Valdez Consortium Library
🏢 City of Valdez & Prince William Sound College · Valdez, Alaska
Valdez Consortium Library
The Valdez Consortium Library is a rare joint public-and-college library, partnering the City of Valdez with Prince William Sound College to deliver a single unified collection and shared space to all community members — situated in one of North America's snowiest cities and the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–7pm |
| Thursday | 10am–7pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 12pm–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 212 FAIRBANKS DRIVE, VALDEZ, AK 99686
Phone: (907) 835-4632
Website: pwsc.alaska.edu
Plus Code: 93HM4JHW+W6 (VALDEZ, AK)
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📖 About Valdez Consortium Library
The Valdez Consortium Library is jointly operated by the City of Valdez and Prince William Sound College (PWSC), a campus of the University of Alaska system, offering a combined public and academic collection to Valdez residents, students, and visitors at 212 Fairbanks Drive. Valdez itself carries one of the most dramatic histories of any Alaskan city: the original townsite was destroyed by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake — the most powerful ever recorded in North America — when soil liquefaction caused the freight dock to collapse into the sea, killing 32 people. The Army Corps of Engineers relocated the entire city four miles to stable ground, transporting 54 structures to the new location. By the 1970s Valdez had transformed again, becoming the ice-free southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), through which North Slope crude oil has flowed since 1977. The library serves this resilient community of roughly 4,000 residents with access to over one million catalogued items across South Central Alaska, plus interlibrary loan, language learning tools, and Listen Alaska audiobooks.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Joint public-and-college library shared by the City of Valdez and Prince William Sound College
- Access to over 1 million catalogued items across the South Central Alaska library consortium
- Valdez is the ice-free southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (operational since 1977)
- The original city was destroyed in the 1964 Good Friday earthquake and fully relocated four miles
- Recognized as the snowiest city in the United States, averaging more than 300 inches of snow per year
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Valdez cardholders access digital books, audiobooks, language learning, and research databases free through the consortium and Alaska's statewide programs:
📚 Services
- Free public library card
- Access to over 1 million items via the South Central Alaska consortium catalog
- Interlibrary loan (consortium-wide)
- eBooks and audiobooks via Listen Alaska / Alaska Digital Library
- Mango Languages (online language learning)
- Research help and librarian assistance
- Public computers and internet access
🎸 Programs
- Research assistance and library instruction
- Community programs and events
- College-community joint programming
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southcentral Alaska
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Valdez Consortium Library open to the general public or only college students?
The Valdez Consortium Library is fully open to the general public. It is a joint facility operated by both the City of Valdez and Prince William Sound College, meaning residents, visitors, and PWSC students all use the same library, collection, and catalog. Community members can obtain a free library card and access all materials and digital resources.
How was Valdez affected by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake?
The 1964 Good Friday earthquake (magnitude 9.2 — the most powerful recorded in North America) caused catastrophic damage to Valdez through soil liquefaction. The freight dock collapsed into the sea, killing 32 people. The Army Corps of Engineers subsequently relocated the entire townsite four miles to more stable ground, transporting 54 structures to the new location. The rebuilt city is where Valdez stands today.
What is Valdez's connection to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline?
Valdez is the ice-free southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), through which crude oil from Alaska's North Slope has flowed since 1977. The pipeline runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez Marine Terminal, where oil is loaded onto tankers. The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill occurred as a tanker departed the terminal, though the oil itself did not reach the city of Valdez.
Can I access eBooks and digital resources from the Valdez Consortium Library?
Yes — Valdez cardholders have access to the Alaska Digital Library (eBooks and audiobooks via Libby/OverDrive), Mango Languages for online language learning, and SLED (Statewide Library Electronic Doorway) databases including Oxford Reference, NoveList, Consumer Health Complete, and Alaska's Digital Archives. All digital resources are free with a library card and available 24/7 on any device.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.