Library Sub Element of the General Plan
Table of Contents
| The library Sub-Element is one of 23 components of the City of Sunnyvale General Plan. It is part of the broader Cultural Element of the General Plan that includes Recreation, Heritage Preservation and the Arts. The Cultural Element of the Sunnyvale General Plan is a set of long term goals and policies geared toward providing a diversity of opportunities for leisure and intellectual pursuits which contribute to the quality of life for all residents. The philosophy of the Cultural Element is that the City of Sunnyvale can offer its residents more than just a place to live and work. Sunnyvale offers a wide range of programs, services, resources and events to promote recreation, library use, historic preservation and other cultural activities. |
| BEGINNING |
| The first Public Library was established in the town of Sunnyvale on May 7, 1914, when a petition bearing the signatures of 177 residents was presented to the town's Board of Trustees. In January 1916, the Librarian reported to the Library Board that the Library had 426 borrowers and had received 366 new books in the preceding year. In November 1917, the Board of Town Trustees contracted with the Santa Clara Free County Library to receive 350 books for the sum of $159.75, thus becoming a member of the County Library System with full privileges. |
| In 1923, a two-year lease was signed for the ground floor of the Wright Building on Murphy Avenue. The library and its materials were heavily used. The report for the fiscal year 1932-33 showed that the Library contained 4,664 volumes, had 1,533 registered borrowers and circulated 33,345 books. |
|
GROWTH OF THE LIBRARY |
| During the late 1950's in response to the needs of the City's fast-growing population, the City Council decided that the City should operate its own library. The City ended its contract with the Santa Clara County Library in October 1960. A building of 20,000 square feet was constructed on the present Olive Avenue site. The Library occupied 17,500 square feet in the building and the City Council Chambers occupied the remaining space. The Library opened its doors in November 1960. |
The Main Library was expanded in 1970 with the addition of 21,000 square feet to the existing building and the Council Chambers were moved to the new City Hall. |
| By 1975 the city had 102,154 residents and the library had 191,904 books. A small branch library was set up in the north Sunnyvale as a pilot project. The branch was closed as a result of budget cuts after the passage of Proposition 13. At the same time, the main library open hours were reduced from 69 hours a week to 59 hours a week. |
| In 1979, a space study of Civic Center building by a consulting firm showed the library to be two-thirds the size needed to serve the projected population of 114,000. The City Council approved a Master Plan for expanding the Library in 1982 to add 19,000 square feet for increased patron seating, shelving, staff work space and a program room, as well as modifying the building to meet earthquake safety and handicapped access requirements. |
| Construction began in August 1983 and was completed in January 1985. The remodeled Library was dedicated in June 1985 and, as part of the ceremonies, a time capsule was buried which will be opened in the year 2085. Soon after, library hours were increased to 68 hours per week. In June 1987, the parking lot was expanded to double its former size. |
| In 1998, a library renovation project was completed, making better use of existing space. The Library carpet was replaced. New shelving was installed. Non-English language materials, compact discs and videocassettes were relocated to more visible and accessible areas of the building. Data wiring was installed for the library on-line public catalog and for customer access to the Internet and other electronic resources. Older furnishings were replaced and the number of chairs for library visitors was increased from 335 to 475. A new signage system was installed and a new childrens service desk was added. |
|
PATENT AND TRADEMARK SERVICES |
| The Sunnyvale Library is one of 87 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries in the United States. The U.S. Patent and Trademark office provides a core collection of materials to these libraries, which are then obligated to give free reference assistance to the public. Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries are used by independent inventors and also by individuals with an interest in monitoring and protecting intellectual property. |
| The City Council authorized the establishment of a Patent Library in 1965 to be operated under the direction of the City Librarian. The library was housed in a former fire station until 1970, when it moved into the newly remodeled main library. This library became widely used and known as a regional resource. As a result of a study authorized by the Council in 1980, the Patent Library was recognized as the Patent Information Clearinghouse and moved to the Raynor Activity Center with the charge to provide patents and trademarks for the public and to develop fiscal self-sufficiency for all services through the sale of copies of patents. For a time the goal of fiscal self-sufficiency was successfully fulfilled. However, as early as 1993, evolving technology jeopardized the fiscal self-sufficiency of the Patent Information Clearinghouse through new formats for the distribution of patents. |
In 1994, the City of Sunnyvale and the U.S. Patent and Trademark office formed a partnership to provide an array of expanded intellectual property services throughout the western United States and the Pacific Rim. These services included direct interactions with patent examiners through visits to Sunnyvale and videoconferencing capabilities. This partnership was launched as the Sunnyvale Center for Innovation, Invention and Ideas (Sc[i]3). At this time Sc[i]3 moved into office space in the Civic Center Campus, which is a more central location in the city. From the beginning of the partnership Sc[i]3 was required by Council to operate as a business with the goal of fiscal self-sufficiency to recover all costs for both partnership activities and providing free reference services to the public under the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program. |
|
In the late 1990's the Internet provided platforms for products and services that were seriously competitive to Sc[i]3 business activities. Once again, the fiscal self-sufficiency of patent services was jeopardized. After a careful campaign to determine if Sc[i]3 could be fully self-sustaining, Council determined in 2001 that Sc[i]3 should be redesigned and integrated into the Main Library. In this location, Sc[i] 3 continues to partner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to provide intellectual property services and continues to provide materials and reference assistance as a Patent and Trademark Depository Library. There is more visibility for Sc[i]3 in the main Library and Patent/ Trademark researchers now have the benefit of access to intellectual property materials 68 hours a week in addition to proximity to the library’s business and technology reference collections. On-going reference services for these researchers have been absorbed into the Adult Services program of the library. The fee based business services are expected to be self-sufficient in the future. |
|
BOOKMOBILE |
| Bookmobile service was instituted in 1973. The Bookmobile operated on a full-scale basis until 1978 when the service was eliminated because of budget cuts necessitated by passage of Proposition 13. |
|
Bookmobile service was reinstated in June 1982 as a part time library program, serving the community on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week. A replacement Bookmobile was purchased and put to service in 1998. At that time Council determined that increased Bookmobile services were not necessary. Library staff have explored new ways of reaching potential Bookmobile users within existing resources through improved collections, programs and special stops for short-term events. Use of the Bookmobile has increased as a result. |
|
AUTOMATION |
| The Library's first automated circulation system was installed in 1970. Materials were checked out using key punched cards and this system provided information about library use never before available. |
| An on-line integrated library system was installed in 1987. In an integrated system, all functions are connected and changes in one area will be shown in each of the others. Ordering, cataloging, reserves, check-out, check-in, and the online catalog use the same real-time information. |
| Following installation of the online checkout system public catalog in January 1988, the card catalog was removed. During the last decade more functions have been added to the online integrated library system. These include telephone notification to customers about overdue materials and reserves, machines that enable customers to check out their own library materials and Web based library access to the library catalog and borrower accounts. |
| The previous Library Sub Element of the General Plan was adopted by the City Council on February 6, 1990. The majority of goals in the 1990 Library Sub Element have been accomplished. |
|
The most important of these achievements are: |
|
|
Completion of the Library Space Optimization Capital Project including installation of a new signage system. |
|
|
Refocusing the measurement of success in providing relevant materials for customers from monitoring the size of the collection to implementing surveys that ask library visitors if they found what they were looking for. |
|
|
Increasing awareness of library services to the Hispanic community in Sunnyvale as part of the California State Library grant funded "Partnership for charge" program. |
|
|
Responding to new formats for library services by adding customer Internet access, ebooks, and DVD’s. |
|
|
Integrating services and materials about intellectual property into the Main Library. |
|
|
Providing materials about Sunnyvale history and government for the community. |
|
|
Providing remote access to the library catalog first through dial up access and then through Web-based access. |
|
|
Responding to nearly all requests for reference information from customers on the same day. |
|
|
Acceptance of a bequest to provide music listening stations and a substantial number of compact discs for the appreciation of classical music. |
|
|
Participating as a partner and providing a site for a Fremont Adult Education Literacy program. |
|
There were two important study issues which originated with the 1990 Library Sub-Element. One study carefully evaluated the non-resident use of the Sunnyvale Library. In the early 1990’s, non-resident use of the Sunnyvale Library exceeded resident use. During the past decade, the situation has reversed and Sunnyvale residents use of other libraries exceeds non-resident use of this facility. Under universal borrowing agreements, people in California may use any public library. Choices about library use are often based on where people work and spend their leisure time and also the scope of different collections in regional libraries. Trends of library use change over time. The other study analyzed the scope and use of library philatelic collection. Through this study it was determined to transfer this collection to the Friends of the Western Philatelic Library, an organization currently housed at the Raynor Center. The transfer contributed to maximizing space in the library for seating and shelving. |
|
INTRODUCTION |
|
The Sunnyvale Public Library is a vibrant community space where the public has equal access to a vast diversity of ideas, information, knowledge and entertainment. Services, programs and collections are designed to inform and delight residents of all ages, backgrounds and educational levels. A public library provides a way for all of us to have access to that which none of us could have individually. It is a cost effective way to share the resources necessary to build an informed community. It is a place where each individual is welcome to pursue personal interests, support educational pursuits and develop a love of knowledge and reading. There are 179 public library jurisdictions in the State of California. Sunnyvale's is one of the 115 which are operated as city libraries. The Library participates in a number of State and Federal programs through the California State Library including participation in the Silicon Valley Library System and the Golden Gateway Library Network. Library use in Sunnyvale has been high for more than a decade. The Library is consistently among the top five California Public Libraries in communities of similar size in terms of number of items circulated per capita. Library use ebbs and flows with the economy, community education levels and in relation to library conditions in neighboring communities. At the time of this writing, Sunnyvale Public Library is experiencing a sustained period of growth in use of materials, an increase of 20% in the last year alone. The proliferation of information technologies has transformed public libraries in the past decade. Significant demographic changes in California during this time have compounded the changes libraries must make as they try to meet the goal of providing what the community wants, in the format they prefer, at the time it is desired. These changes will continue. At the same time, in California, school libraries have continued to languish, with insufficient funds for purchase of new materials and a lack of professionally trained staff. A healthy library environment includes school, public, academic and special (corporate) libraries. When public school libraries are inadequate, demands are placed on public library collections which cannot be met. As information becomes increasingly ubiquitous, library services must necessarily respond by offering new formats and methods for accessing information. Over the last five years information technologies have changed the way library users check out materials, access their records, find magazine articles and request reference service, just to name a few. Wireless communication, electronic books, customizable interfaces for library catalogs and the miniaturization of technology indicate that changes of this sort will increase dramatically. Another aspect of the library transformation has to do with the increased multicultural diversity of our community. Sunnyvale Library now provides materials in thirteen languages other than English and plans to add more. This has a positive impact on the community as we build bridges between many residents from diverse backgrounds. At the same time it poses challenges as customer service depends on staff ability to work in a multilingual environment. It is both an exciting and challenging time to be working in a public library. This Sub-Element is designed to clarify the issues impacting the provision of high quality library service and to set guidelines which will allow the library to continue to change to reflect community needs while remaining true to the values of the American public library. |
|
CURRENT TRENDS |
A number of societal trends affect how library service will be provided in the future. These trends affect nearly every aspect of life in California and are considered throughout this document. One example is the changing population both in terms of its ethnic diversity and the aging of the Baby Boomer generation. The continuing importance of lifelong learning is evidenced through a rising demand for support of early childhood literacy and the continuing use of the library by all age groups. Another is the changing technologies and the shift from a dependence on print materials to a preference for real-time information in audio-visual formats. The changing nature of information due to digitization requires librarians to have a vastly different skills set than was required even twenty years ago. Customer expectations are that library services can keep pace with these changes. At the same time the majority of library professionals are nearing retirement age making it essential that a new generation of library professionals take the lead in merging the valuable traditions of library service with the new possibilities. Several challenges within the library field itself will impact Sunnyvale’s library services in the next decade. The first is the need to ensure free access to information in libraries. The Internet has made more information available in one place (the computer monitor) than ever before. However, the digitization and electronic transmission of information has also introduced potential barriers to access in the future through pay-per-view criteria and challenges to copyright, fair use and first sale principles which have been cornerstones of library service. National and State legislative attempts to limit access have become more frequent as political ideologies and current issues threaten citizens rights to obtain information. California school libraries have never recovered from the impact of Proposition 13 in 1978. Lack of consistent funding for materials and an absence of library professionals has left our children with many outdated materials and little library instruction. The result impacts not only school performance and achievement but also the Public Library’s ability to provide appropriate service to all residents. The expectation on the part of the community is that the public library should do what the schools can’t. This presents challenges in terms of funding and requires that public librarians provide a different array of services in part aimed at providing library skills instruction to a generation which reached adulthood without it. Across the country libraries are finding creative ways to develop and implement programs to meet the needs of youth in the community. Exciting teen spaces and programs are being developed which compliment their educational pursuits as well as provide a safe environment for leisure time activities on their terms. Children’s library spaces, too, are changing to reflect the needs of children at various stages of intellectual development. All these factors are reflected in the Goals, Policies and Action Statements in this document. |
|
MAJOR FINDINGS |
| The major findings which follow summarize the information provided in the body of the Library Sub-Element. These findings are the basis for the Goals, Policies and Action Statements found in Appendix X of this document. They demonstrate both the external conditions in the community and the internal or current state of library service. The internal findings fell into six areas. The goals for the Sub-Element are focused on these six areas.
|
| COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS |
| Sunnyvale's population is in a long period of demographic change and library services are designed to respond to these changes: |
| a. |
The population of the City of Sunnyvale grew from 117,229 in the 1990 Census to 131,760 in 2000. This is an increase of 12.4%. In the same time period the circulation of library materials increased by 53.3% |
|
b. |
Along with this growth came a significant change in the multi-ethnic composition of the population. During this decade Sunnyvale became a "minority-majority" community. As a result the population is comprised of 46.46% Caucasians, 32.39% Asians (the largest groups being Asian Indian and Chinese), and 15.47% Hispanic/Latino. 19.7% of the community speak a language other than English at home. 39.4% of residents are foreign born. |
c. |
Two segments of the population grew significantly during the decade. People aged 19 years or younger grew from 24,600 to 29,131 while those aged 35 to 64 increased by over 8,000. This seems to indicate a growth in the number of families with children. Increased demand for all children's services and the need for more responsive teen services are consistent with this growth. |
d. |
A high degree of mobility among residents means that there are many newcomers to the city at any given time. This mobility is evidenced by the number of Sunnyvale residents who use neighboring libraries, the number of non-resident library card holders in Sunnyvale and the continuous registration and orientation provided to new library customers. |
e. |
59.5% of Sunnyvale residents identify themselves as working in Management/Professional jobs and 19.4% work in Sales/Office occupations. A large number of Sunnyvale residents are knowledge workers. They are likely to pursue continuing education, participate in the creation of new ideas and use the library often for the pursuit of lifelong learning.
|
| LIBRARY USE |
| Three use statistics, among the many collected, capture the overall activity level of the Sunnyvale Library: |
a. |
The number of library visits per capita has remained steady over the past decade between 6.32 and 6.25. In FY 2001-02 this translated to an average of 2380 walk-in customers per day. It is not possible to quantify the number of "virtual" library uses - represented by those people who use the library website to check on materials availability, perform research, learn about programs, check their borrower records or use the library's web links as a way to search the Internet. It is noteworthy that the library's web pages receive the most hits of all City pages. People use the library for a variety of purposes. Those mentioned most frequently in a recent survey were to: take out books for adults, videos or DVDs, use reference materials, read or study, take out children's books, take out music CDs, use computers, take out recorded books, and attend library programs and events. |
b. |
In June 2002 there were 83,808 registered cardholders at Sunnyvale Public Library. 53,509 of the current cardholders are Sunnyvale residents. It is not necessary to have a library card in order to use the library building facilities and services, read library materials or attend programs. A card is required, however, to check out materials, and to access subscription databases from home. A library card is free to any resident of California with proof of residence. |
c. |
In fiscal year 2001-2002 1,709,468 items were borrowed from the Library, an increase of 53.3% over fiscal year 1990-91. This percentage increase is more than four times the percentage increase in the population. This growth in circulation merits consideration because it occurred at a time when many people were predicting the demise of the library in the belief that "everything is on the Internet". In fact, libraries began offering Internet access as a new, additional service which has become extremely popular. The use of Internet resources in the library is not counted in any statistical measure of library productivity. Sunnyvale Public Library currently provides over 120,000 hours of access annually to the Internet as a whole and to numerous proprietary databases available on the Internet through our subscriptions. |
| COLLECTIONS |
| The concept of library collections continues to evolve as technology provides us with new formats and information delivery methods. Books, books on tape and compact disc, music compact discs, electronic books for both computer use and downloading to portable devices, video cassettes and DVD's , magazines and newspapers, and digital resources developed in-house comprise the current array of materials offered to satisfy the information needs of our community. |
a. |
All professional staff members have responsibility for some part of the library collection, using their own specialized knowledge and experience, combined with that of the others, to enhance the entire collection. Sunnyvale Library is often cited by our users as having "the best collection" among area libraries. |
b. |
There is an advantage to having only one library facility to serve a community of our size - there is no need to duplicate basic resources in a number of locations. This allows the library to use all resources to build one comprehensive collection more likely to serve the diverse opinions and intellectual pursuit of our residents. |
c. |
One measure of the value of a library collection is the turnover rate of library materials. This represents the average number of times each item is used. In the last decade the turnover rate has increased from 3.76 to 6.4 reflecting the library's active program of weeding outdated materials and supplying high demand/high interest materials. |
d. |
The Collection can be broken down into distinct parts: Children's materials, Reference collection, Educational support, and Popular materials. |
| FINDING AND USING LIBRARY MATERIALS |
| A primary purpose of the Sunnyvale Library is assisting customers to locate the information and materials they need. Librarians evaluate, collect and manage information and materials to fulfill this goal. |
a. |
Librarians are trained to "interview" customers to completely understand their information needs and respond with appropriate resources. Traditionally this was accomplished at a Reference Desk. Once again, technology has provided new means by which assistance can be provided. Currently Sunnyvale Librarians provide assistance in person, by telephone, by mail, by fax, and email. |
b. |
Fluctuations in the demand for reference services occur regularly. Currently the library is experiencing a rising demand for Children's reference assistance. Although the demand for Adult Reference increased in 2001-02, it has declined 18.8% from fiscal year 1998-99. |
c. |
Increasingly library users have limited time and demonstrate a preference for self service in accessing information. This has altered the librarians' role requiring an emphasis on instructional assistance to educate the users how to find and evaluate information on their own. |
d. |
Reference service is also provided in support of the work of all other City departments. A service has been established which makes information available on City Staff’s personal computers and provides direct telephone access to reference librarians. |
e. |
A very important contributing factor to customers' success in finding information is the organization of materials within the library. High quality cataloging and processing of new materials as well as efficient methods of keeping materials in their proper place are essential to this activity. |
f. |
Only a very small portion of the Library's FY 2002-03 budget is dedicated to outreach services which are comprised of service to homebound customers and Bookmobile services. Increased attention to Bookmobile services in the past two years has resulted in a 49% increase in circulation and a 47% increase in Bookmobile visits. With current funding this service cannot continue to grow however, it is important to consider whether increased availability of mobile library services could address unmet needs in the community. |
| LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND PUBLICATIONS |
| The library produces programs, publications, and displays to educate, enrich and enlighten library users. These serve as direct links to the library collection and assist users in learning about their depth and scope. At Sunnyvale Library there is increased emphasis on programming as an important value-added service to the collection of materials. |
a. |
Programs fall into two basic categories - those that enrich and those that instruct. For Children most instructional classes are provided to them through school class visits; particularly important given the limited library services in the schools. The majority of children's programs as designed to develop a love of reading and to encourage childhood literacy. Programs are provided for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary and middle school children and teens. Adult enrichment programs include author talks, presentations by experts in a field, music and dance, and book discussions. Instructional programs include programs such as How to use the Web, Computer comfort, and Electronic resources at the Sunnyvale Library. These are designed to give library users the tools they need to manage and access information. |
b. |
The diversity of cultures in our community has been a focus of both Children's and Adult programming in recent years. Many of these programs have "standing room only" crowds as community members seek to learn about other cultures or share their own. 18,758 people attended library programs in FY 2001-02. |
c. |
Reading lists are developed by librarians to assist readers in finding items that suit their interests and help parents guide their children to age/reading level appropriate materials. Many of these are thematic to attract those interested in a particular genre, lifestyle, or hobby. Many booklists are available in print and on the library's web page. |
| LIBRARY FACILITIES |
| Sunnyvale is served by a full service Main Library. This facility is the major access point for all services and collections, supplemented by part time bookmobile services. There are several roles the community expects the library to fill. |
a. |
The Library facility is open to all who wish to use it in accordance with its rules. Library materials are equally accessible to all library users. No items in the collection are restricted to any individual or group of users. The Library staff does not label items with judgements about the content of materials or intrude in any other way into each visitor's ability to evaluate items for personal use. |
b. |
The Library has a color coded signage system designed to assist customers in finding what they need. This system must be evaluated periodically to affirm that it is fulfilling its purpose particularly as we serve a multilingual community. |
c. |
The library was renovated in 1998 when the population was 129,300. The building had been designed in 1985 to serve a maximum population of 114,000 in a time when very little was needed in the way of technology to provide library service. Higher than average community use of the facility, high circulation requiring more materials and space limitations being felt at this time will compound as the population grows. |
d. |
The existing library facility lacks the space and flexibility to support future areas of emphasis in library services. Customers repeatedly ask for more children’s materials, an expanded media collection, additional computer related materials, more materials in a variety of languages. |
e. |
Library users expect their library to be a multi-purpose facility that provides them space to seek and find a variety of materials, study and contemplate, interact with others, relax with friends, obtain refreshments, meet in small groups and gather in large groups for programs. Teens and children each require a different environment than other library users. Some library space must allow for noise and activity while other areas must remain quiet. |
| TECHNOLOGY |
| The Sunnyvale Library has both adapted to and profited from the profound impact of new technology during the last decade. Considering the pace of recent change, it is likely that there will be new challenges and opportunities for libraries as technological innovation continues in the next decade. Technology's effect on library service is a recurring theme in the Library Sub-Element. |
a. |
The Library must address the most effective ways to continue to support reading and learning at the library while at the same time maximizing the opportunities presented by the new formats and methods technology offers. |
b. |
It is not enough to simply introduce new technologies and formats to the public. The ability of each user to respond varies based upon the computer and information literacy skills of library users. The Library must be supportive of each user's specific needs in terms of the management and evaluation of information. |
c. |
Technology has provided the ability to create, as well as access, digital information. The Library has taken the opportunity to publish information in several ways, particularly information related to Sunnyvale itself. Sunnyvale Voices multimedia project, the Teen Resource Guide, Sunnyvale Resource Guide and eNeighborhood are a few examples. The future will undoubtedly include a need for the Library to capture, create and preserve information about the Sunnyvale culture and community. This local focus is one area of information that other data providers are less likely to provide. |
d. |
A term in common use in the Library profession is the "library without walls". This is the aspect of library service that depends on technology and allows library services to be increasingly available to people from home, work or elsewhere. Sunnyvale currently provides a robust presence on the Internet through its website www.sunnyvalelibrary.org. The use of the Internet for this purpose is still nascent and will provide many opportunities for further development of services over the next decade.
|
| HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATION |
| The Library's value depends on its connection to the community, its dedication to customer service, adherence to the management principles and practices in place in the City, a willingness to partner with others for the benefit of library users and a focus on regional, State and national library trends and practices. In the coming years it will also be important to be proactive in the recruitment of new individuals to the library profession as nearly as 68% today's librarians will retire in the next 17 years. |
a. |
The City of Sunnyvale is well known for its Planning and Management systems providing mechanisms by which program outcomes, customer satisfaction and other statistical data is gathered and evaluated. In the Library the online public access catalog system also provides valuable information about library use. The Library will continue to use this information in benchmarking against other high performance libraries. |
b. |
The Library utilizes a number of methods to assess the level of customer satisfaction with programs, services and materials offered. This is done by continuous exchange of information with customers through the Feedback Card system, a variety of in-house questionnaires and program evaluation forms, by regular internal and external customer surveys and through the daily one on one interaction between the public and the staff. |
c. |
The Library provides efficient services designed to maximize the customer's library experience. Systems and procedures are continually evaluated to allow customers to help themselves while staff is available to assist with more difficult issues or questions. |
d. |
The Board of Library Trustees serves in an advisory capacity to the library staff and periodically reviews customer Feedback Cards and greets the public in the library to engage them in conversation about library services. The Board is committed to taking an increasingly active role in this regard. |
e. |
The Library staff actively participates in regional and statewide activities designed to improve library service techniques and systems. Collaboration allows Sunnyvale residents access to the holdings and services of other libraries. |
f. |
Library management is committed to providing ongoing support to staff development for all employees and opportunities for advancement. Each employee is valued for his or her contributions and encouraged to be a full participant in decision making and implementation of quality services.
|
|
CONCLUSION |
| Based on current practice and emerging trends the Board of Library Trustees and respondents to a 2001 user survey were asked to select priority roles for the library in the coming decade from a long list of roles identified by the Public Library Association (Appendix XI.D). The roles they chose as highest priority are: children’s library, reference library, educational support, popular materials and community activities center. Selection of these roles does not preclude the library filling other roles but only recognizes that they represent the priorities. Six goal areas emerged in the development of this Sub-Element, which require emphasis in order to fulfill these roles. |
| These are: |
|
|
Provide a broad and diverse collection of books and other library materials to meet the varied interests and needs of the community. |
|
|
Provide library services to help the community find and use the materials and information they need |
|
|
Provide library programs and publications to educate, enrich and enlighten library users |
|
|
Maintain library facilities and materials that are easily obtainable and appropriate based on changing community needs |
|
|
Use new technology to optimize the development and delivery of library services |
|
|
Foster a collaborative organization to attain a high performance and customer focused library |
| Together with the more specific policies and action statements, these broad goal areas represent the focus of library service in the next decade. |
The previous Library Sub-Element of the General Plan was adopted by Council on February 6, 1990. The 2003 Library Sub-Element updates Goals, Policies and Action Statements in response to changes in community demographics, publishing trends and technology during the last decade. The planning process for the 2003 Library Sub-Element incorporated strategic planning concepts from the Public Library Association publications entitled Planning and Role Setting and Planning for Results: A Public Library Transformation Process. The Public Library Association strategic planning process imparts two principles. One principle is working toward excellence in Public Library services through meeting community needs. The other principle is the need to continuously reinvent and revitalize library services by recognizing current success and looking for new, more effective ways to meet the needs of customers. Several Public Library Association planning steps were used to develop this long-term plan. These steps are demographic analysis, viewing the community, studying library use statistics and establishing roles or specific areas of emphasis where the library will excel. This Library Sub-Element of the General Plan was developed by a team. The team was composed of representatives from the City of Sunnyvale Community Development Department and Sunnyvale Library staff members representative of the key areas of the library including Children's services, collection development, reference information services, administration and the acquisition and processing of library materials. A member of the Sunnyvale Board of Library Trustees also participated fully in the activities of this team. The Sub-Element team developed this document from several different perspectives. They reviewed library use statistics and demographic information including the 2000 Census data for Sunnyvale. Each team member studied a geographical section of Sunnyvale in order to gain a better vision of life in Sunnyvale's neighborhoods and to anticipate what residents may need from community library services in the future. The team systematically studied firsthand the complexity of the City - its size and mix of uses. The team also viewed the different residential structures in Sunnyvale housing different lifestyles and diverse retail, educational, religious and cultural facilities and services. This was a valuable experience for the team members by enhancing awareness of the community for both planning purposes and carrying out day-to-day library responsibilities. Orientation for team members also included a day long workshop about current library and City issues as background for developing the long-term plan for the library. In order to include direct customer input into this long range plan, the team also coordinated the work of the Gelfond Group in conducting a Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment among Sunnyvale residents and library users. Three key questions asked participants why they were visiting the library on the day of the survey (Page 25), the importance of individual library services (Appendix XI. E.) and what roles the Sunnyvale Library should emphasize in the future (Appendix XI. D.). A detailed summary of this survey is included in this document in the Community Conditions section under Sunnyvale Resident Feedback About Library Services. All this information was the foundation for the development of the new Library Community Condition Indicators and the Goals, Policies and Action Statements. The library goals identify six broad areas of library services and issues that are expected to be the essential elements of Sunnyvale Library activities in the next decade. These elements are the library collection; services to help customers find and use both information and library materials; programs and publications to educate, enrich and enlighten library visitors; the library facility; using new technology to optimize library services and fostering a collaborative and high performance organization. The policies and action statements illustrate what will happen in the next decade to support this basic framework of these library goals. These policies and action statements establish directions for continually assessing community needs and adjusting services accordingly, addressing new trends and challenges that will impact the delivery of library services to the community, providing adequate library facilities and user-friendly procedures, supporting both reading literacy and information literacy in Sunnyvale and working in a variety of partnerships to improve library services. The Board of Library Trustees has provided regular input to staff during the development of this document. Draft versions of the new Library Community Condition Indicators and Goals, Policies and Action Statements were reviewed by the Board for input in March and April 2002. The Board also performed the critical decision process to establish the philosophical foundations of this new library long-range plan by identifying the roles or future areas of emphasis of the library within the policies and action statements. On May 1, 2002, The Board of Library Trustees went through an exercise to determine these future library roles. As the representatives of the Sunnyvale residents, they drew upon their knowledge of and contacts with the community to prioritize future service roles. Community input about the most important roles for the library expressed by participants in the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment was also an important factor in their decisions. (Appendix XI. D) The Board of Library Trustees’ consensus about the areas of emphasis covers several aspects of library services. In some cases the Board of Library Trustees blended some roles for the widest benefit to the community. |
|
|
Priority One |
|
|
|
Children's Library providing materials and collections to encourage young children to read and learn. |
|
|
Reference Library with an emphasis on providing community information services and business information services. |
|
Priority Two |
|
|
|
Education Support and Independent Learning Center providing library resources for learners of all ages who are either in formal educational programs or acquiring knowledge independently. An area of emphasis is Information Literacy to assist these customers in developing skills to find and evaluate information. |
|
|
Popular Materials Library providing high demand materials in all formats for library customers. |
|
|
Community Activities center emphasizing the library as a focal point in the City where the public may have interaction with library staff, program presenters and also with fellow members of the community. |
|
Priority Three |
|
|
|
Research Center services to support the intellectual property information resources at the Sunnyvale Center for Innovation, Invention and Ideas located in the Sunnyvale Public Library. |
|
|
Literacy Center or Services with emphasis on English as a Second Language. |
|
The first and second priority roles are all included in the Library Goals, Policies and Action statements with the words "Give High Priority To". The third priority roles are identified with the words "Give Priority to" in the Library Goals Policies and Action Statements. Board choices differ from participant input into the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment in several ways. The Board gave priority to the "Communities Activities Center" role recognizing the library as an important community destination and the "Literacy" role because library skills are the foundation for reading and learning. They also chose to blend in three other roles based on their interactions with and feedback from the public. These are Community Information Services, Business Information Services and Information Literacy (skills in finding and evaluating information). All of these roles will define the direction of library services in the future. |
|
| Community conditions are circumstances and issues that impact the delivery of library services. The Community conditions addressed in this document are: |
|
|
A community profile derived form City demographics |
|
|
Statistical information about the use of the library |
|
|
Laws affecting public libraries |
|
|
Library networks and systems |
|
|
Feedback from residents about the quality and effectiveness of Sunnyvale Library services |
| This document also addresses three regional, state and national issues that significantly influence library services: access to information, education and youth. | |
|
|
|
|
COMMUNITY PROFILE |
|
|
2000 Census data is of critical importance in providing statistical data about Sunnyvale residents as the foundation for planning library services. This information helps define who lives in the community and what their needs are from the library. Looking at the changes from 1990 to 2000 census data also helps predict the trends for future community demographics and associated needs for library services. In addition to the 2000 Census Data, some related age and educational level background information from the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment is included to illustrate demographic patterns of residents’ use of the library. |
|
|
AGE |
|
| These graphs compare the age breakdowns of Sunnyvale residents in 1990 and 2000. | |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The largest growth in the Sunnyvale population has been in the 19 or under age group and in the 35-64 age groups. Within these age groups, the largest increases have been:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
These groups are currently having a great impact on library services. Currently, the use of books for younger children under 5 represents 9.6% of the total library circulation. There is also a high degree of attendance at preschool programs by the under 5 age groups. The 5-9 and 10-14 age groups are also using the library to a great extent for information, reading and programs. As these children grow, they will have an effect on the size of the next age categories up through their teenage and perhaps college age years. This underlines the importance of selecting Children’s Services as one of the major roles for the library in the next decade in order to serve these age groups. The previous Library Sub-Element identified the 35-54 age group, which is the largest age bracket, as traditionally the most active library users. A 26.4% increase in residents in this age group during the last decade suggests that there will continue to be a steady demand at the library for reference information, consumer and investment information, popular adult books and media, and materials to support self-education and vocational or career skill development to meet the needs of this age group. Supplementing the Census information about the age of Sunnyvale residents, there is information about the age of library users in the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment. One of the survey questions asked the ages of the participants, who were all over age 18. This provides a snapshot of the ages of adult residents who visited the library during the survey in November/December 2001.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ages 18-30 | 0.2% of participants in the survey |
| Ages 31-59 | 57.7% of participants in the survey |
| Ages 61 + | 22.12% of participants in the survey |
|
In addition to highlighting the level of use of the library by the 31-59 years age group, this information also indicates that the use of the library by seniors is higher than the percentage of seniors in the community. In Sunnyvale, there are 9,742 residents over age 60 which is 7.39% of the population. 22.17% of the survey participants were aged 61 or older. The number of people in this age group is likely to increase over the next decade as the population ages. Seniors can look forward to a greater period of longevity than previous generations and also often have more leisure time to follow personal interests. It will be important during the next decade for the library to continue to focus services and collections for this group, including large print books and recorded books on tape, popular book and media collections, information about personal health and well being, and investment information.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ETHNICITY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
In the years between the 1990 Census and the 2000 Census, the population of Sunnyvale grew by 14,531 residents, a 12.4% increase. There were dramatic shifts in the multi-ethnic composition of the population that far exceeded the rate of population growth during the decade. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Asian population in Sunnyvale has nearly doubled and the Hispanic/Latino population has increased by 32% between the 1990 and 2000 census surveys. The year 2000 Census Data also provides more information about the Asian residents of Sunnyvale in this chart: |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
The diversity of the community is further illustrated by other Census demographics for country of birth of residents and languages spoken in the home. |
||||||||||||||||||
|
PLACE OF BIRTH: SUNNYVALE RESIDENTS
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
67.4% of foreign born residents of Sunnyvale are from Asia and 17.4% are from Latin America. 22% of residents born in other countries entered the United States between 1990 and 2000. English only is spoken in 45.8% of the homes in Sunnyvale. There are several directions the library has undertaken to respond to growing community diversity during the last decade. One of the most important projects was the federally funded "Partnerships for Change" program in the 1990’s. The goal of the grant was to make Hispanic children and families in Sunnyvale more aware of the library and also to make the library more attractive to this target group. This was accomplished through tours and programs, new Spanish language materials, outreach efforts and new multilingual banners for sections of the library. During the past decade library materials have also been purchased in several other non-English languages including books in the Chinese language and Hindi. An important ongoing function of the library has been to orient all the residents from different backgrounds to the public library, which may be very different from their previous library experience. Through tours and personal reference assistance new residents can learn about the collections and services that are available to them. These collections include materials that both reflect residents’ languages and cultures of origin and also provide a pathway into American life and culture. Emphasis will continue to be placed in the Sunnyvale Library on providing materials for all ages in non-English languages and also meeting the high demand for materials about English as a Second Language and citizenship.
|
||||||||||||||||||
| MOBILITY | ||||||||||||||||||
| The household mobility census data also demonstrates that Sunnyvale is not a static community. The following chart indicates how long Sunnyvale residents have lived in their homes. | ||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
30.11% of Sunnyvale residents did not live in Sunnyvale or Santa Clara County five years ago. This indicates a substantial level of mobility in the community. This has an impact on library services. In a situation of significant mobility, an on-going series of new residents need to be registered as patrons and oriented to the library. Mobility also means continuous change in library customer needs. |
||||||||||||||
|
EDUCATION/OCCUPATION/INCOME |
||||||||||||||
|
One of the major determining factors in library use is the education level of a community. The level of education in Sunnyvale is very high. 89.4% of the residents are high school graduates or higher, 50.8% have a Bachelors Degree and 21.9% have a Graduate or Professional degree. A question on the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment asked survey participants about their level of education.
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
The number of visitors to the library increased with the higher levels of education. There us a correlation nationwide between higher levels of education and library use. This trend is expected to continue at the Sunnyvale Library during the next decade. A corresponding focal point in library service to the community will be services for the 10.6% of the population who are not high school graduates. The needs of these library users include GED preparation materials and other resources for developing math, verbal and vocational skills in addition to popular materials of interest. A second determining factor for use of the library is occupation. The occupations of Sunnyvale residents over the age of 16 are distributed through these work categories:
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
A large proportion of Sunnyvale residents are knowledge workers—developing and analyzing data and communicating with clients and customers. The library is an important resource for these residents. The library business collection is kept up-to-date to provide timely information on work related topics. It is likely that a significant number of residents work from home and make use of the library Web-site. One challenge for members of the community is the need to self-educate over a lifetime to adjust to the pace of change in the workforce and the library is key to providing resources for this type of learning. Another challenge is the transition from traditional defined pension plans to self-managed retirement accounts requiring investment decisions that can be researched at the library. These circumstances are the basis for the library being an important support for residents’ career success and financial well being. One other important determining factor for use of library services is level of income. A profile of Sunnyvale residents’ income was also provided in the 2000 Census.
|
||||||||||
|
|
The median income for Sunnyvale is $74,409. There is a significant variation in incomes in Sunnyvale with a wide range between the lowest and highest income groups. The public library has traditionally been of great importance to lower-income who have less discretionary income for books, media, and magazines. The library provides free access to items of interest to these materials in addition to offering a comfortable environment for reading and studying. Since the City of Sunnyvale is located in Silicon Valley where there is a great deal of economic volatility between both economically expansive periods and recessions, residents with higher incomes may also find library services essential during times of economically challenging periods.
|
|
CONCLUSION
|
|
The Sunnyvale community is undergoing a long period of sustained demographic change, which is having a major impact on library services. Demographics in the community indicate many population trends that have and will continue to result in demands for library services by residents. Traditional heavy users of library services -- children, adults from 35-54 and seniors currently use the library and should continue to do so in the next decade. Many members of the community are highly educated which also results in use of the library. And the library also has an important responsibility in providing services and materials for residents with lower education levels and incomes. Sunnyvale is a diverse community. The population is segmented in several ways. Age differences mean that residents have different cultural reference points depending on their generation and subsequently have different needs for library materials. The ethnic diversity of the community reflects a large number of library users whose reference point is a global culture which needs to be included in the library through non-English language materials along with a staff sensitive to the language and cultural challenges these customers may experience using the library. A high degree of mobility among residents means that there are many newcomers to the City at any given time and the library is continuously registering and orienting new customers. The challenge for the Sunnyvale Library during the next decade is to use resources effectively in order to identify and serve the needs of all the members of the community as needs for library services diversify and change rapidly.
|
|
LIBRARY USE |
|
The library collects and monitors statistics to evaluate the level of library use. Current data can be compared to previous years in order to assess demand for library service and level of performance over time. For this document, the two points of comparison are Fiscal Year 1990-91 (the year the previous Library Sub-Element of the General Plan was published) and Fiscal Year 2001-02. Some of these statistics are expressed in per-capita ratios in order to provide context with the size of the community. There are three use statistics that capture the overall activity level of the Sunnyvale Library. These are the number of library visits, the number of library cardholders and use of the collection. This is critical information for obtaining a clear picture of library use in order to continuously improve collections and services. Some of this data will be monitored annually as Community Conditions Indicators.
|
| LIBRARY VISITORS |
|
The number of visitors to the library is registered every open hour by an automatic front door counter. Visitors to the bookmobile are added to the number of visitors to the main library as were visitors to the Patent Information Clearinghouse and then Sc[i]3 before integration into the main library. All visitors are counted -- both residents of Sunnyvale and non-residents. The number of visitors to the library has increased by 10% since the previous Library Sub-Element of the General Plan.
|
|
FY 1990-91 |
FY 2001-02 |
|
757,020 |
833,066 |
|
The number of library visits per capita has remained steady during the same time period as the population increased 12.8%.
|
|
FY 1990-91 |
FY 2001-02 |
|
6.32 |
6.25 |
|
An average of 2380 people per day now visit the library. The participants in the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment were asked for what purposes they came to the libraries on the day they participated in the survey. The results were:
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Checking out materials is a highly rated reason for visiting the library. However, nearly half of the survey participants also came to the library to use reference materials or to study in the building.
|
| LIBRARY CARDHOLDERS |
Library visitors may use building facilities and services, read library materials and attend programs without a library card. They must have a library card to check out materials for use outside the library. Sunnyvale Library cards are available to anyone who can show proof of residence in California. Sunnyvale residents can also use almost any other public library in California. Library cardholder records are purged from library records twice a year, eliminating those people with no major overdue or materials replacement charges against their records who have not used the library in three years. This keeps the number of registered cardholders up-to-date. Approximately 14,000 cardholder records are purged annually. In June 2002, after the purging of records for Fiscal Year 2001-02, there were 83,808 registered cardholders at the Sunnyvale Library. One measure of community demand for library services is the number of residents who are cardholders. In June 2002, there were 53,509 residents or 63.84% of Sunnyvale residents were library cardholders.
|
|
CIRCULATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS |
While the library maintains a collection of reference materials and current issues of magazines which cannot be checked out, the majority of items in the Sunnyvale Public Library may be checked out of the building. Library materials are checked out through an on-line integrated library computer system. Individual borrower loan records are erased when materials are returned and checked in and any fines or other charges for lost or damaged items are cleared. This computer system provides a record of statistical data enumerating the number of items checked out and checked in and the formats and classification categories of these items. Information about the number of items checked out is often used as a fundamental measure of library use. The use of library materials is increasing in Sunnyvale. |
|
|
FY 1990-91 |
FY 2001-02 |
|
Total items checked Out |
1,114,598 |
1,709,468 |
|
The number of items checked out annually in this period increased by 594,870 items or 53.3%.
|
|
CONCLUSION |
|
These statistics illustrate the demand for library services in Sunnyvale. The demand is for library materials to take home and for a facility that provides both reference materials and a space to study and use library computers. The number of visitors and the number of items checked out have increased over the last decade. Library role clarification will assist in directing resources to respond to the demand for library services in the community. As was noted in the Sunnyvale Library Future Needs Assessment, library customers exhibit a relatively high level of usage. As a result the library should consider how best to allocate resources in the future - invest in satisfying the needs of current customers or invest in attracting new customers to the library. |
LAWS AFFECTING PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES
|
CITY CHARTER |
|
The Sunnyvale Public Library operates as a department of the City of Sunnyvale, which is a Charter City with a Council-Manager form of government. The Director of Libraries is appointed by the City Manager. The Board of Library Trustees is established in the City Charter and consists of five members appointed by the City Council to serve a term of four years. According to the Charter of the City of Sunnyvale, the Board of Library Trustees shall have power to: |
|
|
a. |
Act in an advisory capacity to the City Council and City Librarian in all matters pertaining to the City Library; |
|
b. |
Review the annual budget of the City Library prepared by the City Manager, and make recommendations concerning the budget to the City Council; and |
|
c. |
Exercise such other functions as now and hereafter may be prescribed by the City Council which do not conflict with the provisions of this Charter. |
|
|
|
|
STATE LEGISLATION |
|
| PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION |
|
In 1982 the California Legislature established the Public Library Foundation Program to insure that libraries in California would be able to provide a foundation program of basic library services to all segments of the population. Funds, which could equal up to 10% of basic services, are disbursed to public libraries on a per capita basis according to a simple formula. In order to be eligible to receive these funds a jurisdiction must continue to support basic services at no less than 90% of the established foundation program level. The City of Sunnyvale has received Foundation Program funds since fiscal year 1983-84. These funds have been used for special projects, library materials, publicity, public programs and staff development activities in accordance with policies contained in the Fiscal Sub-Element of the General Plan. Expenditure of these funds is reviewed by the Board of Library Trustees and approved annually by the City Council. To date the Public Library Fund has never been fully funded by the State Legislature. The allocations fluctuate dramatically depending on the State’s fiscal condition. For example, in FY 2001-2002 the library received $203,975, in FY 2002-2003 the amount will be $119,587. If fully funded, the Foundation Program would provide $303,979 in FY 2002-2003. Since 1989 the City Council in its Legislative Action Policies has adopted the following: "Support full funding of the Public Library Fund." (Policy 6.1).
|
| CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICES ACT |
|
The California Library Services Act (CLSA) enacted in 1977 to encourage resource-sharing and cooperative planning. The legislation established Cooperative Library Systems, which encourages regional cooperation between library jurisdictions through a written agreement. Membership in a cooperative library system insures "equal access" to residents of all member communities to each member library. In addition, Sunnyvale Public Library is a "universal borrowing" library which means services are available to any resident of the State of California. CLSA provides for reimbursement to cities and counties for any imbalance in loans to residents of other jurisdictions (non-resident use) and for loans to other California libraries (inter-library loans – ILL). In all but one of the last 16 quarters Sunnyvale residents have borrowed more materials from other libraries than non-Sunnyvale residents have borrowed from the Sunnyvale Public Library. As a net borrower, the Sunnyvale Public Library does not receive any repayment for its direct loans. In Fiscal Year 2001-2002 Sunnyvale Public Library received $2,544 in reimbursements for ILL services.
|
| LIBRARY OF CALIFORNIA |
|
In the late 1980s a project was begun to examine whet |