Thorne Bay Public Library
🏢 City of Thorne Bay · Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Thorne Bay Public Library
Born from a community fundraising drive that spanned bake sales and barge deliveries to Prince of Wales Island, the Thorne Bay Public Library is a volunteer-powered gathering place where neighbors share books, stream the world, and keep the lights on together in a purpose-built home that opened in June 2022.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–2pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 12pm–3pm |
| Thursday | 6pm–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–2pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 120 Freeman Dr, Thorne Bay, AK 99919
Phone: (907) 519-7397
Website: thornebaylibrary.wixsite.com
Plus Code: 9479MFQG+59 (Thorne Bay, AK)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Thorne Bay Public Library
Thorne Bay Public Library serves the roughly 476 residents of Thorne Bay on the eastern shore of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. The library traces its origins to a volunteer-led effort begun in 1999 — when Thorne Bay had no library at all and books were mailed from the Alaska State Library in Juneau — and formally opened in 2001 in a former Ketchikan Pulp Company office. After years in a cramped repurposed trailer, the community raised $160,000 through bake sales, auctions, and community campaigns; the Rasmuson Foundation covered the remaining shortfall and shipping costs for a purpose-built modular building that arrived by barge in October 2021 and opened to the public in June 2022. Today the library is entirely volunteer-run, offering free public internet, a dedicated Alaskana collection, a children's section with a community garden, and access to the Alaska Digital Library for digital borrowing — all with no municipal tax support.
⭐ What makes this library special
- New purpose-built library building opened June 2022, funded entirely by $160,000 in community fundraising and a Rasmuson Foundation grant — no public debt incurred
- Entirely volunteer-run: more than a dozen regular volunteers staff the circulation desk, making community ownership of the library literal as well as civic
- Dedicated Alaskana Room housing a curated collection of Alaska-specific literature, history, and reference materials — a rarity for a library of this size
- Community children's garden with ten sponsored planting beds, teaching Prince of Wales Island youth about sustainable Alaskan food growing
- 24-hour free public Wi-Fi available to patrons, a critical resource in a remote island community where home internet access is limited
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Thorne Bay cardholders can borrow digitally and research free through Alaska's statewide programs:
📚 Services
- Free public internet access (Wi-Fi and public computers)
- Printing and photocopying (25¢ per black-and-white page)
- Interlibrary loan — materials not held locally can be ordered from partner libraries
- Checkout of books, movies, audiobooks, magazines, CDs, and board games
- Renewals by phone or in person
- Meeting room available for community reservation
- Laptops available for patron use
- Access to Alaska Digital Library (eBooks/audiobooks via Libby/OverDrive)
- 24-hour outdoor Wi-Fi access
🎸 Programs
- Early Literacy Program — last Friday of every month for children birth to 5, featuring stories, crafts, and family activities
- OWL (Online With Libraries) videoconferencing classes — free Zoom-based programs and workshops via the Alaska State Library OWL program
- Summer Reading Program
- Children's Garden — ten sponsored raised beds teaching youth about sustainable Alaskan food growing
- Community events including murder-mystery scavenger hunts and short story nights
- Volunteer Program — open to all community members; weekend shifts, program leaders, and gardeners welcomed
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southeast Alaska
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How was the Thorne Bay Public Library's new building paid for?
The Thorne Bay community raised $160,000 through bake sales, auctions, raffles, and donation campaigns over several years. When construction quotes came in well over budget, the Rasmuson Foundation covered the shortfall and the barge shipping costs for the modular building, which arrived on Prince of Wales Island in October 2021. The library opened in its new home in June 2022, carrying no public debt.
Is the Thorne Bay Public Library open on weekends?
No. The library is currently closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Because it is entirely volunteer-run, hours are limited to Monday and Friday 10 AM–2 PM, Wednesday 12–3 PM, and Thursday 6–8 PM. Hours may change with volunteer availability — call (907) 519-7397 or check the website before visiting.
Can I access the internet at the library even when it is closed?
Yes. The library provides 24-hour free public Wi-Fi, so you can connect from outside the building even outside staffed hours — important for a remote community where home broadband can be unreliable.
Do I need to live in Thorne Bay to use the library?
The library serves the broader Prince of Wales Island community. Contact the library at (907) 519-7397 or library@thornebay-ak.gov to ask about card eligibility if you live outside city limits. As an Alaska State Library OWL program participant, the library also extends free SLED database access to all Alaska residents regardless of location.
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