Studio and Storytime with Tacoma Art Museum

Join TPL + TAM for Studio + Storytime now taking place at Tacoma Art Museum!  Studio + Storytime begins with a reading of a storybook, exploring some art in TAM's galleries, and then a hands-on art project in TAM's Studio! Geared towards kids ages 2-8, this workshop i......More

Join TPL + TAM for Studio + Storytime now taking place at Tacoma Art Museum!  Studio + Storytime begins with a reading of a storybook, exploring some art in TAM's galleries, and then a hands-on art project in TAM's Studio! Geared towards kids ages 2-8, this workshop is free but registration is required. For the May workshop we will be reading Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho and looking at an artwork by Alan Lau from the exhibition Painting Deconstructed. Kids will have the opportunity to learn about the artist and explore abstraction and mark making, inspired by the art of Alan Lau! Please note: Online registration is required. Please provide an adult's email address when registering.

Feasibility Study: Listening Session

The Tacoma community is invited to provide feedback on specific options for the future of library services on Hilltop and the Eastside in a Listening Session, co-hosted by the ......More

The Tacoma community is invited to provide feedback on specific options for the future of library services on Hilltop and the Eastside in a Listening Session, co-hosted by the Hilltop Action Coalition, with TPL staff and BERK Consultants. Please join us at the Tacoma Community House at 1314 S. L Street on Monday, May 23 from 6 to 7 p.m.  This will be the final round of input for the Feasibility Study for Restoring Library Services to Hilltop and the Eastside—don't miss your chance to learn more about the options and weigh in!  Please also take a brief online survey: English Español/Spanish Русский/Russian Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese 한국인/Korean Thank you for participating in the Feasibility Study! We appreciate your support and engagement.

Kid's Scavenger Hunt for AANHPI Heritage Month

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Join us from May 3-27 at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches for a fun kid's scavenger hunt. Learn facts about Asian animals, flowers, and food......More

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Join us from May 3-27 at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches for a fun kid's scavenger hunt. Learn facts about Asian animals, flowers, and food. Find hidden images around the library at your own pace and see if you can find them all! Turn in your completed sheet at the desk for a small prize!

All Branches Closed

All Tacoma Public Library branches will be closed on Saturday, May 28th in observation of Memorial Day.

Program Kit: Craftopia Seed Bombs

Craftopia is partnering with Tacoma Public Library to provide fun and free crafts for kids!  Pick up a kit to make a Seed Bomb. Craftopia recommends this craft for all ages. Visit any Tacoma Library branch starting Tuesday, M......More

Craftopia is partnering with Tacoma Public Library to provide fun and free crafts for kids!  Pick up a kit to make a Seed Bomb. Craftopia recommends this craft for all ages. Visit any Tacoma Library branch starting Tuesday, May 31 to pick up a kit while supplies last. Program kits are a fun way to bring our arts and crafts activities home with you. There is no live program element to program kits —take one home and let it spark your creativity!

Books on Tap

Books on Tap is back in person! In May we'll be back in person (after a long break) to discuss the New York Times Bestseller On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. With stunning ......More

Books on Tap is back in person! In May we'll be back in person (after a long break) to discuss the New York Times Bestseller On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years. You can use your library card to check out a copy of the eBook or eAudiobook on Hoopla. Physical copies are also available for hold and you can pick up a bookclub kit copy at the Wheelock Branch. Visit Books on Tap online or on the MeetUp app for the location and to RSVP. Hope you can join us! On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Juneteenth Storywalk: Opal Lee and What It Means to be Free

Celebrate our newest federal holiday Juneteenth with a storywalk for all ages!  Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. and commemorates African-American freedom, is observed on June 19. The......More

Celebrate our newest federal holiday Juneteenth with a storywalk for all ages!  Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. and commemorates African-American freedom, is observed on June 19. The picture book Opal Lee and What It Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan will be on display from June 1 to June 17 at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches. No registration required. Stop by a participating branch during regular open hours. Social distancing is required and masks are strongly encouraged. 

Sea Creature Creation Station

Join us all summer long at the sea creature creation stations at any of our Tacoma Library branches! Create your own brand new species of fish, add some eyes, maybe some teeth, and let us know when your new creation is complete. We'd love to add your creation to our oc......More

Join us all summer long at the sea creature creation stations at any of our Tacoma Library branches! Create your own brand new species of fish, add some eyes, maybe some teeth, and let us know when your new creation is complete. We'd love to add your creation to our ocean of possibility display!

Program Kit: Egg Carton Goldfish

Create your own fish friend using egg cartons and other craft supplies! Visit Main Branch and the Eastside Community Center starting Tuesday, June 7th to pick up a kit, while supplies last. Program kits are a fun way to bring our arts and crafts activities home with ......More

Create your own fish friend using egg cartons and other craft supplies! Visit Main Branch and the Eastside Community Center starting Tuesday, June 7th to pick up a kit, while supplies last. Program kits are a fun way to bring our arts and crafts activities home with you. There is no live program element to program kits-take one home today and let it spark your creativity!

Oceanfest Photography Exhibit and Story Trail

This exhibit featuring remarkable pieces from Tacoma's own Oceanfest will be on display at all branches from June 1 through August 13. Each library's photography exhibit will feature QR codes linking to an audio......More

This exhibit featuring remarkable pieces from Tacoma's own Oceanfest will be on display at all branches from June 1 through August 13. Each library's photography exhibit will feature QR codes linking to an audio Story Trail. Pieces will vary and include work by Annie Crawley, Mike Coots, and David Doubilet. Annie Crawley is a Seattle diver, underwater photographer and filmmaker. She travels the world, taking incredible shots for science expeditions, conservation and her own campaign "Our Ocean and You." Learn more about Annie's upcoming in-person library presentation! Mike Coots is a world-renowned advocate for sharks, ocean conservationist, competitive surfer (using a prosthetic limb as a result of an amputation from a life-threatening shark encounter when a teen) and an undersea photographer documents sharks in their world and his own experiences in these remarkable photos David Doubilet As a National Geographic Photographer he has spent five decades exploring and documenting the far corners of the world from beneath interior Africa, remote tropical coral reefs, rich temperate seas and recent projects beneath the polar ice. A contributing editor for several publications and an author of 12 titles including the award winning Water Light Time. His numerous photographic awards include Picture of the Year, BBC Wildlife, Communication Arts and World Press. David is a member of the Academy of Achievement, Royal Photographic Society, International League of Conservation Photographers and International Diving Hall of Fame. David was named a National Geographic Contributing Photographer-in-Residence in 2001.

Sea Creature Creation Station

Join us all summer long at the sea creature creation stations at any of our Tacoma Library branches! Create your own brand new species of fish, add some eyes, maybe some teeth, and let us know when your new creation is complete. We'd love to add your creation to our oc......More

Join us all summer long at the sea creature creation stations at any of our Tacoma Library branches! Create your own brand new species of fish, add some eyes, maybe some teeth, and let us know when your new creation is complete. We'd love to add your creation to our ocean of possibility display!