Home & Hobbies

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. 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.

• Tutorial

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.

• Tutorial

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

• Tutorial

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. Also includes great content for Kids! Each user will receive 30 tickets a month to use on Kanopy – some videos will cost 1 ticket while others will cost 5 tickets. Learn more about tickets.

• Tutorial

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

Libby is the only available app for OverDrive eMaterials.

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.