Tacoma’s main library reopens after 16 months of renovations. Here’s what’s inside
The Tacoma Public Library can finally say its flagship branch has both feet in the 21st century. On Saturday, Feb. 1, it reopens after a 16-month-long renovation that brightened up the building, added services and community partners and put bathrooms on each floor.
Yes, there are still plenty of books. But now there’s increased access to the digital world and collaborations with other organizations.
The oldest part of the 95,000-square-foot building — the 1903 Carnegie side — wasn’t touched during the renovations. Instead, the redo was confined to the 1953 addition which had at one point undergone a brutalist architecture style.
Pre-renovation, the building was “sad,” according to TPL director Amita Lonial. It had an unwelcoming and confusing layout, peeling paint, carpets with holes, bathrooms difficult too access, and was struggling to cast off the 20th century in an increasingly digital world.
Now, windows covered up during the last renovation have been exposed and the effect is a lighter, brighter library interior. The exterior got a paint job, new landscaping and new sidewalks. Book shelves are shorter.
The staircase that once was front and center has been turned away from the main entrance, allowing a reception desk to greet visitors instead.
“I’m excited for February 1,” Lonial said. “The public seeing what I would consider a modern level of service in their libraries.”
Funding for the $8.6 million project came from a $2 million Department of Commerce grant, $2 million from the City of Tacoma and the remainder from library savings and trust funds, according to TPL.
Features
The new features and partnerships include:
- Maker labs: What was once Story Lab is now Digital Media Lab. There, visitors can produce audio and video work. In the Memory Lab, patrons can digitize their old photos, VHS tapes and other old school media. Other equipment includes sewing machines, robotics, a laser engraver and printers.
- Teen space: “It’s really just a space for them to sort of hang out,” Lonial said. Attractions include comfortable furniture, computers and gaming stations.
- Community Hub: TPL partners Tacoma Tool Library, Write253 and others now have their own spaces.
The children’s area was also renovated, as were meeting and community spaces.
Reopening Day
Opening day will feature speeches and entertainment. Visitors can roam the various spaces and meet Community Hub partners.
In conjunction with the Tacoma Art Museum, children will have hands-on arts activities available in the new children’s area.
Visitors can also tour the Northwest Room, a beloved resource for historians, journalists, authors or just citizens looking to research Tacoma’s history. They can also check out the refreshed Handforth Gallery, which showcases local artists.
Bathrooms and safety
Pre-renovation, library users could only access bathrooms on the second floor. Now, a new set has been installed on the main floor. There’s a separate group in the children’s area, including family restrooms. Second floor bathrooms have been renovated.
“We understand the importance of families having proximate access to a bathroom,” Lonial said.
Like other libraries across the nation, TPL has had issues with substance abusers using its bathrooms. Smoke and vape detectors have been installed in the restrooms, Lonial said.
In addition, TPL staff frequently walks the building, she said. “We actually call it roving,” she said. It’s not for old-fashioned shushing but instead to keep an eye on things and let patrons know there is a maintained staff presence.
“They’ll go in, and they’ll check their restrooms, make sure everything is okay,” Lonial said. “If they’re able to, they’ll even walk the exterior of the building.”
New logo
Earlier in January, the library revealed a new branding campaign. The name hasn’t changed, just the system’s logo, now represented by a colorful asterisk-like design and new typeface.
The move, “...reflects the library system’s strategic direction, values, and intention to be a radically welcoming community hub,” according to TPL.
Rest assured, fans of the printed word and image, books haven’t gone anywhere. As of Thursday, the library had 61,260 physical items available for checkout. That figure does not include the Northwest Room collection.
Tacoma’s neighborhoods needn’t worry about their branches being forgotten. Many have the same amenities the main branch does. None are in danger of closing, Lonial said.
Whether it’s Feb. 1 or soon thereafter, she hopes the city will turn out to see what the main branch has become.
“I think that it’s just going to be exciting to expose Tacoma to the library that we know that they’ve been asking for, and that probably meets their needs,” she said.
If you go
What: Reopening of Tacoma’s Main Library
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. Feb. 1.
Where: 1102 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma.
Schedule: 10 a.m.: Doors open; 11:30 a.m.: Remarks by elected officials and library leadership; 12 p.m.-4 p.m.: Performances by Kareem Kandi World Orchestra, Vaipouli Samoan Dancers, Ballet Folklórico and Woodwind trio featuring members of Northwest Sinfonietta.
Cost: The event, and regular operating hours, are free to all.
Information: tacomalibrary.org, 253-280-2800
This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 5:40 AM.
