 The library has the furthest north permanent Foucault pendulum in North America.The library houses special collections, such as the Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (commonly known as ARLIS) and a large archive dedicated to preserving Alaskan history and the history of the Pacific Northwest.In 2020 the Archives and Special Collections won national recognition when awarded the John Sessions Memorial Award from the American Library Association for its creation of consolidated access to documents relating to labor.