About Us

History

In the early 1980s, Anchorage libraries saw a period of rapid growth. The passage of municipal bonds and a grant from the state allowed for several large construction and renovation projects, including the creation of the central Z.J. Loussac branch in midtown Anchorage. During this time, longtime library advocate Wilda Marston had a vision to create a foundation to support the long-term goals of the Anchorage Public Library. She realized that public funding for libraries would ebb and flow, but a foundation would ensure that the Library system would always have adequate funding to thrive. Marston gathered fellow library supporters, Eric Wohlforth, Wilda Hudson and Arliss Sturgulewski, to create the first Anchorage Library Foundation board. The organization incorporated in 1982.