Haines Borough Public Library
🏢 Haines Borough · Haines, Alaska
Haines Borough Public Library
Named the Best Small Library in America by Library Journal and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2005, the Haines Borough Public Library has served Southeast Alaska's Lynn Canal community from its beloved community-funded building since 2003.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Saturday | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM |
| Sunday | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 111 THIRD AVENUE SOUTH, HAINES, AK 99827
Phone: +1-907-766-6420
Website: haineslibrary.org
Plus Code: 94F66HM2+MV (HAINES, 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 Haines Borough Public Library
The Haines Borough Public Library traces its roots to 1927, when the local Women's Club established a lending collection in a 12x12 coal shack at the foot of Main Street on the harbor. Volunteers moved and expanded the facility twice over the following decades before constructing a dedicated building on Third Avenue South in 1957. Community fundraising drove creation of a modern 4,600-square-foot facility that opened in 2003 — earning a Library Journal feature calling it 'The Library Haines Built.' The library was designated a Library Journal Star Library every year since that award began in 2009, and in 2015 was a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. In partnership with the Chilkoot Indian Association since 2001, the library has developed award-winning Lḵoot Tlingit cultural and educational programs, including a digital Storyboard resource that won national recognition.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Named Best Small Library in America by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Library Journal (2005)
- Library Journal Star Library designation every year since the award began in 2009
- Lḵoot–Jilkaat Tlingit Storyboard — award-winning digital cultural resource built with the Chilkoot Indian Association since 2001
- Free public internet access through SEAKnet (Southeast Alaska Network) since 1996 — among Alaska's earliest community Wi-Fi providers
- 2015 finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your Haines library card unlocks free digital resources available to all Alaska residents:
📚 Services
- Book, audiobook & media lending
- eBooks & digital audiobooks (Alaska Digital Library / OverDrive)
- Public computers & Wi-Fi
- Map printing
- Interlibrary loan
- Discovery Kits (take-home activity bags for children)
- Reference & reader's advisory
🎸 Programs
- Storytime & Piano Time for young children
- Nature Walks (seasonal outdoor programming for kids)
- Summer Reading Program (all ages)
- Teen programming
- AK 101 — local history and Alaska culture lecture series
- Armchair Traveler Series — travel presentations by community members
- Exploring Horizons — adult enrichment lecture series
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southeast Alaska
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story behind 'The Library Haines Built'?
When Haines needed a new library in the early 2000s, the Borough provided the land but residents raised the construction funds themselves. The community-wide capital campaign drew contributions from individuals, businesses, and supporters across Alaska to build the 4,600-square-foot facility that opened in 2003. Library Journal featured the effort under the headline 'The Library Haines Built,' celebrating how a town of roughly 2,500 people created a first-class library through grassroots fundraising.
What is the Lḵoot Tlingit Storyboard?
The Storyboard is an interactive digital resource developed by the library in partnership with the Chilkoot Indian Association beginning in 2001. It preserves and teaches Tlingit language, oral history, and cultural traditions connected to the Haines and Chilkat Valley region. A display built from the project won second place in the History Channel's 'America: The Story of Us' national contest in 2012.
Can visitors or non-borough residents get a Haines library card?
Yes. The library offers cards to Alaska residents from outside Haines Borough and to seasonal visitors. Contact the library at (907) 766-6420 or stop in at 111 Third Avenue South to discuss card eligibility and any applicable fees for non-borough residents.
Is the library open on weekends?
Yes — the Haines Borough Public Library is open both Saturday and Sunday, from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Weekday hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Friday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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