Alaska State Library Resources

Library Catalogs

Alaska Library Catalog
All Alaska State Library collections can be found on the Alaska Library Catalog. It is searchable by title, author, subject and more and can be accessed online. Search tips, guidelines for requesting materials and getting a library card can be found at the Library Card & Catalog page.

WorldCat Catalog. Books and more from around the world.
Alaska state employees, accessing us from work can also search a catalog of books and other materials held outside of Juneau and around the world. From this catalog (OCLC's WorldCat) you can directly request an Interlibrary Loan for these materials. Call a reference librarian for more information at 465-2920.

Online Resources

• eResources

Alaska State employees have access to information from news and journal articles from over 5,000 titles. These databases are available from your office any time of day. The State Library's on-line periodical service can increase efficiency and turnaround for your research and reduce your cost for periodical subscriptions.

What's Accessible

• Academic and general interest magazines
• Business and management journals
• Consumer & provider health resources
• A broad range of local, national and international newspapers

Over one-half of the materials included in the service are available in full-text. This means you can print or download the text of journal articles from your workstation.

A list of indexes and databases available, grouped by subject, can be found at the eResources page.

• Online Resource Guides
  Alaska State Librarians regularly compile resource guides containing abstracts of journal articles, books, links to web pages and other resources related to specific topics.

In-library Resources

• Reference collection. Focuses on the needs of state government. It includes many federal and state resources and reports. The reference collection is searchable through the Alaska Library Catalog.
• Circulating collection. Comprised of many materials focused on Alaska and those that support the needs of state government. The circulating collection is searchable through the Alaska Library Catalog.
• Audio & Videotapes A collection of professional and personal growth audio and videotapes at the State Library.
• Periodicals Section. Emphasizes topics of concern to state government including magazines, major national newspapers, and a complete collection of Alaska newspapers.
  • Alaska Newspaper Project. Microfilm collection of Alaskan newspapers from 1866 to present. A guide to the newspapers can be found at Alaska Newspapers on Microfilm, 1866-1998.

Historical Collections

• Book & Print Collection
  The Library maintains a collection of over 34,000 publications, ranging from fiction to rare volumes on early explorations in Alaska and the Arctic.
• Newspapers & Periodicals
  The Library maintains microfilmed newspapers from approximately 90 Alaska communities, some dating from the purchase of Alaska from Russia. A guide to the newspapers can be found at Alaska Newspapers on Microfilm, 1866-1998.
• Maps & Other Collections
  The map collection consists of atlases, Alaska-related historical maps and older nautical charts. Holdings also include a full collection of current U. S. Geological Survey topographical maps of Alaska. Historic collections of sound recordings, videocassettes, and films are also housed in the Library and are available by special arrangement.
• Photographs
  The photograph collections containing more than 100,000 images consist primarily of black and white images, but formats vary from slide transparencies and lantern slides to stereoviews, videotapes, and postcards. Some image collections are accessible online.
• Manuscripts
  The library has extensive holdings of private papers and manuscripts, Alaska-related photocopies and microfilmed records from other institutions.
• Cataloging & Finding Aids
  Bibliographic access to published materials is through the Alaska Library Catalog and through the card catalog in the reading room. Separate inventories and finding aids to photographs, maps, manuscript and microfilm collections are also located in the reading room.

Government Publications Program

Federal Documents

The Alaska State Library is one of seven depository libraries in Alaska that receive Federal publications from the Government Publishing Office in Washington D.C. Librarians select materials from federal agencies that have the greatest impact on Alaska. For more information, visit our Federal Publications Collection page.

State Documents

The Alaska State Library makes Alaska state documents freely available to the public. These are indexed through the Alaska Library Catalog. Publications produced by state government are timely, pertinent, and provide a wide range of data and information to the public. For more information, visit State Documents for the Public.

The Alaska State Library also operates the Alaska State Publications Program. This program makes state publications available to Alaskans by distributing them to local depository libraries. For more information, visit the Alaska State Publications Program page.