The John Steinbeck Library is the public library of Salinas and houses the city's primary Steinbeck archive. While the main public library functions as a regular Monterey County branch, the Special Collections room holds a substantial research archive of Steinbeck materials — letters, photographs, first editions, and local newspapers from the period he was writing about.
Serious researchers can access the collection by appointment. For casual visitors, the library is worth a look as a functioning civic institution with visible Steinbeck connections — display cases in the public areas contain rotating exhibits from the collection. The building itself is a mid-century structure a few blocks from the Steinbeck Center and the Steinbeck House, making it a natural third stop on a Steinbeck walking tour of downtown Salinas.