Kid Program Kits: Craftopia Dancing Skeleton

Craftopia is partnering with Tacoma Public Library to provide fun and free crafts for kids! Visit any of our branches starting Friday, October 31 to pick up a kit while supplies last. Ages 3 and up. Program kits are a fun ......More

Craftopia is partnering with Tacoma Public Library to provide fun and free crafts for kids! Visit any of our branches starting Friday, October 31 to pick up a kit while supplies last. Ages 3 and up. Program kits are a fun way to bring our arts and crafts activities home with you. There is no live program element to program kits —take one home and let it spark your creativity!

Social Work Support with Samie

Drop-in to connect with Tacoma Public Library's Social Worker. Samie is happy to listen and assist patrons with resource navigation for a variety of needs related to housing, shelter, domestic violence, VA, employment, behavioral health, McKinney Vento or student supp......More

Drop-in to connect with Tacoma Public Library's Social Worker. Samie is happy to listen and assist patrons with resource navigation for a variety of needs related to housing, shelter, domestic violence, VA, employment, behavioral health, McKinney Vento or student support, and more!

Baby Storytime

Fun for you and your baby with songs, rhymes, stories and movement. For babies and their caregivers. Recommended for ages birth – 18 months. Want to continue the fun at home? View these fun Storytime song and book recommendations ......More

Fun for you and your baby with songs, rhymes, stories and movement. For babies and their caregivers. Recommended for ages birth – 18 months. Want to continue the fun at home? View these fun Storytime song and book recommendations here. Baby storytime is approximately 20 minutes long, followed by play time and an opportunity for grownups to connect and chat. 

Money, Me & Key: Retirement

Money, Me & Key is a financial empowerment program that promotes an open dialogue and education for the community. This free course will cover a wide range of topics related to retirement: • Examine the factors you should consider when planning for retirement.  • Lea......More

Money, Me & Key is a financial empowerment program that promotes an open dialogue and education for the community. This free course will cover a wide range of topics related to retirement: • Examine the factors you should consider when planning for retirement.  • Learn how to estimate your retirement expenses. • Identify the saving and planning strategies that allow you to maximize your savings at any age. • Compare the types of retirement plans available to you. • Set goals for your own retirement savings.

Up and Atom: Pom Pom Palooza

Join us for Up and Atom STEAM Days where we try out different STEAM and craft activities. This week we'll learn to make our own pom poms using yarn. Once made, these pom poms can be used for a variety of crafts. Try turning your pom poms into critters with pipe cleane......More

Join us for Up and Atom STEAM Days where we try out different STEAM and craft activities. This week we'll learn to make our own pom poms using yarn. Once made, these pom poms can be used for a variety of crafts. Try turning your pom poms into critters with pipe cleaners and googly eyes, create a bouquet of pom pom dandelions, or put your pom pom on a clip to create a custom keychain or bag charm. Whatever you choose to do, you'll come home with a unique creation and a new skill for pom pom making.

Native American Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt

Join us November 1st - 29th at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Main, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches during ......More

Join us November 1st - 29th at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Main, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches during open hours for a scavenger hunt to celebrate Native American Heritage Month! Learn about the culture and language of the Puyallup People / spuyaləpabš. Find hidden images around the library and earn a prize if you find them all!

UV Resin Charms for Adults

Join us in the Olympic room with Craftopia, for this adult craft program and get creative with UV resin! This unique material has so many possibilities when you know how to use it, and cures very quickly. Learners will be able to customize two charms they can turn into......More

Join us in the Olympic room with Craftopia, for this adult craft program and get creative with UV resin! This unique material has so many possibilities when you know how to use it, and cures very quickly. Learners will be able to customize two charms they can turn into necklaces, earrings, keychains, or anything else. UV resin can be toxic and is tricky to deal with, so this class is for ages 16+ only. Registration is required.

Snap Circuits in the Wonder Lab

Snap into STEM with Snap Circuits. Join us in the Wonder Lab for a real-world activity involving an array of circuitry. Working on a specific objective, we’ll simulate a challenge that engineers encounter designing typical electrical systems. This program is sure to te......More

Snap into STEM with Snap Circuits. Join us in the Wonder Lab for a real-world activity involving an array of circuitry. Working on a specific objective, we’ll simulate a challenge that engineers encounter designing typical electrical systems. This program is sure to test your troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. Kids in grades 6-8 are welcome with caregiver participation.

Community Compass

Offered as an extension of our Social Work program, drop-in to connect with University of Washington Tacoma's Master of Social Work Practicum Students. They will be happy to listen and assist patrons with general support and resource navigation. 

Family Storytime

Join us for stories, songs, and other fun learning activities designed to develop language, literacy and social skills in an environment the whole family can enjoy. Storytime is followed by play time and an opportunity for grownups to connect and chat. Want to continu......More

Join us for stories, songs, and other fun learning activities designed to develop language, literacy and social skills in an environment the whole family can enjoy. Storytime is followed by play time and an opportunity for grownups to connect and chat. Want to continue the fun at home? View these fun Storytime song and book recommendations here.

Audacity Deep Dive in the Digital Media Lab

Audacity is the gold standard in open-source audio production. Learn to record and edit your voice, add a music treatment, and export your file into a podcast-ready format. Explore the many signal processing tools available to spoken word artists in this easy-to-use so......More

Audacity is the gold standard in open-source audio production. Learn to record and edit your voice, add a music treatment, and export your file into a podcast-ready format. Explore the many signal processing tools available to spoken word artists in this easy-to-use software.

Teen Time

Check out the new and improved teen area at Main! This is a space reserved for teen patrons. In this area you'll find a Nintendo switch gaming station, computers, board games, craft supplies and more. Come to create, study, play or just hang out with friends. Every We......More

Check out the new and improved teen area at Main! This is a space reserved for teen patrons. In this area you'll find a Nintendo switch gaming station, computers, board games, craft supplies and more. Come to create, study, play or just hang out with friends. Every Wednesday night from 5:00-7:00 teens can also enjoy a free treat from our snack cart in the teen area!

Kid Program Kits: Craftopia Chenille Bracelets

Craftopia is partnering with Tacoma Public Library to provide fun and free crafts for kids! Visit any of our branches starting Friday, November 7 to pick up a kit while supplies last. Ages 3 and up. Program kits are a fun ......More

Craftopia is partnering with Tacoma Public Library to provide fun and free crafts for kids! Visit any of our branches starting Friday, November 7 to pick up a kit while supplies last. Ages 3 and up. Program kits are a fun way to bring our arts and crafts activities home with you. There is no live program element to program kits —take one home and let it spark your creativity!

Social Work Support with Samie

Drop-in to connect with Tacoma Public Library's Social Worker. Samie is happy to listen and assist patrons with resource navigation for a variety of needs related to housing, shelter, domestic violence, VA, employment, behavioral health, McKinney Vento or student supp......More

Drop-in to connect with Tacoma Public Library's Social Worker. Samie is happy to listen and assist patrons with resource navigation for a variety of needs related to housing, shelter, domestic violence, VA, employment, behavioral health, McKinney Vento or student support, and more!

Baby Storytime

Fun for you and your baby with songs, rhymes, stories and movement. For babies and their caregivers. Recommended for ages birth – 18 months. Want to continue the fun at home? View these fun Storytime song and book recommendations ......More

Fun for you and your baby with songs, rhymes, stories and movement. For babies and their caregivers. Recommended for ages birth – 18 months. Want to continue the fun at home? View these fun Storytime song and book recommendations here. Baby storytime is approximately 20 minutes long, followed by play time and an opportunity for grownups to connect and chat. 

Board Game Meetup at Main

Join library staff for an afternoon of games. Adults of all ages are welcome to gather to play favorite board and card games, and to socialize.  We'll have an array of classic board games, cards, Cribbage, Backgammon, and Mancala available. A puzzle will also be on ha......More

Join library staff for an afternoon of games. Adults of all ages are welcome to gather to play favorite board and card games, and to socialize.  We'll have an array of classic board games, cards, Cribbage, Backgammon, and Mancala available. A puzzle will also be on hand to work on.

Up and Atom: Engineering with Strawbees

Join us for Up and Atom STEAM Days where we try out different STEAM and craft activities. Did you know that straws can make excellent building materials for little engineers? This week we'll be bringing out the Strawbees from our MakerLab. Participants can follow the ......More

Join us for Up and Atom STEAM Days where we try out different STEAM and craft activities. Did you know that straws can make excellent building materials for little engineers? This week we'll be bringing out the Strawbees from our MakerLab. Participants can follow the guides provided or let their imagination run wild as they explore the basics of engineering.

Native American Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt

Join us November 1st - 29th at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Main, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches during ......More

Join us November 1st - 29th at the Fern Hill, Kobetich, Main, Moore, Mottet, South Tacoma, Swasey, and Wheelock branches during open hours for a scavenger hunt to celebrate Native American Heritage Month! Learn about the culture and language of the Puyallup People / spuyaləpabš. Find hidden images around the library and earn a prize if you find them all!

Studio and Storytime with Tacoma Art Museum

Join TPL and TAM for Studio + Storytime held at Tacoma Art Museum! Studio + Storytime begins with a reading of a storybook, exploring some art in TAM's galleries, and then a hands-on art project in TAM's studio classroom! Geared towards kids ages 2-8. This month we ......More

Join TPL and TAM for Studio + Storytime held at Tacoma Art Museum! Studio + Storytime begins with a reading of a storybook, exploring some art in TAM's galleries, and then a hands-on art project in TAM's studio classroom! Geared towards kids ages 2-8. This month we will have a special guest from the Job Carr Cabin Museum! We will read the story A House in the Woods by Inga Moore and create our own mini log cabin. Please note: Classroom space is limited, if the space is full the activity and book of the month will be available at TAM Studio on the first floor. **REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED - REGISTER IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE A REMINDER EMAIL** Presented by Tacoma Art Museum, funded by the City of Tacoma/Tacoma Creates, and hosted by Tacoma Public Library.

Wonder Lab Exploration: Nailed It! Portraits

Come paint with us! Pair up with a friend, or someone new, or even find an object around the room and paint it in a limited amount of time. At the end, we’ll shout, “Nailed It!” and see if anyone can guess what you made. All supplies provided.