Tacoma Public Libraries are ‘more than brick and mortar’

What happens when the library gets shut down? For one thing, the need for a library does not go away.

In 2011, the city of Tacoma closed two public libraries in the Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods, citing a budget shortfall.

Community members mobilized forming committees to find ways to bring the libraries back and fill a variety of needs — from access to the internet to meeting hubs.

Libraries are a cornerstone in our society that we’ve come to depend on for more than books, story hours, and quick information.

Many libraries in Washington have evolved to help us prepare our taxes and cast our ballots, for instance. More recently, libraries have provided Covid tests, masks, and hotspots for remote schooling.

They have also been used as wedding venues, tool libraries, and places for extreme weather refuge.

“There’s a lot of room for libraries to provide things that people in the community need, that go beyond books” says Crosscut reporter Hannah Weinberger.

Weinberger recently reported on how Seattle librarians are stepping up as emergency responders.

“Libraries are more than just brick and mortar,” Linda Oliver, the chairperson for the Hilltop Library Planning Committee says. “They’re a place for our communities to feel safe, [with] opportunity and equity.”

The Hilltop Planning Committee was formed in 2014 to help community members address literary needs at a restored library and advocacy at the policy level.

Efforts to bring the two libraries back were stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oliver recalls her son going to the library every morning — 'his office' — to look for a job. She says she's heard from other parents who want close library locations for young children.

For herself, Oliver wants a place where her community feels safe to learn more about voter rights and genealogy.

There is an obvious gap in library service needs throughout the Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods. But that is not the issue, Oliver says.

“We know we need the library, but how can we raise this money? How do we go about it?”

Tacoma Public Library leaders are working on those answers

Alongside BERK consulting, the Tacoma Public Library is conducting a Feasibility Study to understand and approach next steps. In November 2021, the agency asked library patrons: “Do you have ideas about library services in Tacoma’s Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods?”

Kate Larsen, the Tacoma Public Library Director, says that the process will help them decide on a location and the types of services needed, especially with ever-evolving changes in the city of Tacoma.

“We’re considering how the region is going to grow, how the neighborhoods are going to grow, how public transportation is going to change,” she says, “so that hopefully we can correct the mistakes that have been made in the past.”

Larsen says the study may even help Tacoma Public Library identify if its services need to go beyond a library. All ideas are on the table.

“Should it be, altogether, something we’ve never thought of yet?,” Larsen suggests.

Public feedback has already come in. The Tacoma Public Library has been hosting "Visioning Workshops" to learn about the wants and needs around the area.

Some 2,800 Tacoma residents have said they would like to see more hours, better accessibility, and more programming.

“People are really eager to have restored library services,” says Amita Lonial, the Tacoma Public Library Assistant Director. “They’re excited to see our libraries offer more.”

More hours, aesthetics, and more programming

For the most part, Tacoma Public Library has been virtual throughout the pandemic or offering curbside service. But in-person programming is slowly returning.

Similar to many libraries, the library partnered with local health officials to give out Covid test kits.

In January, Tacoma Public Library gave out roughly 10,000 test kits to the public. All of last year, the library system gave out a little under 10,000 test kits. And it does not stop there.

The Tacoma Public Library is where many families and youth receive mobile hotspots, literacy activities, or podcast kits. Patrons can get voter assistance or Microsoft tools certification.

Tacome Public Library also partnered with the Pierce County Auditor's Office so that voters could drop off their ballots at a nearby location.

“We’re trying to do the best that we can with what we have,” Lonial says.

The Tacoma Public Library also went to curbside service because of several reported incidents of broken glass, graffiti, and harrassment.

What resources are available for the library?

Kate Larsen says the Feasibility study is helping them and the BERK consulting team assess all funding options. One option: bond measures.

“The capital bond is always going to be an obvious option,” Larsen says. “But are there any other options, are there philanthropists in the area that might be interested in funding efforts, or any other creative public dollars that might be available?”

Larsen says the Feasibility Study will help the library and community carve out a path. The path now, however, includes lots of resource strain for the community and especially staff.

When the omicron variant surged across Washington, the library was stretched to capacity to provide test kits, Lonial says.

“We are service workers and we do enjoy helping people and serving people...I hope that we can start to imagine restoring our social safety net so that we can have nice things, like nice libraries.”

Tacoma Public Library and BERK Consulting invite the community to provide input and ideas about the future of library services on Hilltop and the Eastside at an upcoming Library Visioning Workshop:

Thursday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.: Virtual Library Visioning Work on Zoom.