The best deal in Tampa Bay? Try your local library.
What do museum tickets, legal advice and plant seeds have in common? You can get them at the library.
By Lauren Peace, Times staff, Published Earlier today
It is not Costco. Or Goodwill. Or that place with all-you-can-eat shrimp.
It is certainly not the big-box store that boasts doorsbusters or the online retailer with overnight shipping.
For people eager for a cost-effective social outing, look no further than the library. From tech support to legal clinics, from crochet classes to sculpture making workshops, visitors can tap into events and resources without swiping a credit card. The books are just a slice of the offerings.
Poll Question · 4 Days Left
When was the last time you visited the library? I’m there frequently A month or two ago At some point in 2025 It’s been years.
Free cultural events, from ‘bad art’ to ukuleles
On a Sunday in early December, Henry Leng walked into the President Barack Obama Main Library in St. Petersburg and took a seat at a crafting table. He was here, along with some two dozen others, to learn to make stamps.
Leng, 29, grew up in St. Petersburg. As a teenager, he’d visited the library for book clubs, but his engagement withered in early adulthood. Now, with the reopening of the renovated main branch, Leng hopes to revive that relationship.
In the shadow of a loneliness epidemic, and with economic pressures on Floridians’ minds, Leng said he sees libraries as an antidote — a third space where people can connect.
“A goal of mine is to make more friends that have different interests and different experiences, and to learn from them,” Leng said, etching a reindeer into a piece of foam at the free workshop. “I think it’s just wonderful that we have opportunities to come together and have fun.”
He’s already signed up for a free sewing class in January and a book club featuring the works of Florida authors.
“Three of my friends are signed up, too,” Leng said.
Sparking joy is part of the mission, said St. Petersburg Library Services Manager Megan Danak. A frequent favorite is “Bad Art Night,” which asks adults to embrace imperfection in a judgement-free zone. Awards go to whomever was deemed to have created the silliest piece.
Many libraries offer free access to local museums. In Hillsborough, the Discovery Pass program lets library card holders register for free tickets to institutions including the Tampa Bay Aquarium and the Glazer Children’s Museum. Pasco County residents can also access Hillsborough’s library services. In Pinellas, patrons can borrow passes to attractions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Sunken Gardens and the Imagine Museum.
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