Kenai Community Library
🏢 City of Kenai · Kenai, Alaska
Kenai Community Library
The Kenai Community Library has served the City of Kenai since 1949 — founded by a schoolteacher with support from the Kenai Woman's Club — and now operates from a 20,000-square-foot facility at 163 Main Street Loop that holds over 77,000 items and provides access to 3 million statewide titles.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 163 MAIN STREET LOOP, KENAI, AK 99611
Phone: +1-907-283-4378
Website: kenai.city
Plus Code: 93GCHQ52+VH (KENAI, 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 Kenai Community Library
The Kenai Community Library traces its origins to 1949, when teacher Jetret 'Jettie' Stryker Petersen established a small lending collection on shelves in the hallway of the Alaska Territorial School Building with the support of the Kenai Woman's Club and the Kenai Civic League. The library moved to the Civic League Building in Old Town Kenai in 1955, was formally designated a Public Library in 1958, and began year-round operations in 1963 before the City Council assumed governance in 1972. A dedicated building opened at 163 Main Street Loop on November 21, 1976, and a 5,000-square-foot addition followed in 1986. In 2010 the library broke ground on a major expansion, completing a 20,000-square-foot facility that now houses over 77,000 physical items, study rooms, a 'Library of Things,' and a full suite of digital resources. The library provides access to 3 million titles statewide through interlibrary loan and digital lending.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded in 1949 by teacher Jettie Petersen with the Kenai Woman's Club — one of Alaska's oldest continuously operating public libraries
- Current 20,000-square-foot facility completed in 2010, holding more than 77,000 physical items
- Access to 3 million titles statewide through interlibrary loan and digital lending
- Library of Things: borrow tools, craft kits, and nontraditional items alongside books and media
- Study room reservations, proctoring services, fax/scan, and personal librarian assistance available
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your Kenai library card unlocks free digital resources and statewide Alaska databases:
📚 Services
- Book, audiobook & media lending (77,000+ items)
- eBooks & digital audiobooks (Alaska Digital Library / OverDrive)
- Library of Things (tools, craft kits, and more)
- Study room reservations
- Printing, faxing & scanning
- Hold lockers for contactless pickup
- Proctoring services
- Personal librarian assistance
- Interlibrary loan
- Class visits for educators
🎸 Programs
- Arts & crafts workshops
- STEAM / STEM programs
- Book clubs
- Gaming events
- Storytelling sessions
- Author visits
- Gardening lectures
- Reading dog sessions
- Writers' support group
📍 Nearby Libraries on the Kenai Peninsula
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kenai Community Library first open?
The library was founded in 1949 by teacher Jetret 'Jettie' Stryker Petersen, who organized a small lending collection in the hallway of the Alaska Territorial School Building with support from the Kenai Woman's Club and Kenai Civic League. Joyce K. Carver served as the first librarian. The library grew steadily over the following decades, moving to a dedicated building at 163 Main Street Loop in 1976 and expanding to its current 20,000-square-foot facility in 2010.
What is the Library of Things at Kenai Community Library?
The Library of Things is a collection of nontraditional borrowable items alongside books and media — including tools, craft kits, and other practical items. It functions like a traditional library loan: check out what you need, use it, and return it. Ask a librarian for the current catalog of available items.
Does the Kenai Community Library offer study rooms?
Yes. The library has study rooms available for reservation during open hours. No library card is required to book a study room. Reserve online through the library's calendar at kenai.librarycalendar.com or call (907) 283-4378.
Is the library open on Sundays?
Yes, but with limited hours. Sunday hours are 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, available from Labor Day through Memorial Day (roughly September through May). The library is closed on Sundays during the summer months. Monday through Thursday the library is open 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
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