Everything you need to know about current Tacoma Public Library services.
TPL To Go
Holds Pickup Service
UPDATE: TPL To Go has resumed with the normal schedule. Holds impacted by the service disruption have been manually extended through Sept. 30.
TPL To Go holds pickup is now available at all libraries.
You will receive an email notification with instructions when your holds are ready. Please check your junk mail folder. The Library recently changed email systems, and your messages may be mistakenly flagged as spam.
When you arrive at the Library, please call the phone number posted outside the building to speak with a staff member about picking up your holds. If you do not have a phone and have holds to pick up, please approach the front doors of the library and be prepared to present your library card or ID or hold notice to staff.
A library staff member will gather your holds, place them in a bag, and motion for you to socially distance yourself so they can safely place them on the table outside the doors for you to retrieve.
If you are picking up holds on behalf of someone else, please have their library card number ready to present to library staff.
Please note:
- We are actively filling a backlog of more than 55,000 hold requests
- Holds are filled a variety of ways! You may receive your holds in multiple shipments, and you may receive them in an order different than the order they were requested
- Please help us provide faster service by logging into your account online or through the app and canceling holds that are no longer of interest. Your PIN number may be the last four of your phone number.
TPL To Go hours:
| Tuesday and Wednesday | 5 p.m.–7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Friday, and Saturday | 10 a.m. –12 p.m. and 3 p.m.–5 p.m. |
Borrowing
The easiest way to borrow materials while the library’s buildings are closed is to use your library card (eCard or physical card) to access eBooks, Audiobooks, and streaming movies and TV shows via our eResources.
Buildings are closed to the public in Phase 2. However, you can also use our TPL To Go holds pickup service to borrow physical items! Please log in to your account online or on the TPL app to place holds.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service is not available at this time.
Returns
UPDATE: Book Drops are open at all locations.
Tacoma Public Library is now accepting returns at all locations. Bookdrops are available from Tuesday 12 p.m. through Saturday 5:30 p.m. and are closed Sundays and Mondays.
The materials you return must undergo a four-day quarantine period before they can be checked in by library staff. In some cases, materials may continue to appear on your account for up to a week after you returned them.
Get Help
Library staff are available via telephone, chat, email, and even Zoom conference. Our Youth Services Staff is also here to help! Contact us for book recommendations, help with eResources, or even just to chat (with an adult caretaker present).
Call us: Contacting us by phone is the fastest way to get help. Library staff are ready to take your phone inquiries about library services, local information, and more. Staff are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at our main line, 253.292.2001.
Email us: If your query is not urgent and you can wait two to three days for a response, feel free to email us. Send an email through our Contact Us form for help with your account, or to send a question or comment. You can also email us directly at info@tacomalibrary.org.
Ask a Librarian: Use the Ask a Librarian chat or email virtual reference service to ask questions online that are not specific to your account at Tacoma Public Library. This service is staffed by Tacoma Public Library and other library systems in Washington State.
Zoom with TPL: If your question requires additional conversation, a library staff member may follow up with you individually to schedule a one-on-one Zoom conference call.
Library Cards
eCard: You can get an eCard today! Sign up through our web form.
Use your eCard to access eBooks, eMagazines, AudioBooks, and Comics, and all of our other popular eResources. When our libraries reopen, you can upgrade your eCard to a physical library card to borrow materials from our shelves and to use Interlibrary Loan.
Update: You may now place up to three holds and check out up to three physical items with an eCard. Place holds by logging into your account using our website or TPL app. Once your items are ready, you will receive a notification via email or phone with instructions on picking up your holds using our TPL To Go service. If you would like to upgrade your eCard to a full library card for increased borrowing privileges (60 items checked out, 30 items on hold), please bring your ID and a piece of mail with your current address. Please keep in mind that your eCard will expire after 6 months. Questions? Please call 253.292.2001 during our regular operating hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Physical card: Physical cards must be acquired in-person at a library. While libraries are closed, sign up for an eCard to access our digital collection and eResources. Please read the update to ecards in the above section for more information on placing holds and checking out materials using your ecard.
Non-resident cards: For help with extending an expired card, resetting your pin, or other borrowing questions, email info@tacomalibrary.org.
Pathway Cards: Students enrolled in Tacoma Public Schools and Tacoma Public Schools educators have library access using their school ID numbers. Visit our Pathway Partnership page to learn more.
eResources
Your Tacoma Public Library card gives you access to a huge variety of eResources! Check them out on our website. Some of the most popular eResources with TPL patrons are Overdrive/Libby (eBooks and eAudiobooks), Hoopla (Comics, TV shows, eBooks, eAudiobooks, and Movies), Creativebug (on-demand arts and crafts tutorials), Kanopy and Kanopy Kids (for streaming documentaries and film). and Lynda.com (software and technology courses).
Student and Family Resources
More information coming soon, but in the meantime please visit our K-12 Homework Center, our Kids & Families page, or our Teens & Tweens page.
Services at Your Neighborhood Library
Click the name of your library to find out what services it is currently offering:
| Eastside Microlibrary at Eastside Community Center | Building closed to the public. | |
| Fern Hill Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| Kobetich Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| Main Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| Moore Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| Mottet Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| South Tacoma Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| Swasey Library | Building closed to the public. |
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| Wheelock Library | Building closed to the public. |
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