Monterey County Free Libraries was established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on August 6, 1912 under the authority of the County Library Law of 1911. The library offers a wide variety of services to support the needs of communities in Monterey County. The Monterey County Free Libraries' local history collection consists of books, photographs, pamphlets, maps and documents on the history of Monterey County and California.
The Monterey County Free Libraries' digital collection consists of texts and still images from the 1880s to 1980s. The collection includes correspondence and photographs related to World War I; photographs of the Castroville Grammar School; text and audio recordings related to women's history in Big Sur; and other material related to agriculture and everyday life in Monterey County.