Tok Community Library
🏢 Tok Community Library Association · Tok, Alaska
Tok Community Library
The Tok Community Library sits at the gateway to Interior Alaska — inside the landmark log Visitors Center where the Alaska Highway meets the Glenn Highway — offering books, free Wi-Fi, and Alaska's full digital library to Upper Tanana Valley residents and Alaska Highway road-trippers alike.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 12pm–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: Mile 1314 Alaska Highway, Tok, AK 99780
Phone: (907) 883-5623
Website: tokak.us
Plus Code: 93MV82P7+HJ (Tok, 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 Tok Community Library
The Tok Community Library is a wholly volunteer-run public library serving Tok, Tanacross, and the wider Upper Tanana Valley from inside the historic log-beam Tok Mainstreet Visitors Center building at Mile 1314 of the Alaska Highway. Founded in the early 1950s by local women who persuaded the Alaska Department of Highways to donate a small office — and who built the initial collection by requiring every new borrower to donate four books — the Tok Community Library Association was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1955. Today it holds more than 8,000 circulating items and is the only public library for roughly 100 miles in any direction. Because Tok has no borough government, the library receives no local tax revenue, relying entirely on state grants, community donations, and Alaska's Pick.Click.Give program to cover the high fuel, electricity, and internet costs of operating in one of North America's coldest year-round communities. Free computers, Wi-Fi, and statewide digital resources are available to both residents and the thousands of Alaska Highway travelers who pass through Tok every summer.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Only public library within roughly 100 miles of Tok, serving the entire Upper Tanana Valley including Tanacross and Dot Lake communities
- Housed inside the Tok Mainstreet Visitors Center at Mile 1314 of the historic Alaska Highway, where the Alaska Highway meets the Glenn Highway
- Run entirely by volunteers since its founding in the early 1950s — one of Alaska's longest-running all-volunteer public libraries
- Free computers and Wi-Fi available to patrons and summer Alaska Highway travelers passing through Tok
- Incorporated as a nonprofit in 1955 and sustained by community donations and state grants; the association has purchased land and is fundraising for a larger permanent building
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Tok Community Library patrons can access Alaska's statewide digital resources from any device:
📚 Services
- Book, audiobook, and DVD checkout (8,000+ items)
- Free public computers with internet access
- Free Wi-Fi for patrons and Alaska Highway visitors
- Interlibrary loan (ILL) via Alaska State Library network
- SLED database access (statewide electronic resources)
- Reference assistance
- Printing and copying (verify availability when visiting)
🎸 Programs
- Children's reading program
- Summer Reading Program (participates in Alaska State Library statewide program)
- Community volunteer opportunities to help run library operations
- Alaska OWL Program — state-funded high-speed internet and videoconferencing access
📍 Nearby Libraries in Interior Alaska
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Tok Community Library free to use?
Yes. The library provides free borrowing, free computer and Wi-Fi access, and free SLED database access to all patrons. Because Tok has no borough government, the library depends entirely on state grants and community donations rather than local taxes, so there are no resident-card fees.
Can Alaska Highway travelers use the library?
Absolutely. The library specifically serves out-of-town visitors, including the many travelers who pass through Tok each summer on the Alaska Highway. Free Wi-Fi and computer access are available inside the Visitors Center building during all open hours — a welcome stop at the junction of the Alaska Highway and Glenn Highway.
How do I borrow books if I don't find what I need on the shelves?
The library participates in Alaska's interlibrary loan network. Ask a volunteer for help requesting a title from another Alaska library; the Alaska State Library's statewide ILL and reference backup service supports small rural libraries like Tok at no cost to patrons.
Why does a rural library in Tok have no local government funding?
Tok is an unincorporated community with no borough government, so the library cannot collect property or sales taxes to fund operations. The Tok Community Library Association — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 1955 — relies entirely on Alaska Public Library Assistance grants (roughly $7,000/year), individual donations, and Alaska's Pick.Click.Give program. The association has purchased land for a larger facility and is actively fundraising for construction.
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