News archives 2010-2021

New library catalog is up and running

July 11, 2018

University Relations

The Rasmuson Library and the Geophysical Institute's Mather Library recently joined the Alaska Library Catalog consortium, a statewide borrowing and lending network. Users can now browse the holdings of 87 Alaska libraries in a single catalog, and selections can then be sent to any library within the system for pickup.

With the ALC catalog, you can:


  • Search within all libraries, one library or a special collection.

  • Get near-matches on hard-to-spell words, search with ISBN and ISSN numbers, and limit searches to currently available items.

  • Place a hold on a title whether it's checked out or on the shelf.

  • Pick up and return holds at any library within the system.

  • Review and renew checkouts from all ALC libraries, keep lists of titles to read or watch, or change default pickup locations.


Important information:

  • If you don't know your PIN, go to the Rasmuson circulation counter or call 474-6762. Each UA user may have one additional account with an Alaska public library; staff can look up your PIN with a valid ID, but they cannot make changes to your public library account.

  • Checkout periods are set by the owning library, not Rasmuson, and users are subject to those libraries' limitations. Most other ALC libraries are public, not academic, and are unlikely to allow longer checkouts to graduate students or faculty.

  • Many other libraries impose late fees that will have to be paid, even though this is not the policy of Rasmuson or Fairbanks North Star Borough public libraries.

  • Each user is limited to 10 simultaneous holds on items from other libraries.

  • Many libraries impose a six-month freeze on the cross-library borrowing of new materials so that local patrons have a chance to check out new titles first.

  • Interlibrary Loan is still an option. If you need a title already held by an ALC library, but you're in a hurry, you can submit an ILL request specifying the date it's needed by. The ILL office will try to borrow from a library that will use faster shipping.