SANTA ANA, Calif. – The City of Santa Ana celebrated the opening of one of the only permanent public outdoor libraries in the country on Thursday, Aug. 21, as part of the largest expansion of the Santa Ana library system in 50 years and a historic $50 million investment in library facilities.
The Santa Ana City Council led a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Outdoor Library at Jerome Park, located at 2115 W. McFadden Ave., which was attended by a crowd of residents and community members.
“We are thrilled to mark the opening of another new library for the people of Santa Ana that will serve as a hub for learning, connection and opportunity,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said. “The Outdoor Library at Jerome Park demonstrates City staff’s innovation and creativity in developing new educational and recreational resources for our community.”
The Outdoor Library at Jerome Park is the first of its kind in Santa Ana and provides the local community with a vibrant and interactive space for all ages. Located near the Southwest Senior Center, community centers, schools and neighborhoods, the library is sure to become a destination park that people can visit and engage with for many years to come.
The project design incorporates reading, recreation and play areas for multigenerational groups. Its inclusive design is welcoming for individuals of all ages and abilities.
The Outdoor Library includes:
- A fully enclosed, self-service, walk-in library kiosk that offers patrons access to nearly 400 print and digital materials.
- Outdoor seating and access to public Wi-Fi
- Playgrounds and reading areas for children and families
- A children’s trike play track to encourage awareness of street and traffic safety
- New pedestrian concrete pathways
- A “story walk” with library-themed signage to help residents learn about water conservation
- New multigenerational playground equipment including percussion musical instruments
- A groundwater capture bio-retention basin
- Drought-tolerant landscaping
The total project budget was $4.3 million, with funding from the City’s federally funded pandemic relief initiative Revive Santa Ana, local sales tax revenue, the Water Resources Division and a Community Development Block Grant.
In addition to the Outdoor Library, the City opened the new Delhi Library Branch last week.
The historic Main Library, which opened in 1960, is undergoing the largest renovation and modernization in its history, while renovation work on the Newhope Library Branch began this summer. Both of these libraries are scheduled to reopen in summer 2026.
The City’s library system is expected to serve 250,000 people annually after all of the library sites are open, along with the services provided by the library’s Knowledge Mobile at parks and other locations and a Knowledge Mobile XL arriving in mid-October.