Skagway Public Library
🏢 Municipality of Skagway Borough · Skagway, Alaska
Skagway Public Library
Opened by 55 local women in 1920 in the heart of America's last great Gold Rush boomtown, the Skagway Public Library is the community's year-round anchor — offering free Wi-Fi, instrument lending, U.S. passport acceptance and statewide Alaska digital resources at the northern end of the Alaska Marine Highway.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 11am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 11am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 11am–7pm |
| Thursday | 11am–7pm |
| Friday | 11am–6pm |
| Saturday | 12pm–5pm |
| Sunday | 12pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 703 State Street, Skagway, AK 99840
Phone: (907) 983-2665
Website: skagwaylibrary.com
Plus Code: 94F6FM5P+2H (Skagway, 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 Skagway Public Library
The Skagway Public Library has served this historic Gold Rush gateway community since 1920, when 55 local women founded a Literary and Social Club on August 26 of that year and began collecting books for public use. The library occupied several locations — including a room in the Women's Club building on Fifth Avenue — before a new structure was built in 1980 at its current State Street address. A major expansion in 1990 added the main reading room, a meeting space and an upstairs reading area; a 2013 renovation enlarged the facility with a south reading room, young adult section, conference room and expanded children's area. Today four librarians operate the library, which stands on traditional Chilkoot Tlingit territory within Skagway's National Historic Landmark district. With only about 1,200 year-round residents and the nearest public library accessible only by ferry or floatplane, the Skagway Public Library is an indispensable resource for one of Southeast Alaska's most remote communities.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded August 26, 1920 by 55 women who formed Skagway's Literary and Social Club — celebrating its centennial in 2020
- Current building erected 1980, with major expansions in 1990 (main room, meeting space) and 2013 (south reading room, YA section, conference room, enlarged children's area)
- Official U.S. passport acceptance agent for DS-11 applications (new/first-time passports) by appointment Tuesday–Friday
- Library of Things: borrow musical instruments, sewing machines, STEM kits, Legos, electronics, board games and puzzles
- Located on traditional Chilkoot Tlingit territory within Skagway's National Historic Landmark district, one block from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park corridor
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Skagway cardholders read, stream and research free through Alaska's shared digital collections:
📚 Services
- Free public Wi-Fi and public computers
- Print, copy and scan services
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
- Passport acceptance agent for DS-11 applications (new/first-time), by appointment Tue–Fri 8 AM–3 PM
- Library of Things: musical instruments, sewing machines, STEM kits, Legos, electronics, DVDs, board games & puzzles
- Meeting room available to the public
- Newspaper and magazine access
🎸 Programs
- Story Time — Wednesdays at 11:00–11:30 AM and the third Saturday morning of each month
- Late Night Library — Fridays 6:00–7:30 PM for pre-teens and teens (crafts, game nights, pizza-making)
- Lego Club — drop-in building sessions for youth
- Book Club — meets monthly September through May
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southeast Alaska
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the library offer passport services, and why is that especially useful in Skagway?
Yes — the library is an official U.S. passport acceptance agent for DS-11 applications (new passports and first-time applicants), by appointment Tuesday through Friday between 8 AM and 3 PM. This service is particularly meaningful in Skagway because residents frequently cross into Canada's Yukon Territory via the South Klondike Highway — the same route Gold Rush stampeders used over White Pass starting in 1898.
Is the Skagway Public Library the only public library accessible without a long journey?
Yes — Skagway is one of the most isolated public-library communities in the U.S. The nearest public library is in Haines, AK, roughly 15 miles away by air or water but about 350 miles by road via Canada. Juneau's library system is about 84 miles south, accessible only by ferry or floatplane. The library's robust digital resources — Alaska Digital Library, SLED databases, Kanopy and LinkedIn Learning — are especially valuable given this geographic isolation.
How did the Skagway Public Library start?
The library was founded on August 26, 1920, when 55 local women established a Literary and Social Club and began collecting books for public use. It occupied several locations — including a room in the Women's Club building on Fifth Avenue — before a permanent building was constructed in 1980 at 703 State Street. Major expansions in 1990 and 2013 brought it to its current footprint.
What can I borrow from the Library of Things?
The Library of Things at Skagway Public Library lets you check out musical instruments, sewing machines, STEM kits, Lego sets, electronics, DVDs and Blu-rays, board games and puzzles — all free with your library card. It's one of the few places in the community to access these items without a long trip out of the borough.
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