Copper Valley Community Library
🏢 Volunteer-Run Community Library · Glennallen, Alaska
Copper Valley Community Library
At the crossroads of the Glenn and Richardson Highways, the Copper Valley Community Library is the only public library in Alaska's remote interior Copper River region — kept alive entirely by volunteers since 1962, holding more than 22,000 volumes for communities spanning thousands of square miles of subarctic wilderness.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 1pm–6pm |
| Wednesday | 1pm–4pm |
| Thursday | 1pm–4pm |
| Friday | 1pm–6pm |
| Saturday | 1pm–6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: Mile 186 Glenn Highway, Glennallen, AK 99588
Phone: (907) 822-5427
Website: coppervalleylibrary.org
Plus Code: 93JP4C6V+2J (Glennallen, 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 Copper Valley Community Library
The Copper Valley Community Library has served the Glennallen area since 1962, when community volunteers first assembled a collection near the junction of the Glenn and Richardson Highways. A purpose-built building followed in 1976, replacing an earlier space in a log cabin that traces its roots to a structure built around 1941. Organized as a nonprofit association — the Copper Valley Community Library Association (EIN 92-6010355) — the library has zero paid staff: every person who shelves books, staffs the desk, or leads Story Time is a volunteer. It is the only public library in the Copper River Census Area, a vast interior Alaska region centered at Glennallen, and holds more than 22,000 volumes with roughly 11,700 circulations per year for a registered borrower base of under 500. Like many remote Alaska libraries, it closes whenever the temperature reaches −30°F at noon as reported by local radio station KCAM.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Entirely volunteer-run nonprofit — zero paid staff — serving the only public library in the Copper River Census Area since 1962
- More than 22,000 volumes with roughly 11,700 annual circulations for a registered borrower base of under 500
- Free public Wi-Fi and two public internet computers — critical connectivity in a region of limited broadband
- Closes at −30°F per KCAM radio report — a safety policy reflecting genuine interior Alaskan winters
- Loans Lego Robotics kits for patron use alongside a traditional book and audiovisual collection
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Copper Valley cardholders access Alaska's statewide digital resources at no cost:
📚 Services
- Book, audiovisual (353 audio items, 1,730 video items), and magazine lending
- Two public internet computers (by reservation)
- Free public Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan through the Alaska Library Network
- Lego Robotics kit lending
- Curbside pickup during open hours — call ahead
- Book purchase suggestions accepted
- Volunteer opportunities — community members welcome to apply
🎸 Programs
- Story Time — Wednesdays at 1:00pm (weekly)
- Family Book Club — ongoing community reading group
- Library Board Meetings — 3rd Wednesday of each month, 11:00am via teleconference (open to the public)
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Copper River Valley
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Copper Valley Community Library open on weekends?
Yes — the library is open Saturday from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and is closed all day Sunday. It is also closed on Mondays. Tuesday and Friday are the longest weekday hours (1:00–6:00pm), while Wednesday and Thursday close earlier at 4:00pm.
Who runs the Copper Valley Community Library?
The library is run entirely by volunteers, organized as the Copper Valley Community Library Association (EIN 92-6010355) — a registered nonprofit. There are no paid staff positions. The volunteer board meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 11:00am via teleconference, and new volunteers are always welcome.
Does the library ever close unexpectedly?
Yes. The library closes whenever the temperature reaches −30°F at noon, as reported by local radio station KCAM (AM 790). Visitors traveling from outside the region should call ahead at (907) 822-5427 during cold snaps to confirm the library is open.
Can I access eBooks or digital resources from home with a Copper Valley library card?
Yes. Cardholders can borrow from the Alaska Digital Library (48,000+ eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines via the Libby app) and access SLED — the Alaska State Library's statewide database portal covering magazines, homework help, health databases, and more — all free from any internet-connected device.
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