded public library to a public vote. On April 5, 1899, the public voted against funding a public library. The issue came to a public vote again in 1900. On April 3, the citizens of Albert Lea voted to establish a public library with 594 voting yes, and 283 voting no. The library was formally established with the signing of Ordinance No. 107 on May 11, 1900. The Albert Lea Library Association voted to turn over its materials to the city library on February 13, 1901. The city library opened to the public in the Enterprise building.
Carnegie Library
Businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of thousands of libraries across the United States. On May 7, 1902, Carnegie granted the city of Albert Lea $12,000 to build a library on the condition that the city fund the library with an annual budget of at least $1,200. The city voted to accept the donation on May 23, 1902. After much discussion of the site for the library, bids for construction, and an additional grant of $1,000, the Carnegie library in Albert Lea opened to the public on April 13, 1904.
The first year the Carnegie library was open, the Albert Lea Library had total circulations of 24,326 – one of the highest in the state. Many of the library’s programs and services began in the Carnegie building. The first Story Hour was held on a Friday afternoon in March 1912, with 400 children attending. Summer Reading Programs began in 1947, and some of the early themes included “By Rocket to Adventure,” “Our Solar System,” and “Be a World Traveler.” In 1948, the library purchased a movie projector for visual education and held a flower arrangement contest for teens. Outreach services began in the Carnegie library as well, with services to patients at the Naeve hospital beginning in 1954.
City Center
In 1968, a new City Center opened that housed City Hall and the Albert Lea Library. Many of the library’s modern programs and services began in the City Center building and continue to the present. In 1976, the Community Service Department started and began collections in area nursing homes, including Thornecrest and St. John’s. Discussions to formalize library service to Freeborn County began on March 19, 1969 when commissioners voted to offer the city $10,000 annually for county residents living outside of city limits. Previously, library service was available on an individual basis for a fee of $10 per year. The Albert Lea City Council accepted the county’s offer, and county-funded library service began in 1970. Regional library services through Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) began July, 1971. SELCO services included reciprocal borrowing, a bookmobile service, and the introduction of a computerized library catalog in 1986. Public internet access began in 1995.
The library completed a renovation in the City Center in 2007. The updates included a renovated upper level to include adult fiction and separate teen area, an expanded children’s area, the addition of a computer lab on the second floor, and a drive up book drop. The library remains in this configuration to this day and continues to connect residents with books, information, and their community.
