With the start of the semester, the Consortium Library returned to our normal academic year hours: 8am-8pm Mondays-Fridays and 10am-8pm Saturdays-Sundays, with “after hours” for UAA and APU students, Sundays-Thursdays 8pm-12am.

Over the summer we completed shifting the Library’s print collections, both books and journals, with the majority now consolidated the on the second floor.  The temporary shelving is being removed, and we’ll have a return of more open study space while retaining a more complete browsable print collection.  Thanks to Library faculty and staff, especially those in our Access Services department for their work in the moves.

Construction of the Alaska Leaders Archive and new North entrance to the Library continues and will wrap up later this fall. We appreciate everyone’s patience during construction, and we look forward to the opening of the new North Entrance with its new look. The Alaska Leaders Archive will provide opportunity to promote the history of Alaskan leadership, access to archival content for curricula and research projects, and will include a new leadership institute, which is currently taking shape.

Some highlights from this past year included:

• Creating new information resources, including a guide and workshop on AI;
• Migrating the ScholarWorks@UA institutional repository platform;
• The Alaska Medical Library’s NLM grant with outreach to rural communities was extended;
• Our metadata unit received a UA 2026 Arctic Engagement Award for developing Indigenous-led vocabulary for Alaska library catalog systems;
• We created a new strategic plan for the Consortium Library which will help us focus our efforts and resources to best meet the needs of the UAA community and Alaska; and
• As part of UAA’s reaccreditation, we received a commendation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) for “The exemplary work being done through the Consortium Library. The library faculty and staff demonstrate outstanding commitment in providing support at all levels of the University of Alaska Anchorage community, as well as to neighboring institutions and the broader Anchorage library system.”

The faculty and staff of the UAA/APU Consortium Library are here to help assist you with your information needs as we all seek to ensure student success.

With the construction of the Alaska Leaders Archive, scheduled for completion Fall 2026, the Library needed to re-evaluate our existing space and move some of our existing collections. Working with UAA Facilities, Library faculty and staff developed and implemented a plan, adding some shelving and condensing the General Collection on existing shelves, that enabled us to keep the print collection and print journals onsite rather than moving them temporarily to an offsite location. Doing so has allowed continued access to the collection and makes for quicker access for Inter-Library Loan retrievals.

In addition, the construction project is updating some of the building’s mechanical systems, while the shifting of collections has allowed us to assess our space, rearrange some furnishings, and modify study areas. As we continue shifting, we will seek to make the best use of our spaces to meet the current and future needs of our learning community.

If you need assistance locating materials, please see someone at the circulation or reference desks or contact AskUs https://ask.consortiumlibrary.org

The Alaska Leaders Archive will preserve and make accessible the legacy of those who have served Alaska and its people and will showcase historical collections and promote civic education, allowing Alaskans and others a unique opportunity to engage with the history that created the state we know today, while inspiring future Alaskan leaders (https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/about/administration/office-of-the-chancellor/alaska-leaders-archive.cshtml ). Along with our existing Archives & Special Collections, “Alaska Collection”, and other resources and services, it helps further our mission of promoting Alaska’s cultural heritage.