Request Public Records

Pierce County Library System provides access to its public records under the provisions of the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) and in accordance with the Library’s Public Records Request Policy.

The Library makes a variety of records available online, including but not limited to:

Other records maintained by the Library are available for public inspection unless specifically exempted by law. The Library is prohibited from disclosing lists of individuals for commercial purposes as provided in RCW 42.56.070. For informational purposes, exemptions are listed in the Public Records Request Policy.

There is no cost to inspecting public records. Physical or digital copies of records can be provided upon paying associated copying costs as listed in fee schedule (Exhibit A) of the Public Records Request Policy.

Anyone wishing to inspect the Library’s public records or seeking assistance in making such a request should contact the Library’s Public Records Officer:

Public Records Officer, Petra McBride
Pierce County Library System
3005 112th Street E. Tacoma, WA 98446
publicrecordsofficer@piercecountylibrary.org
253.548.3420

The Library’s standard and preferred method for requesting records is using the Records Request Form.

Any person wishing to inspect or copy public records of the Library should make the request in writing on the Library’s request form, by letter, or by email addressed to the Public Records Officer that includes the following information:

  1. The date and time of the request;
  2.  A means of communicating to the requester, such as mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
  3. Identification of the public records requested with descriptions that are adequate for the Officer to locate the records; and
  4. Whether the requester is seeking to inspect the record(s) or if copies are being requested.

The more precise a request is, the more responsive the Library can be. The purpose of a request is not required to be stated, however, in an effort to clarify or prioritize a request, the Public Records Officer may inquire about the nature and scope of a request.