These oral history interviews were conducted by Ruth L. Wett as part of an oral history project sponsored by the Tacoma Public Library from 1975 to 1976. Each interview provides insight into activities in various neighborhoods, the mixture of immigrant communities, and the reflections on everyday experiences living in Tacoma around the turn of the last century.

Tacoma Public Library's Book Notes radio program was featured on KTNT radio Sundays at 10:30 pm. The show existed from the 1950s–1970s and featured content such as book reviews, oral histories, interviews, and poetry readings. The hosts included librarian Marile Creager, Gary Reese, Louise Morrison, and Georgeanne Schuler.

Publications, research, and writings produced by Tacoma Public Library.

Includes photographs, architectural drawings, Board of Trustees meeting minutes, agendas and packets, correspondence, and other records relating to the operations of Tacoma Public Library.

Includes scrapbooks compiled by Tacoma Public Library staff containing newspaper clippings, event programs and flyers, photographs, and other material related to the Library. Items identified as "Clippings Scrapbooks" contain only newspaper clippings.

Includes directories, reports, publications, and other documentation related to the operations of Tacoma Public Schools.

Records for the various departments of Tacoma Public Utilities including the Belt Line, Data Processing, Light and Water Divisions along with budgets, reports, public relations material, and newsletters. Within the various Divisions can be found monthly and annual financial reports and budgets, various papers and studies, plans, examinations, and public relations material.

Includes speeches and writings by members of the Tacoma Society of Architects.

Weekly newspaper founded in 1973 that primarily focused on issues of relevance to Tacoma's Black community including local, regional and national news, youth news, community calendars, classified advertising, church and family news, and lifestyles and entertainment. Tacoma True Citizen's offices were originally at 1206 South 11th Street, Building 7 in Tacoma. The newspaper is currently owned by Tiloben Publishing Company, Inc., which states that it is "the largest African American owned and operated communications company in the Pacific Northwest."

Holdings: 04/03/1975, 01/12/1978, 07/16/1981, 07/05/1990, 08/30/1990, 09/06/1990, 11/29/1990, 01/24/1991, 02/14/1991, 02/28/1991, 06/20/1991, 10/17/1991, 02/06/1992, 11/19/1992, 02/29/1996, 10/17/1996.

The Tacoma Weekly, published by the Pierce County Community Newspaper Group, originated as the Tacoma Monthly in 1987 and became the Tacoma Weekly in 1994. Sections include local city news, sports including high schools, business and features including visual artists, bands, movies and more.

The free newspaper has been distributed in broadsheet and smaller formats as well as online over the years. A special business section ran from circa 2005-2007 and the Weekly Weedly section that focuses on marijuana news began being published in the April 28, 2019 issue.

Includes scrapbooks, meeting minutes, membership rosters, and writings created by members of the Tacoma Writers Club.

Includes video interviews created for the documentary "The Evolution of Collective Wisdom" along with bios of the interviewees. Also included are materials related to the Black Collective's Black History Month programming.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Buildings Index contains information on Tacoma and Pierce County buildings found in Tacoma papers, local and national magazines, and in over 200 books on local history and architecture. Each source cited in the index is available to view in the Northwest Room.

Records in this index are organized according to address, and include information on the year built, style of construction (where the literature can agree), whether the building has been demolished, and whether it appears on any local, state, or national register of historic places. Architects, builders, and contractors are listed, when known. Families or companies that may have been housed in the building are listed with dates of occupation. The location of any building plans known to exist is also provided. The Tacoma-Pierce County Buildings Index does not cover parks, bridges, dams, docks, and other infrastructures.

For assistance in conducting historic building research, please reference the Northwest Room's Tacoma and Pierce County Home and Buildings Research Guide or contact us at nwr@tacomalibrary.org or (253) 280-2814.

Abbreviations used,
TNT = Tacoma News Tribune / Morning News Tribune / The News Tribune
TDL = Tacoma Daily Ledger
TDN = Tacoma Daily News
TNL = Tacoma News Ledger
T. Times = Tacoma Times
T. Weekly = Tacoma Weekly

The abbreviation (il) following a citation indicates that a photo or illustration accompanies the article cited.

Monthly publications by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce that had six different titles, with some titles running concurrently. All periodicals provided Chamber and business news from around the city and county, but also the Puget Sound region and state. Also included were advertisements, discounts for member businesses, information about upcoming events and lists of new and current members.

Includes handbooks, meeting minutes, correspondence, newsletters, and other documentation related to local programs aimed at helping low-income individuals.

The Amerindian was a bi-monthly information news bulletin published by Marion E. Gridley. It covered news articles about Native tribes and events of interest to many Native groups

The Arts was a monthly newsletter published by the King County Arts Commission. It published information about the arts as a public service for local artists and organizations, and supported local events and groups funded by the commission.

The Bicycle Paper was a newspaper published 7 times a year, monthly from April through September, and one winter issue, by Seattle Publishing. It varied throughout its run from being published anywhere from 7 to 10 times per year. It published articles focused on the sport of cycling, and included topics such as trends, equipment, championships, as well as local, national and global cycling events.

The Coast Magazine, also known as Wilhelm's Magazine The Coast and The Coast: An Illustrated Magazine of the West, features photographs, articles, editorials, and creative writing related to the Western United States. Published by Honor Wilhelm out of Seattle, the magazine primarily covered the Pacific Northwest including topics like mining, forestry, ships and shipping, and various small towns and cities across the region. Wilhelm wrote for the publication and solicited contributions from other writers and photographers.

Includes photographs taken by editor Honor L Wilhelm and others submitted for inclusion in "The Coast" magazine.

Branded as "Tacoma's Only Illustrated Weekly", The Forum was published every Saturday and featured local, regional and state news, political commentary, sports (primarily the Tacoma Tigers), legal notices and photographic profiles of regional figures. Office was located on 915 1/2 Commerce Street in Tacoma and Ella E. Ryan was the publisher and manager.

Holdings: Hard Copy 10/05/1907-12/24/1910 (Vol. 8-13), Microfilm July 17, 1903-Dec. 28, 1918.

The Good Fruit Grower publishes stories and news related to fruit farming in the Pacific Northwest. The periodical provides sections that report on production in the fruit farming industry and highlights events for the farming community. Good Fruit Grower is owned and published by the Washington State Fruit Commission.

The Homefinder was published by Children's Home Society of Washington quarterly and focused the adoption, fostering, and education of children in Washington state. The title was Washington Children's Homefinder from its inception up to September 1964 (Vol.66 No.3). The publication would often include pictures of children and information on adoption, fostering, homeschooling, and social services.

The Indian Historian was a periodical that ran from 1964-1980. It was published monthly and quarterly for the years of 1976 and 1977. Before and after those years it seems to have been only published quarterly. The Indian Historian focused on issues related to Indigenous peoples in the United States like sovereignty, cultural practices, education and land rights. The writings in the periodical include historical writings, opinion pieces and poetry.

The Island Lantern (originally called "The Monthly Island Lantern") was a publication that ran from April 1, 1924 through March 1980. As proclaimed at the start of nearly every issue it is "published .. by and for the men of the U. S. Penitentiary. McNeil Island, Washington ... The purpose of this publication is to give inmates opportunities for self-expression: to provide a medium for discussion of public problems: to foster better understanding between inmates and the public and to be constructively informative."

"The Masonic Journal" was a monthly publication that was first published with its March 25, 1922 issue. The publication centered on "Masonic ideas and ideals," and was published at the Provident Building in Tacoma, Washington. "The Masonic Journal" would change its title to "Washington Masonic Journal" for the April 1924 issue through the August or September issue of 1925, which it then reverted back to its original name.

Holdings: 1922/03-1925/08, 1925/10-1926/02, 1926/04-1928/11.

The Negro History Bulletin, now known as The Black History Bulletin, was first established in 1937 by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. It was published first monthly, then bi-monthly in 1976 and changed to quarterly in 1979. The Black History Bulletin publishes articles on important Black historical figures, moments of Black history, and current events relating to the civil rights and lived experience of Black Americans. The Bulletin has also featured advertisements for colleges, historical exhibitions, and Black History Week/Month.

Northwest Air Lifter is a publication for the Lewis-McChord Airforce Base. The publication features national news headlines relating to the military. It also features stories and information on people and events in the McChord Base community.

Daily newspaper primarily focused on issues of relevance to Tacoma and Pierce County's Black community. Editions highlighted both local and national news and many editions included supplements titled "Happenings" and "Business Legal Journal" where local community events and business updates were published.