World Language Collection FAQs

  • General Questions

    Please check the catalog first. The search box accepts text in Cyrillic and Hangeul, as well as letters with diacritics (“accent marks”). 

    If the item is not in the catalog, you’re welcome to submit a suggestion for purchase by logging in to your account. Print copies of the form are also available in Korean, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese by emailing info@tacomalibrary.org. 

    Please note that only TPL account holders residing within Tacoma city limits are eligible to submit suggestions. 

    TPL is prioritizing the primary languages of limited English proficiency (LEP) households. We will continue to monitor demographic changes and work with branch staff to determine which languages might be added in the future.

    If the book has been published more than a year ago, it may be eligible for ILL service. 

    Please note that only TPL account holders residing within Tacoma city limits are eligible for borrowing through ILL. 

    All branches have a Spanish collection. Currently, the other languages are distributed as follows: 

    TPL currently buys books in Korean, opens a new window, Russian, opens a new window, Spanish, opens a new window, Ukrainian, opens a new window, and Vietnamese, opens a new window. This selection is based on staff recommendations and feedback from community engagement efforts from 2018 on. The five languages were also identified by the 2021-2022 City of Tacoma Survey as the top “primarily-used languages” by LEP households.