South Tampa’s Book Lovers Bookstore has to move and is liquidating more than 20,000 books

There aren’t many places in Tampa where a book lover can pick up the Bible, Playboy magazine and Playbill in one stop. There aren’t a lot of places like Dianne Skripek’s Book Lovers Bookstore either.

Available to visit only by appointment, the shop in the South of Gandy neighborhood is home to leftover inventory from downtown Tampa’s beloved Old Tampa Book Company and so much more.

But not for much longer.

Skripek, who’s active with local chapters of the Sierra Club and Temple Terrace’s Democratic party, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that her landlord needs to take the space back and that she’s trying to preserve her sanity and back—meaning all the books have to go.

“I will be there whenever necessary,” she added. “The more books that don’t have to be packed and moved is huge to me, and getting books in hands and hearts is what it’s all about—always.”

Skripek told CL she’ll be on site morning, noon, and night to move inventory—including banned books, “ephemera, sheet music, periodicals on all subjects, from Alchemy to Zeitgeist, including antiquary, Christian and Judaica rooms”—at bargain prices.

“It’s an experience,” Skripek said about the ritual of browsing through the collection of books she’s amassed. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure books get in hands and not in the wrong places.”

Skripek admitted to being sad about the closing of this chapter of her bookstore, but is optimistic about what happens next. “I will recreate it somewhere in the right place someday,” she added.

Anyone interested in picking up some books from Book Lovers Bookstore’s closing sale should call Skripek (813-992-9991) to make sure she’s on site.

Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

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This article appears in Mar 6-12, 2025.