Main Branch

Main Library Construction FAQs

• What is happening at Main?

  • The Main Library in downtown Tacoma is being upgraded to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency, creating an overall better visitor experience.
  • Upgrades will be made primarily to the modern addition (that is, the building attached to the Carnegie building, last remodeled in 1990); the Olympic and other meeting rooms, as well as the Handforth Gallery in the original 1903 Carnegie Library will also be refreshed.

• How long will Main Library be under construction?

  The Main Library closed for construction on September 1, 2023, and will fully reopen in 2025.

• Why is Main under construction?

  • The “modern addition” has not been improved in more than 30 years and is not equipped for today’s needs.
  • The goal of this project is to make the library a more efficient, safe, and welcoming environment. With 95,000 square feet, there is so much potential for this facility to serve the community in myriad ways. One example is transforming the second floor of the library into operational and programming space for nonprofit partners such as the Tacoma Tool Library.

• Why is TPL updating Main Library right now?

  • In 2020, the City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Library were hit with a budget shortfall due to the pandemic
  • Usage at the Main library had been in decline over that past two decades. Most people report that lack of parking, unwelcoming/uninspiring spaces, and safety concerns caused them to discontinue visiting Main
  • While libraries were closed and our library director navigated budget challenges, the constraints of operations spurred creative and imaginative problem solving in how to better utilize the space, resources, and number of staff of Main Library to benefit the entire library system
  • The remodel will center library services and collections on the first floor while welcoming an "incubator model" on the second floor, converting it to spaces for nonprofit community organizations to have spaces to offer programs at below-market rate rent

• How is this project being funded?

  A combination of City of Tacoma, state, and federal sources are funding this project.