Tropic of Cancer published 1934.
Legal to read since 1964.

The Henry Miller Memorial Library operating since 1981.
Legally operating since 2014!

Indeed The Library received its permit to operate December 10, 2014!

Please read on.

On November 15th, a “temporarily closed” sign was hung on the front gate of the Henry Miller Library.

For the next three and a half weeks, the Library went dark as we worked with Monterey County officials to secure the necessary permits to reopen. These efforts, happily, were successful.

The Library has since reopened and will remain open for the indefinite future.

This closure provided a stark look at a world without the Henry Miller Memorial Library, a world with one less ally to champion and preserve the unique “spirit” of Big Sur.

But what does that mean?

To us, preserving the spirit means celebrating the rich cultural, literary, and natural heritage of a place that hasn’t changed all that much since Highway 1 broke all the way through to the south in 1937.

The Henry Miller Memorial Library has been striving to do this for 33 (!) years with our exhibits, archives, community gatherings and by simply existing, allowing seekers from all over the world to wander through our redwood grove, grab a cup of tea, and relax on our deck without feeling pressure to purchase something or make room for the next customer.

These are experiences that (thankfully) can’t be commodified, quantified, or monetized for accountants or shareholders.

It’s also something that’s easy to take for granted. We shouldn’t.

The Henry Miller Memorial Library is attempting to bridge these two worlds by balancing the wild Big Sur spirit with the realities of operating a public space and the need to comply with important safety and regulatory mandates. (To read more about our progress and plans for 2015, go here).

In short, 2015 will see the Library transition from Emil White’s one-bedroom cabin to a fully compliant non-profit 501 (c) 3 public facility and community resource center. And when the dust settles, (and there’s a lot of ‘dust’ right now) we have no doubt that the Library and the Big Sur community will be the better off for it.

Your financial support is needed to make this happen. If you’ve yet to make a tax-deductible donation to help us in these efforts, ask yourself, “Is the Library worth preserving and improving upon for now and the future?”

If the answer is “Yes,” simply click on “Donate.”

And feel free to encourage your friends to join you in our effort to create a sustainable, vital, and vibrant future for the Henry Miller Memorial Library.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the years. We couldn’t have made it this far without you. Looking forward to seeing you in 2015.

Magnus, Mike and Sarah