2.H.1 Library and Information Resources
Consistent with its mission, the institution employs qualified personnel and provides access to library and information resources with a level of currency, depth, and breadth sufficient to support and sustain the institution’s mission, programs, and services.
The UAF libraries include the and the of the Geophysical Institute (GI) , which also includes life sciences materials owned by the Rasmuson Library. Together, these libraries serve faculty, staff, and students affiliated with UAF in Fairbanks and rural locations throughout Alaska. One UAF branch campus, the Kuskokwim þƵ at Bethel, also has a joint public/academic library to serve local patrons. In fall 2025, the UAF branch Chukchi þƵ at Kotzebue closed its joint public/academic library, and some important collections were returned to the Rasmuson Library. Access to the UAF libraries’ online collections is available to all remote UAF campuses and UAF library patrons regardless of location, through single sign-on authentication.
The is to “advance the university’s mission through education and the creation, acquisition, curation, preservation and dissemination of information resources.” Library resources and services emphasize Alaska, the circumpolar North, and their diverse peoples. The department forms the largest public collection of Alaska materials, in all formats, in the world. Local, national, and international researchers frequently utilize APRCA’s unique holdings. Collections and reference services are available to the public on-site and through digital delivery as well as interlibrary loan services.
Library facilities. The Rasmuson Library building is open 76 hours a week during the academic year, with reduced hours during semester breaks and summer sessions, and additional hours for special events. The main floor offers a 24-hour secure access study space with student computers, lockers, and vending machines. Quiet and group study spaces are available. Because the availability of electronic library resources has reduced demand for physical copies, the building footprint for physical materials has been gradually reduced in favor of creating student-centered spaces. Lesser-used books and journals are stored in an off-site storage facility, for one-day turnaround retrieval upon automated request. Newly renovated spaces include the UAF Student Success Center on the 6th floor of the library, allowing students quick and convenient access to multiple academic support services such as advising and tutoring, and also ensures their awareness of library resources and services. Brief reference assistance is available by phone, e-mail, and live chat. The library also provides individual in-depth research assistance by appointment to all library patrons, either in-person or virtually.
The Mather Library supports the research of the Geophysical Institute, the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), and the geophysical research community. The Mather Library provides in-person assistance for faculty, researchers, graduate and undergraduate students and the general public, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Mather Library also hosts the current life science materials from the Rasmuson Library, for easy access by patrons located on the west side of campus, where the science units are located. The GI and IARC faculty are permitted after-hours access by ID card swipe.
Library information resources. The libraries contain holdings of more than 1.75 million items and subscribe to approximately 187 databases/online resources for the UAF campuses. These resources are accessible directly through links on the main library website. The libraries also provide curated links to many other free or jointly subscribed resources through our .
The libraries now provide access to subscriptions of more than 70,000+ online serial/journal titles and over 600,000 electronic books. Collection strategies have focused on providing maximum depth and breadth of online content, while ensuring perpetual access to critical research journals where possible. Journals and e-books are heavily used. The Rasmuson Library has extensive special collections and archives, such as rare books and maps, manuscripts, photographs, film, and oral history recordings. The library has technical experts in each collection area, who work to acquire, preserve, and make available these unique content materials. Several digitization projects are on-going, including (mixed media collected and digitized in libraries statewide), the (Rasmuson Library’s historical films of all format types digitized, with some clips accessible through an active ), and , the digital branch of the library’s Oral History Program which integrates themed oral history recordings with associated photographs, maps, and text. At present, the library houses but does not administer the Alaska Native Language Archive (ANLA), a collection of rare recordings of Alaska Native language speakers, as well as printed materials related to linguistics research in Indigenous languages. The provides online access to a wide variety of the physical content available in the library’s special collections. Future efforts will continue to include further digitization of the most in-demand resources. Along with this work, the special collections staff will be working to harmonize the various online access tools for all of these collections to the greatest extent feasible. Efforts are being made to ensure the preservation of original materials through acquiring additional secure, climate-controlled storage as well as improved digital storage and backup services, i.e., digital preservation. Recently all 350 terabytes of digital collection data was successfully backed up to a cloud services vendor off site, ensuring that content is preserved to the most current standards.
Another essential online tool is the library’s institutional repository, . This UA-wide effort includes primarily electronic theses and dissertations, university departmental publications, and scholarly papers published by UAF faculty, students, and researchers. Extensive online access is particularly important for UAF’s rural campuses and remote faculty, staff, and students, who may live in areas without libraries. The libraries’ print collections are made accessible through the library’s digital document delivery and interlibrary loan services. Students, faculty, and staff who do not have direct access to a library or library materials may contact the library’s department for assistance and to facilitate access; a full-time professional faculty librarian oversees this service.
The UAF Libraries joined the Alaska Library Catalog in 2018, making the content of 88 libraries (95% of the library content in the state of Alaska) available to the UAF community with a single hold request system. This catalog also provides access to the UAF libraries’ collections for residents throughout the state, allowing UAF to share and showcase our vast collections. By participating in this statewide catalog, UAF patrons have rapid access to more than three million items.
The libraries participate in statewide collection development through the Alaska Library Network, as well as throughout the libraries of UA. Networkwide subscriptions to electronic resources are negotiated as needed, and as they benefit individual member libraries. In addition to this network of libraries, the three University of Alaska libraries all collaborate to reduce major subscription prices and enhance access for all, as well as sharing professional development opportunities for library employees.
Availability of library resources. Library resources are sufficient to meet the needs of researchers and students, according to feedback on campuswide and selective academic department surveys of library users. In the 2020 survey, users report positive experiences related to access and availability of electronic journals; a complete report is available. Similar assessments have been conducted from 2007-2015, and smaller department-specific surveys have also been done to ensure collections and services are meeting unit needs. The library’s seven professional librarians (each holding MLIS degrees) work with all academic departments to ensure communication about available resources and services. The 2020 LibQUAL survey results were corroborated by a recent campus survey the library administered, in spring 2025. Additional action items were drawn from this survey and will be utilized in our upcoming strategic planning effort.
The library’s collections are managed by a collection development librarian, who oversees the collection budget, allocating funds as needed for journals, databases, books, films, and more. More specialized materials that faculty and researchers require can be obtained through the library’s interlibrary loan services. The library is consistently responsive to patron requests for material purchases, and requests are accepted through an online form, email, or in person.
Qualified personnel. The library is by six faculty librarians, one non-MLIS faculty member (curator of oral history), two professional staff librarians who manage library service departments, and 27 classified staff, for a total of 36 employees plus the director, who is also a degreed professional librarian. The library employs three adjunct faculty librarians who assist in the teaching load of Library Information and Research (). The mix of employee classifications and qualifications highlights the unique work needed for each area of library programs and services. Those units include Collections and Access Services, Research, Instruction and Outreach Services, Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives, Acquisitions and Technical Services, and the library’s IT department. Professional development is supported for all library personnel and is required of library faculty.
Library instruction. The Library Science Department offers multiple sections of Library Information and Research 101 (), a course required for the baccalaureate, associate of arts, and associate of science degrees. Library faculty teach 800-1,000 students in LS 101 per year, providing them with knowledge and skills in information literacy and library research tools. Students may fulfill this requirement by testing out through the or completing the course via classroom or online delivery; both online synchronous or asynchronous courses are available. Some of UAF’s rural campuses also offer this course depending upon available qualified instructors. The course is regularly offered for and tailored to special student populations, such as the Rural Alaska Honors Institute and engineering majors.
Librarians offer , designed around class content and specific assignment requirements, upon request of any faculty member. Additional library instruction or intensive research assistance is available by appointment upon request for individuals and small groups. The English Department collaborates with faculty librarians to incorporate library instruction into its graduate teaching assistant training. Librarians regularly offer informational training sessions through the faculty development office and the Graduate School. Librarians also maintain on all academic subjects offered by UAF, as well as other topics of interest to students and faculty.
Library Planning. The library management team, or “Library Council,” consists of the library director, department heads, and the library science department chair. This group meets biweekly to discuss library issues, resolve problems, stay on top of changes and deadlines, and set priorities for the library’s budget. Meeting minutes are distributed to all library employees via an email listserv, including any action items and/or deadlines.
Planning specifically for library collections and subscribed information resources occurs within two groups. The Collection Management Group (CMG) consists of the head of acquisitions and technical services, the collection development librarian, the accounting technician, and the monographs technician. It meets monthly to track budget items, review procurement requests and reallocate funding as needed throughout the year. The Library Liaisons group meets less frequently, as needed, to discuss outreach strategies and the development of the library’s subject research guides, “.”
The library is currently in the last year of a , during which time the goals laid out have been achieved either partially or fully. Major projects of this plan included the development, construction and opening of a Student Success Center, the successful funding of a climate-controlled space to ensure the preservation of sensitive historical media, an enhanced outreach and social media program, and the consistent practice of regular staff meetings to ensure all employees are engaged. The library’s next strategic planning process is ongoing and includes analysis of trends in other academic libraries, assessment of current services and programs, and scoping and prioritizing new developments.
Other information resources. The University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) supports research, teaching, and community engagement for faculty, students, and the public. With over 2.5 million specimens in fields such as archaeology, ethnology, earth sciences, and biology, the museum facilitates research on Arctic studies, cultural heritage, and natural history. UAMN integrates its collections into educational programs for K–12 and university students, offering hands-on activities, workshops, and internships that enhance learning and professional development. Through community initiatives like Science Potpourri, Educators’ Night, and Open House, as well as collaborations with local schools and organizations, the museum connects the public with scientific research and cultural resources, enriching Alaska’s academic and cultural landscape.
UAF offers a wide array of information and research resources beyond the Rasmuson Library and UAMN, including research institutes, specialized centers, and facilities that support academic, scientific, and community engagement. Prominent research institutes include the Institute of Arctic Biology, which studies high-latitude biological systems; the , focused on Arctic system science and climate change; the , conducting research in geophysics and atmospheric sciences; the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, which operates the Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; the Center for Alaska Native Health Research, partnering with communities on health initiatives; the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, dedicated to energy solutions for Alaska; and , which supports sustainable marine and coastal resource management through research, education, and outreach. UAF also maintains specialized facilities such as the Large Animal Research Station, studying muskoxen, reindeer, and other Arctic wildlife; the Georgeson Botanical Garden, supporting research and education in sub-Arctic horticulture; and the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, operated by UAF’s Kuskokwim þƵ in Bethel, serving as a regional hub celebrating Yup’ik culture through its museum, library, art spaces, and community events. In addition, the Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning program provides year-round credit and noncredit courses, camps, and outreach opportunities that serve students, professionals, and community members of all ages through flexible academic, enrichment, and lifelong learning experiences. Together, these resources complement the museum and library, creating a robust infrastructure that advances research, enhances education, and fosters community engagement across diverse disciplines across UAF campuses and throughout Alaska.