Libraries of Alaska, some old and some new, repositories of early settelers and native cultures

		Wasilla City Library as it was before statehood. Before statehood Alaska received gifts of old books from the government and people in the lower forty-eight. There are still libraries similar to this one in bush Alaska, however after 1972 income from Cook Inlet oil made it possible to build and staff new libraries without collecting State Income Taxes. This photo is not dated but it appears to be thirty or more years old.
		Photograph of the Juneau Courthouse and Library 1909. The photo came from several albums of old photographs prepared by Alaska Division of State Libraries and Museums from the Alaska Historical Library photograph collection and funded by the Federal Government in 1966. Those albums share the information and stimulate interest to study local history, and satisfy historical researchers. See More: http://www.library.state.ak.us/hist/cent/pca020.html
		Anchorage Municipal Library was built in the late 1980's to replace Loussac Library which had since the 1964 earthquake occupied a building on 5th Avenue downtown. I worked Security at Loussac Library and when the librarian culled obsolete books from the stacks, she gave them to me for disposal. I gave some to day care and youth centers and some to St. Vincent's de Paul, but math and science and computer books I kept.
		Enter the front door and you know the building is something special, lighted by glass ceiling wall to wall, comfortable and impressive. To the left is balcony #1 which occupies 1/2 of the second floor and serves to store overflow of books from the stacks on the main floor. Nearly out of sight above balcony #1 is the partially enclosed third balcony. That is the jewel of the library because is the repository of museum type displays and cultural samples of native artifacts.
		Very old photograph of the first Alaska State Library located at State Capitol Juneau, Alaska.

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