The Haines Borough Public Library is the only public library in the Haines Borough

Haines Borough, Alaska

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,392 people, 991 households, and 654 families residing in the borough. The population density was 0,88 people per square mile . There were 1,419 housing units at an average density of 0,52 per square mile...

 area of Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

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History

The library was first incorporated by the Haines Women's Club as the Haines Library Association in 1931. The library was moved into new quarters in 1959 and saw additions in 1979 and 1987. In the late 90s a fundraising effort that saw donations from the a large number of local individuals, businesses, the federal government, and numerous philanthropies all chipping in for the construction of new and expanded library. Ground was broken on the project in 2002 and after nearly eight months of construction — with large amount of the labor being volunteered by community members — the library was opened in early 2003.

Recognition

Within two years of its opening, the library saw itself on the pages of Library Journal

Library Journal

Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...

as the "Best Small Library in America" for 2005. The journal cited its community involvement and the following statistics:

• Library circulation increasing 77% in the last five years
• 28,000 computer sessions in 2005, having tripled since 2000
• 60,000+ visits a year
• Over 75 community volunteers

Dragonfly Project

The Dragonfly Project features tech-savvy youth mentoring their older community members in use of technology. The innovative project was cited by the Library Journal as a way of maintaining community involvement.