A to Z eResources

Access to Ancestry.com is available from within the Library. Contains billions of names from census records, passenger immigration lists, vital records (birth/marriage/death), war and muster lists, court/land records, images, indexes, narratives and much more.

*Remote access to Ancestry Library has ended as of 12/31/21. Ancestry Library can be accessed inside any Tacoma Public Library Branch during open hours, opens a new window. Please consider using Heritage Quest, opens a new window, as an alternative to Ancestry Library, for those who wish to do genealogical research from home.

Beanstack is Tacoma Public Library's online reading tracker and app. Create an account through Tacoma Public Library's Beanstack website, opens a new window or app (see links below) to participate in our Summer Reading Challenge. Adults can create an account and add their family members so that everyone is accessible in one place. For more information on using Beanstack, visit our Beanstack FAQs, opens a new window.

Outstanding research support with nearly a million biographical entries spanning history and geography. A curriculum-aligned resource with media-rich content updated daily.

From ProQuest, a free website focused on Black Freedom featuring primary source documents related to key events and people in Black American history.

(PreK - 3) Fun pairs of classic video storybooks and nonfiction eBooks for kids and families.

Find company and industry information along with articles, data sets, and analytic tools.

Car repair info you can get at home!  Chilton's provides exclusive photographs, diagnostics, step-by-step repair procedures, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) maintenance schedules, wiring diagrams, recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) for automobiles and light trucks in one easy-to-use web site.

Access to Consumer Reports' website from the Library! Information and advice on consumer products providing ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice.

Nurture your creative side with 1,000+ video classes in painting, knitting, crafting, sewing & more!  

Get access to a suite of business and demographic databases including U.S. Businesses, U.S. New Businesses, U.S. Consumers/Lifestyles, Canadian Businesses and U.S. Standard White Pages. 

Read articles from peer-reviewed journals and magazines.

How-to guides, real business plans, articles and more.

Access to a selection of online Reference eBooks from Gale.

A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics.

Health-focused magazines, reference, video, and more.

Contextual information on a wide array of subjects.  Topical content includes articles, primary sources, images, relevant web links, and more.

(Grades K-6) Designed especially for kids to access articles about current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports, and more.

Offers cross-curricular content aligned to Common Core State Standards and provides stellar support for papers, projects, and presentations.  

Created specifically for middle school students, this resource combines reference content, videos, newspapers, magazines, primary sources, and more. Categories cover a range of the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, U.S. and world history, and literature.

An integrated research experience that brings together multiple literary databases to search literary criticism plus primary sources, literary and cultural analysis, and information on influential literary figures from all eras and genres.  Microsoft and Google classroom integration.  (Formerly named "Literary Sources")

Access to literary works and authors throughout history including full-text poems, short stories, speeches, and plays.

Academic articles, reports, news, book reports and more in the field of education.

Una coleccion de revistas hispanicas con textos completos.

Regional, national, and world newspapers.

(Grades 3-12) Live Homework Help, Skills Building and Writing Workshops.   Live tutors are available every day from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Access to scanned images of the U.S. census records, Periodical Source Index (PERSI), Freedman’s Bank Records, the U.S. Serial Set, Revolutionary War records and more!

Enjoy movies, TV shows, eBooks, comics, music albums, and audiobooks on Hoopla. Check out up to 10 items per month.

A collection of over 50,000 digitized historical images (1870s-1980s) of Tacoma and surrounding areas, scanned from the Tacoma Public Library’s photography collections. Detailed captions accompany photos that vividly depict people, events, places, and snapshots of everyday life.

Personal job coaching, resume and cover letter review services, live interview practice plus other resources to help you in your job search.  Live job coaches available online 1pm - 10pm PT.

With Kanopy stream "thoughtful entertainment" including independent and popular films, documentaries, The Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, PBS and more to your preferred device, including Roku.  Enjoy up to 10 videos per month, a total of 10 play credits.  Also includes great content for Kids! 

Tacoma Public Library's eBook, eAudiobook, and eMagazine provider, OverDrive, has just released a new app called Libby, opens a new window.  Libby is a streamlined reading app experience and is now available for Android and iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch).

Learn software and technology skills through LinkedIn Learning's video library of engaging, top-quality courses. 

For app users, please note that our library ID is tacomalibrary (with a lowercase 't'). 

Full-text articles, literary criticism, reviews, biographical information, and thousands of full-text poems and short stories published in contemporary journals and magazines.

Search by name or keyword to find references to articles, book chapters, and other resources containing information on the people and events that have shaped our local history. All sources referenced in the index are available in the Northwest Room at Main Branch.

Tacoma Public Library, in partnership with Microsoft Corporation and the Washington State Library, is proud to provide residents with free access to Microsoft Imagine Academy, formerly known as Microsoft IT Academy.

Microsoft Imagine Academy will help you expand how you use technology. Develop your computer skills, become proficient in Microsoft software, learn about web development, and more. You can access e-learning courses 24/7 from any computer with Internet access.

(PreK - 1) Fun and interactive online kindergarten-readiness learning for kids ages three to six.  Explore lessons in math, science, language and literacy and more!   

An ideal investing resource for collecting financial information, getting reliable portfolio analysis, learning about investment options, and financial news commentary.

A collection of essays about the fascinating people who explored, settled and developed Tacoma and the Puget Sound region. The stories were selected by librarian Gary Fuller Reese from more than 30 years of newspaper & magazine articles, books, radio broadcasts and other writings by the distinguished historian, author and educator Murray Morgan.

(K-8) Explore science, nature, culture, archaeology and space with National Geographic Kids with access to the full run of the magazine 2009 to the present.

The complete archive of National Geographic Magazine 1888-2015.  Articles, legendary photos, and over one hundred years of history through the pages of this iconic magazine.

Access to The News Tribune from Tacoma Public Library.  Choose the text edition, image edition, blog or web-only content. 

NextReads newsletters deliver reading recommendations directly to your inboxes and you'll be able to link to the library catalog to reserve your NextRead!

Northwest ORCA (Online Records and Collections Access) is a digital discovery database for the Northwest Room , opens a new windowand Community Archives Center , opens a new windowat Tacoma Public Library. Materials from the City of Tacoma Office of the City Clerk , opens a new windoware also available. Explore collection descriptions and access digitized and born digital content. New content is added regularly. 

A digital collection of postcards depicting scenes and slices of life from Tacoma and the Northwest. All original content has been transcribed, and both sides of the cards digitized. Browse by topic or search by keyword.

Find new books to read! Search for a favorite author or title, browse booklists, award lists, or find the next book in a series. Fiction and Nonfiction books for all ages are included.

(Ages 0-18) The Novelist we love but limited to fiction and nonfiction for kids and teens!  (Does not include books for adults.)

(Grades 7 and up) All about today's hottest social issues. Research, analyze and organize a variety of data for writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.

Popular eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines available on your computer, mobile device, or eReader.  Up to 20 checkouts and 20 holds. 

Includes full-length practice tests for GED, SAT, ACT, AP, PSAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, TOEFL, U.S. citizenship, and more. Find info on undergraduate and graduate programs and tuition and scholarship assistance, as well as a resume builder and interviewing advice. 

Enjoy levels 1-5 of Rosetta Stone courses for 30 different languages for free!

Authoritative, curriculum-oriented information for assignments and projects on earth science and life science, to space, technology, mathematics and science history.

A guide to more than 13000 ships which passed through the Port of Tacoma, with details on the names (and former names) of vessels, their builders, careers, and history.

Carry the library in your pocket! The Tacoma Public Library's free mobile app makes it easy to find and discover titles, place holds, renew items, rate titles, create lists and get information about our branches.

Search for books, movies, and more available at your local branch of the Tacoma Public Library!

Indexes home construction news in Tacoma newspapers from 1883 through 1950. Lists architects, contractor and building style, if known. Indicates whether architectural plans are known to exist. Includes many photographs and indexes over 200 books related to Tacoma architecture or history. Nearly 50,000 addresses included.

An index of obituaries published in the Tacoma News Tribune / Morning News Tribune. (Microfilm of the original obituaries available at the downtown Main Library.) Complete coverage from 1980 to the present, partial coverage pre-1980..

Printable activities from Scholastic for any subject: math, science, reading comprehension, STEM, writing and more.  Perfect for parents, childcare providers, and educators!

The Thomas Schofield Handforth Collection comprises the art output of Thomas S. Handforth and related items in the collections of the Tacoma Public Library. The Tacoma Public Library received the Handforth collection in a number of increments from the Handforth family and a number of his friends and associates along with a small collection from Caroline Schneider of Seattle in 1982.

(Grades 3-5) Combines award-winning True Books with a collection of related videos, images, and web links.

A complete overview of U.S. history covering the most-studied events, issues and current information combining documents from primary sources, periodicals and reference materials.

True-life tales which chillingly capture the dark side of our State's history - battles, crimes, natural disasters, ghost stories and more!.

Learn the who, what, when and why about thousands of place names throughout Washington.

This collection of photos covers the entire span of time since the Puyallup Fair’s inception in 1900. While over a century has passed, the solid foundation developed by the Fair’s forefathers remains steadfast. Animals and agriculture are cornerstones of our history -- and our future. Today, the Puyallup Fair features those age-old favorites, plus new trends and activities.

Multicultural, global content supporting history research.