the uaf library

The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library (often referred to as Rasmuson Library) is the largest research library in the U.S. state of Alaska, housing just over one million volumes. Located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, it is named in honor of Elmer E. Rasmuson, who served on the University of Alaska Board of Regents from 1950 to 1969 and was the board chair from 1956 to 1968. He was a major supporter of expanding the library and moving it to its present location.  (Wikipedia)

UAF Film Archives

When you enter the library, you are on the fourth floor.  There are two floors above it and three below it.  I worked on the third floor in Oral History and on the second floor in the Film Archives.  I always thought it was weird going to work at 8 in the morning when it was dark and leaving around 2ish and it was dark again.  So I used to wear my sunglasses to make my mind think it was light out. :)  Of course when I opened the door it was dark.

The library always had some issues to deal with and they were placed in the deferred maintenance section of the budget which meant it wouldn't be addressed anytime soon.  At one point, they decided they had to do something about the flooding problem. Because some of the library was below ground level, this was a major problem. Offices and departments had to be moved to higher floors. Books and documents had to be shelved elsewhere. Work commenced and went on for months. About a million dollars later, people and books moved back. And the following spring, there was a flooding problem once again.