City of Unalaska Public Library

Unalaska’s new and expanded library is scheduled to open April 30 — and it’ll include many new art installations. KUCB’s Sofia Stuart-Rasi spoke with Fairbanks artist Sara Tabbert about her creation.

Unalaska’s new public library is expected to open in April. It’ll have more space, a fireplace, and many new art installations. Each of those installations will feature a different artist from around the state. KUCB’s Sofia Stuart-Rasi sat down with Ray Hudson to hear more about his colorful print blocks and how his interest in the medium started nearly three decades ago right here in Unalaska.

Unalaska is making progress on a long-awaited library renovation and expansion — plans are confirmed to close the library’s current building and move to a temporary location in the Burma Road Chapel. Librarian Karen Kresh confirmed plans and dates with the contractor Tuesday. She said the library will close its current location on March 14 to begin moving. Kresh said the Burma Road Chapel will function “like a little mini library.”

The Unalaska Public Library is getting a face-lift. The city council voted 4-2 at Tuesday night’s meeting in favor of expanding the library, a project that had stalled out after its initial approval nearly two years ago. The Library Expansion Project was initially adopted in Jan. 2020, but the plan was scrapped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was picked up again the next year, and the city received bids in November. The lowest one came in at around $6.5 million dollars, a bit lower than the original estimate.

Every year books are challenged in libraries, bookstores, and schools by people who want to remove or restrict access to certain material. And in 1982, in…