Mailbag: Your thoughts on an outdoor library in Tampa Bay

We asked where you’d put one in TBAY, and you sent in your ideas.

31738618_123089668555809_5707212711121649664_n.jpg

Imagine browsing for a book along the Riverwalk, then paging along with a view.

Photo by City of Tampa, art by Pep Rally Inc.

We recently wrote about South Korea’s outdoor library concept, and where we’d like to see one somewhere in Tampa Bay. Our suggestion? North Shore Park for its peaceful waterfront views + popularity.

After that, your own ideas flooded in. Here are a few of them:

  • “Lowry Park,” suggested Teresa R.
  • One reader (who decided they shall not be named) recommended “New Tampa.”
  • “I guess North Shore Park but also somewhere not downtown as well,” added Heidi B.
  • Debra C. said Curtis Hixon Park, and Kym K. similarly suggested the broader Riverwalk area.
  • “Strum park in St. Pete,” is screaming for a park, wrote Annie P.
  • One lovely, but nameless reader wrote in to say we need a library in every park. So true.

There are more ideas to browse through — see which ones you like, or submit a response of your own.

More from TBAYtoday
The new 31-story condo tower is one of the latest changes to the South Tampa skyline.
Different cities and regions have plenty of localized menu items. Now it’s time for cookies to join the fray.
Increasing the value of your home might be easier than you think.
The budding corals will eventually be replanted within the Keys as part of Florida’s Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative.
We compiled all of the feedback from our Giving Campaign to learn what readers love most and want to see more of in our newsletters. Here’s a peek at what they said.
From pop legends to chart-topping bands, there’s no shortage of concerts to see this year in the Tampa Bay area.
Here’s where to ring in 2026 in TBAY.
We rounded up six locally approved matcha picks so you can get your green fix.
We wrap up some of our favorite waterfront parks, local businesses, bakeries, and other faves across Tampa and St. Pete
Some of country music’s biggest and rising stars play the 2026 festival right on St. Pete Beach.