Juneau Public Library
🏢 City and Borough of Juneau Libraries · Juneau, Alaska
Juneau Public Library
Perched on the fourth floor of a harbor-front parking garage with panoramic views of Gastineau Channel, the Juneau Public Library is Alaska's capital city's living room — an 18,000-square-foot light-filled space where Southeast Alaska history, 3D printing, a Crystal Worl mural, and statewide digital resources meet under one waterfront roof.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 12pm–6pm |
| Saturday | 12pm–5pm |
| Sunday | 12pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 292 Marine Way, Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 586-5249
Website: juneau.org
Plus Code: 94C77HXW+8F (Juneau, 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 Juneau Public Library
The Juneau Public Library system traces its roots to 1916, but the current Downtown Branch has occupied its striking harbor setting since January 1989, when local firm Minch Ritter Forrest Architects designed an 18,000-square-foot library atop the Marine Parking Garage on the Gastineau Channel waterfront, at a cost of $3.8 million. The building replaced the 1951 Juneau Memorial Library — the first purpose-built library in Alaska, now the Juneau-Douglas City Museum — which had outgrown its space after four decades. A new landmark appeared on the building's south wall in 2021: a 60-by-25-foot Tlingit formline mural by Tlingit and Athabascan artist Crystal Worl, honoring civil rights leader Elizabeth Kaaxgal.aat Peratrovich, whose advocacy led to Alaska's 1945 Anti-Discrimination Act — the first such law in the United States. The adjacent waterfront space was officially named Peratrovich Plaza by the City and Borough Assembly in February 2022. The system belongs to the Alaska Library Catalog, a consortium of 87 libraries sharing 3.2 million items statewide, and also operates the Valley Branch (3025 Dimond Park Loop) and the Douglas Branch (1016 3rd Street, Douglas).
⭐ What makes this library special
- Harbor-view reading room: the 1989 Downtown Branch occupies the fourth floor of the Marine Parking Garage with floor-to-ceiling glass and a balcony overlooking Gastineau Channel
- 60×25-foot Tlingit formline mural by Crystal Worl (2021) on the building's south wall, honoring civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich; the adjacent plaza is named Peratrovich Plaza (2022)
- Alaska Library Catalog membership: access to 3.2 million shared items across 87 Alaska libraries on a single card
- 3D printing service open to cardholders age 13+ using an Ultimaker 3 printer with Tough PLA filament ($0.07/gram)
- 117,761 volumes with 193,595 annual circulations — the busiest public library system in Southeast Alaska
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Juneau cardholders borrow, stream, and research free through Alaska's shared digital collections:
📚 Services
- Free public Wi-Fi and public computers (2 hrs/day with card, 1 hr for guest pass)
- Printing (25¢/page B&W, 50¢/page color), scanning (free to USB), and copying
- 3D printing with Ultimaker 3 (ages 13+, $0.07/gram Tough PLA; Downtown Branch pickup)
- Meeting rooms at all three branches — free for non-commercial public use (Valley Large seats 60, Douglas seats 42)
- Interlibrary loan — borrow from libraries statewide and nationally
- Test proctoring (email proctor@juneau.org)
- Library cards for Alaska residents, visitors staying 28+ days, and cruise ship crew
- Laptop lending (library card and photo ID required, first-come basis)
- Videoconferencing equipment in meeting rooms
🎸 Programs
- Summer Reading Program (all ages, June–July) — 2026 theme: 'Plant a Seed, Read!'
- Rock Around the Blocks — regular children's program at the Downtown Branch
- Storytime Plus Creative Time — ages 3–7, Thursdays 11am at Douglas Branch; Fridays 11am at Valley Branch
- Annual Bookmark Contest — youth art contest open to young library patrons
- Friends of JPL events: Walk to the Library, Portable Planetarium, play-reading book club
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southeast Alaska
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the Downtown Library — is it really inside a parking garage?
Yes — the Downtown Juneau Public Library occupies the entire fourth floor of the Marine Parking Garage at 292 Marine Way on the Gastineau Channel waterfront. It opened in January 1989, designed by local firm Minch Ritter Forrest Architects at a cost of $3.8 million. The result is a light-filled reading room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a harbor-view balcony, with free public parking for library visitors on the floors below.
What is the mural on the outside of the Downtown Library building?
The south wall of the Marine Parking Garage features a 60-by-25-foot Tlingit formline mural created by Tlingit and Athabascan artist Crystal Worl, installed in 2021. It honors Elizabeth Kaaxgal.aat Peratrovich, a Tlingit civil rights leader whose advocacy helped pass Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945 — the first anti-discrimination law enacted in the United States. The waterfront plaza below the mural was officially named Peratrovich Plaza by the City and Borough Assembly in February 2022.
Can I get a Juneau library card if I'm visiting or passing through on a cruise?
Yes. Juneau Public Libraries issue cards to all Alaska residents with a valid ID, to visitors planning to stay 28 or more days, and to cruise ship crew members — each with slightly different borrowing privileges. Stop by any of the three branches (Downtown at 292 Marine Way, Valley at 3025 Dimond Park Loop, or Douglas at 1016 3rd Street) to sign up at no charge.
What 3D printing options does the Juneau Public Library offer?
The Downtown Branch offers 3D printing on an Ultimaker 3 printer using Tough PLA filament for cardholders age 13 and up. The cost is $0.07 per gram of material used. Submit your file through the library's request page at juneau.org/library/3d-printing and pick up the finished print at the Downtown Branch.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.