Sunnyvale trustees hear expansion plans, funding risks and logistics for Library of Things

Shauna Sudankley, the library's adult services supervising librarian, gave the Board of Library Trustees an overview of Sunnyvale's Library of Things at the June 2 meeting, describing the collection, partnerships, circulation patterns and planned growth.

Sudankley told trustees the program began with a pilot of induction cooktops and Wi'Fi hotspots and has since grown to a collection she described as 'one of my favorite things about the library.' She said the collection now contains 220 unique item types and 571 total items (including multiples such as park passes and hotspots), with top-circulating items for adults being California State Parks passes, Wi'Fi hotspots and Chromebooks.

The program's advocates told trustees it advances several city priorities: increasing access to resources, supporting sustainability by sharing rarely used items, encouraging creativity and lifelong learning, and connecting people to community services and classes.

Sudankley outlined what patrons can borrow: tool and auto-repair kits, sewing machines and sergers, 3D pens and film scanners, hotspots and Chromebooks, board and large-group games, camping gear and birding kits, park passes, and a growing children's library-of-things that launched in December. Items such as the automobile repair kit circulate for three weeks, she said. She also described programs tied to the collection, from telescope viewings with a SETI liaison to summer 'Level Up' events that pair board games with the library's reading program.

How the collection started and how it is funded

Sudankley said the initial pilot included 15 induction cooktops provided in March 2021 by the city's Environmental Services Division (ESD). The library later added hotspots and Chromebooks during the COVID-19 period. She told the board the Library of Things has received more than $45,000 in grant support from multiple sources, including the California State Library and the Pacific Library Partnership, plus an 'urgent grant' from the Friends of the Library and funding from Santa Clara County. The library also has dedicated budget funds and additional pledged support from the Friends of the Library to continue growing the collection.

Collection management, safety and donations

Staff described a cautious approach to purchases and gifts. Sudankley said the library evaluates safety risks and has declined requests to buy high-risk items such as rotary saws; waivers are used for items that pose greater danger. The library accepts public suggestions and prioritizes items with long hold lists; for example, sewing machines will be added as demand warrants.

Donations and interlibrary sharing were discussed as possibilities but not implemented. Sudankley and other staff cautioned that accepting used electronics or items without stringent inspection can create safety and maintenance problems. She said an East Coast network of libraries-of-things sometimes transfers items when they are no longer needed, but the Sunnyvale program is not yet part of such a regional loan network because of logistical and quality-control concerns.

Circulation logistics and patron experience

Trustees raised several operational questions. One patron example cited by a board member noted a hold cancellation message that appeared after four months; staff explained that the library's integrated library system imposes backend mandatory start-and-end dates for holds that are often invisible to patrons. Senior staff said they will investigate whether those backend defaults can be adjusted to reflect long wait lines typical for popular library-of-things items.

Board members also asked about alternate hold models for large-group items (for example, giant Jenga or picnic equipment) and suggested exploring time-window or event-based holds rather than the standard queue used for books. Staff said other public libraries use such systems but implementing them would require changes in backend processes and procedures.

Hotspots, park passes and funding risk

Trustees pressed staff about long-term funding for Wi'Fi hotspots and California State Parks passes. Sudankley said the library currently circulates more than 77 hotspots and bundles some with Chromebooks; hotspots and Chromebooks were added during the pandemic to support remote access. Staff said they currently receive deeply discounted broadband service for hotspots through federal subsidy programs and that proposed reductions to the E-rate or teleconnect funds at the federal level could remove that discount and make the collection expensive to maintain.

On park passes, staff said the library receives roughly 70'plus California State Parks passes at no charge through a state program; those passes normally cost about $120 each per year on the open market. Sudankley told trustees those free passes are guaranteed through June 2026 for now, but state-level budget pressures and cuts to the state library could reduce the number available after that date.

Programs and partnerships

Staff outlined partnerships that support the collection and programs: the city's Environmental Services Division, the California State Parks Department, Pacific Library Partnership, Friends of the Library, Fabmo (sustainable sewing partnership), Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge (family binoculars and birding kits) and a nationwide working group that shares ideas about tool libraries and libraries of things. Sudankley described plans for solar-panel backpack chargers to support outdoor use and for stronger synergies with the Lakewood branch makerspace so patrons can borrow a small item from the Library of Things and then use more specialized equipment at the makerspace.

Community impact and examples

Sudankley shared several patron stories to illustrate the collection's uses: an older adult learning to sew who completed three projects after a long hiatus and a daycare operator who repaired an older sewing machine and began making fitted toddler sheets as small-business income. Trustees emphasized the collection's ability to lower barriers for learning and experimentation, from children trying watercolors or art supplies to adults who want to test a hobby before buying equipment.

Trustees and staff said the library will continue to refine policies on donations, safety inspections, waivers, hold windows and potential interlibrary transfers. Staff committed to investigating the integrated library system's hold defaults and to ordering additional high-demand items (staff noted an upcoming order for more Cricut kits).

Votes at a glance

The board unanimously approved the minutes for the May 20, 2025, trustees meeting by a 5-0 roll-call vote during the consent calendar.

Ending

Trustees praised staff and volunteers for expanding the program. Chair Charlene Wong thanked staff and said it had been a pleasure to lead the board; staff reminded the public that the library's summer reading program was underway and invited residents to the June weekend kickoff events.