Alaska State Library

State of Alaska research library, collections and services

The Alaska State Library and Historical Collections and Talking Book Center are located on the second floor of the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building in Juneau, Alaska.

The State Library coordinates library services throughout the state and serves as the information resource for the state government and the Legislature. It includes the Historical Section, which collects Alaskana and preserves private papers and materials of historical value to the state. The State Library also collects, catalogs and makes available state agency publications. This is done through the Documents Depository, which distributes the publications to depository libraries throughout the state. The State Library administers federal and state grants for public library construction and services. It coordinates the Alaska Library Network (ALN), which provides interlibrary loans, cooperative collection development, and resource sharing among libraries. The Governor's Advisory Council on Libraries advises on the federal long range spending plan. Since 1950, the library has offered a mail service that will transport books to patrons in remote areas of the state. The mail services allows for materials to be checked out for up to eight weeks with a chance to renew up to four additional weeks.

The Talking Book Center provides blind, visually impaired, and physically impaired individuals, who cannot read standard print, with audio books, large print, and Braille materials. The program serves the entire state and is free to those who are eligible. Patrons of the service are also eligible to download thousands of available audio and braille books and magazines via Braille & Audio Reading Download (BARD) service. In September 2013, the BARD mobile application for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch became available as a free download in the iTunes App Store. The Android mobile application is also available as a free download.