Special strengths include early accounts and studies of the polar regions from the 15th to the early 20th centuries. It contains one of the world's leading collections on Russian America. Most Rare Books are listed in the library's Gnosis online catalog. Ninety percent of the collection has been copied on microfiche. To preserve the fragile originals, patrons should use the microfiche copies unless there is a special need to consult the originals.
Microfiche copies are available through interlibrary loan or direct purchase.
Access is through in-house indexes and 11 x 14 in. photographs. Photographic copies may be ordered. The Manuscript Map Collection consists of more than 18,000 maps, plats, and charts of Alaska. Its strength is 20th-century Alaska development, with extensive holdings on mining claims, cannery sites, and land use planning. An in-house index provides access through thematic description and geographic location.