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51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø photo by Leif Van Cise

 

The is Alaska’s largest, with more than 1.2 million items, including books, periodicals, films, sound recordings, microforms, government documents, maps, manuscripts and archival materials, as well as electronic access to more than 20 million titles worldwide. The Rasmuson Library has one of the world’s finest materials, including books, periodicals, photography, manuscripts, films, oral histories, rare books and maps. The collections are centered on Alaska but include many items about the circumpolar North and Antarctica.

In 2024, the Student Success Center opened on the library's sixth floor. There, students can find tutors and advisors in one location. Testing services also are housed there, along with the math lab and the writing and speaking centers. The new layout features modern finishes and furniture. A family study room serves students with children. Several concrete panels on the exterior walls were replaced with large windows.

Elmer E. Rasmuson was born in Yakutat, Alaska, in 1909. He graduated from Harvard University in 1930. Rasmuson returned to Alaska in 1943 as president of the National Bank of Alaska, the first statewide banking system in Alaska. Active in public affairs, Rasmuson was mayor of Anchorage, chairman of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. and a member of the University of Alaska from 1950-1969.