Home & Hobbies

Newspaper and research collection including The News Tribune and Seattle Times.  **Provided to Tacoma Public Library by Newsbank and the Washington State Library.  Extended access through December 2020.**

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.

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!  

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

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! 

Official, WA State Specific, Federal, Business, Personal, Real Estate and General forms covering hundreds of legal subjects and issues.  Also includes Attorney Directory.

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.)

Popular eBook & Downloadable Audiobook collection available on your computer, mobile device, or eReader.  Up to 20 checkouts and 20 holds.

Explore the world of digital magazines - online, offline and on all your devices. (Previously offered as Zinio.)

Access to a suite of ReferenceUSA databases including U.S. Businesses, U.S. New Businesses, U.S. Consumers/Lifestyles, Canadian Businesses and U.S. Standard White Pages.

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

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.

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