The Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), located in the new UAA/APU Consortium Library, will serve as the repository for some 1,800 reports, notes, analyses, drilling results and geophysical surveys donated to the University of Alaska Anchorage by Cook Inlet Region Inc. (CIRI).

The Anaconda Collection — named after the Anaconda Minerals Company, which acquired the bulk of information between 1975 and 1985 — includes the results of more than $30 million worth of minerals exploration.

Indexing of the collection was funded through Minerals Data Information Rescue–Alaska, a federally funded initiative to preserve and increase the accessibility to Alaska minerals data.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Geologic Materials Center in Eagle River will serve as a repository for an additional 4,300 CIRI-donated maps and figures, including geologic and geochemical maps.

“CIRI is happy to make these materials publicly available,” said Kirk McGee, vice president of the corporation’s lands division. “We hope they will aid in the discovery of new ore deposits that will one day become mines and contribute to Alaska’s economy.”

“It’s important to preserve valuable information like that contained in the Anaconda Collection,” said Steve Rollins, dean of the library.

“I hope that this is only the first of other similar collections that can be made available to the public.”

“ARLIS, the mother lode of Alaska Resources information, is committed to making this valuable material accessible to miners and other interested researchers,” said Cathy Vitale, a member of the ARLIS management team.

Vitale

“By maintaining resource information and making it widely available we multiply the value of the original project.”

Founded in 1954, the University of Alaska Anchorage is Alaska’s largest institution of higher learning.

UAA’s mission is to inspire learning and enrich Alaska, the nation and the world through teaching, research, creativity and service.