The Whole Earth Library exists to enable and inspire learning, reflection, and informed personal choice within the context of a worldview grounded in sustainability. It is a project of the Thoreau Center for Sustainability San Francisco, a nonprofit center located in the historic Presidio of San Francisco and comprised of 12 buildings housing over 60 nonprofit organizations. An environmentally and financially sustainable facility, the center is designed to incorporate both green building principles and historic preservation, and it has served as a model of the successful integration of sustainable design and adaptive reuse for other historic sites throughout the United States.
Through its collection and programs, the library supports the work of its tenant community, and the Thoreau Center also makes it freely available to its neighbors working, living, and studying in the Presidio. Its collection of books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs provides its users with a variety of information resources that they can use to learn how to live a more sustainable life, to contribute to the development of sustainable practices, and to support the education of others. For the purposes of the library, sustainability is defined inclusively to incorporate ecological integrity, human health, social justice, and secure economic livelihoods for people today and for generations to come. It is a place to help you make sense of the natural world and your place in it.
Location
We are located in the back of Presidio Building 1016, at Lincoln Blvd. & Torney Ave. Directions.
Hours and Connecting
Our hours are:
Monday through Friday, except for Tuesday: 11:00am to 2:00pm
Contact the library at library@thoreau.org
Policies and Procedures
Read the FAQ
Thoreau Centers for Sustainability are green nonprofit centers that house more than 70 nonprofit organizations in San Francisco and New York. The centers serve as models to others interested in starting similar real-estate endeavors.
Thoreau Centers for Sustainability are operated by Tides Shared Spaces, the Tides initiative that creates, operates, and promotes sustainable workspace for nonprofits and strengthens nonprofit capacity in the real estate arena.
The Tides vision is a world of broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes, and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected.
