National Library Week: KUAC TV Archives

KUAC Archives Preserved Online: Explore Alaska’s PastFor decades, KUAC Public Television has documented life across Alaska, capturing community stories, cultural traditions, local news, scientific discovery, and everyday moments from around the state.Through a partnership between KUAC and the Alaska Film Archives at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library, more than 1,300 KUAC programs have been preserved and are now available to watch online, with more to come in the months ahead.This project is part of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a national effort supported by the Mellon Foundation, GBH in Boston and the Library of Congress.You can browse and watch these recordings by visiting https://americanarchive.org/ and searching for “KUAC Alaska.”There, you’ll find programs spanning decades of Alaska history, including:Community interviews and local voices, such as Alaska Native Magazine (1970s)Community events and traditions, such as Times Gone By (1979)News and public affairs programs, such as Cache Your Cash (1977)Outdoor life, travel, and recreation, such as Over the Heart of Alaska (1994)Science and education features, such as The Changing Arctic (1997)Award-winning programs, such as Mr. Alaska: Bob Bartlett Goes to Washington (2009)And so much more!These recordings offer a unique window into Alaska’s past—through the voices, experiences, and perspectives of the people who lived it.

National Library Week: Work, Science, and Life in Alaska

KUAC

Published April 23, 2026 at 1:47 AM AKDT

Work, Science, and Life in Alaska

Angela Schmidt with UAF’s Alaska Film Archives sharing stories from KUAC’s television history as we celebrate National Library Week.

This National Library Week, we invite you to take a look back at life in Alaska through the lens of the people have made their living in the 49th state.

From the skies above Denali to the far reaches of Alaska’s north slope, these recordings document the ingenuity, curiosity, and resilience of people in the North.

In The Land, the Man, and the Mountain from 1979, we meet bush pilot Don Sheldon -- navigating some of the most rugged terrain on earth.

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In Delta Dawn from 1982, we catch a glimpse of life in the Delta Junction area.

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And in programs like The Changing Arctic in 1997, scientists help us make sense of the forces shaping Alaska’s environment -- then and now.

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Together, these recordings show the many ways that Alaskans adapt, explore, and understand the world around them.

Through a partnership between KUAC and the Alaska Film Archives at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library, these programs have been digitized and preserved. And they’re all available for viewing online.

This project is part of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a national effort supported by the Mellon Foundation, GBH in Boston, and the Library of Congress.

To start exploring, visit americanarchive.org and search for “KUAC Alaska.”